[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 9 (Thursday, January 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E34-E35]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING MICHAEL ``MIKE'' K. SHIELDS OF THE BAYTOWN-WEST CHAMBERS 
                 COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BRIAN BABIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 13, 2022

  Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michael ``Mike'' 
K. Shields for his outstanding service to the City of Baytown and

[[Page E35]]

West Chambers County, Texas. After serving as the Executive Director of 
the Baytown-West Chambers County Economic Development Foundation for 
the last 36 years, Mike will be retiring this month.
  For nearly four decades, Mike has been a driving force for regional 
economic growth. Without a doubt, his work has improved the quality of 
life for all living in the City of Baytown and the surrounding 
community.
  Over the years, Mike played a major role in landing many significant 
developments and project expansions, including the establishment of a 
regional logistics hub, a distribution center for a multinational 
retail corporation, a multinational steel-making company, and the 
largest master-planned, rail-and-barge-served industrial park in the 
U.S. He was also instrumental in creating the Cedar Bayou Navigation 
District as well as the various improvement districts in Chambers 
County. These projects yielded numerous high-paying jobs for Baytown 
and generated a multitude of support from countless businesses in the 
Greater Houston area, including critical industries along the Houston 
Ship Channel.
  During his tenure, Mike collaborated with key stakeholders, such as 
the City of Baytown, Chambers County, Harris County, the Port of 
Houston, the Greater Houston Partnership, the State of Texas, the 
Houston-Galveston Area Council, and the Baytown Chamber of Commerce to 
diversify the economy and enhance growth and prosperity within the 
region. In addition, he actively contributed to the industrial 
development of the Greater Houston area through his memberships in the 
Texas Economic Development Council and the International Economic 
Development Council.
  As if these significant accomplishments were not enough, Mike also 
served his nation honorably as an infantryman in the U.S. Army during 
the Vietnam War. During the war, his unit ran Reconnaissance-in-Force 
(RIF) missions to determine the location of enemy combatants for 
artillery strikes.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Mike Shields for his momentous contributions 
to the economic development of the City of Baytown, West Chambers 
County, and the surrounding communities over the last 36 years. Our 
region has a flourishing economy, in large part to Mike's efforts, and 
I wish him and his family all the best in retirement.

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