[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO AL MATTINGLY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Daviess County Judge-Executive Al 
Mattingly has served his community with distinction since 2011, earning 
three terms in office and leading Owensboro toward a bright, prosperous 
future. Last year, Al announced he would not seek a fourth term in 
office, following in his predecessors' footsteps by deciding to serve a 
maximum of 12 years as judge-executive. Today, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring Al for his service to Daviess County and thanking 
him for his effective leadership.
  Al felt called to public service early in life and hasn't let up on 
his commitment since. Following his graduation from Owensboro's Brescia 
College, he joined the U.S. Army to help protect and defend our Nation. 
Not long after, he married his wife of more than 50 years, Judy Wolfe, 
and then returned to his hometown for a career in the private sector.
  Al has remained involved in Owensboro's thriving small business 
community since then and currently serves as president of the family-
owned Acme Plumbing and Heating company. However, two decades ago, he 
realized he could make his mark on Daviess County beyond that role and 
ran for the Owensboro City Commission. After winning election in 2003 
and again in 2007, Al earned the title of Owensboro mayor pro tem in 
2007. This served as the perfect primer for his county-wide service as 
judge-executive, which began in 2011.
  Over the past decade, Al has marked a number of important milestones 
in Owensboro's history. In just the last year, Owensboro earned the 
title of ``Bluegrass Capital of the World,'' cementing a yearslong 
effort to foster the musical arts in Daviess County and bring tourists 
to the cradle of Bluegrass music in the surrounding region. Al 
leveraged Owensboro's access to the Ohio River to expand Daviess 
County's riverport infrastructure and waterfront attractions, inviting 
economic development for the whole county. But more than anything, Al 
says his chief achievement has been his unique ability to sit down with 
his constituents and listen to their concerns, one-on-one. That kind of 
personal relationship with his neighbors and voters has always been the 
lynchpin of Al's career.
  Al says he looks forward to spending more time with his wife and 
family during his retirement and is also likely to expand his lifetime 
involvement with his church, Our Lady of Lourdes. After his decades of 
service to Daviess County, he has certainly earned the right to take a 
step back from the public eye and enjoy his retirement. On behalf of 
the Commonwealth and the U.S. Senate, I would like to express my 
immense gratitude to Al for his work on behalf of Daviess County and 
wish him well in the next step in his career.

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