[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF MATT POLKA'S RETIREMENT

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                          HON. ROBERT E. LATTA

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2022

  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
acknowledge the retirement of Mr. Matt Polka, the longtime Chairman and 
President of ACA Connects. Matt's tenure, from the inception of the 
organization to the effective organization it has become today, has 
been marked by his integrity and his earnest commitment to representing 
the small, hometown businesses that have built and managed the cable 
and broadband networks that Americans depend on. Matt also 
distinguished himself in Washington by his common decency, his love of 
a good conversation about politics, and a desire to help anyone he 
could.
  Those values have been clearly shaped by his deep roots in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There is not a person who worked with Matt 
that didn't know of his love and affection for his wife, Sharman, his 
daughters, Molly and Annie, and his pride in being from the Three 
Rivers area.
  Under Matt's guidance and leadership, ACA Connects grew from an 
informal grassroots effort to being one of the preeminent 
telecommunications organizations in Washington. He ensured his members 
had a voice in all the important debates that have occurred since 
taking the helm of ACA Connects. Those efforts span the re-examination 
of the 1992 Telecommunications Act to each reauthorization of the 
satellite industry to the latest broadband deployment and adoption 
initiatives. His work was a mile wide and a mile deep.
  Matt has helped my constituents in Ohio through his work to improve 
broadband infrastructure and access. Many of my constituents live in 
rural areas and Matt's advocacy has aided efforts to ensure that they 
can get online. Additionally, Matt has been a strong advocate for small 
businesses across the country and championed efforts to cut the 
bureaucratic red tape that hampers them.
  ACA Connects earned its reputation through his unwavering vision and 
mantra to work with everyone, to find places of agreement, and to focus 
on common interests rather than focus on differences and partisanship. 
That approach has earned him the respect of so many Members, staff, and 
counsels across the Hill along with the various officials in 
administrations that have been in place during his time. The respect 
shown to Matt also comes from others--including consumer groups and 
businesses--even when his work puts him on opposite sides of an issue.
  Guided by his faith, he has been a firm and determined advocate for 
his members and he has done so with conviction, character, and 
fairness. After 25 years of service to ACA Connects, I want to 
recognize his work and offer my best wishes for his next chapter of 
service in life.

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