[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 50 (Friday, March 17, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING JOSEPH McFARLAND III, RECIPIENT OF THE GREATER PITTSTON 
               FRIENDLY SONS GILMARTIN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 17, 2023

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Joseph McFarland III, who 
has been awarded the Gilmartin Achievement Award by the Greater 
Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Joseph will be recognized at the 
group's annual gathering on March 17, 2023.
  Joseph, the son of Joseph and Andrea McFarland, grew up in Old Forge, 
Pennsylvania. He attended Bishop Hannon High School, graduating with 
the class of 1987. After high school, he enlisted in the United States 
Marine Corps, serving for six years, including during the Gulf War and 
Operation Desert Storm, before his honorable discharge.
  In 1993, Joseph began working as an hourly associate at the Home 
Depot, beginning his 30-year career in retail. He quickly rose through 
the ranks, taking on increasingly challenging and increasingly senior 
positions. He retired from the company in 2015 as a division president, 
overseeing more than 110,000 associates. Joseph continued to excel in 
retail executive management. He was based in Dallas, Texas as the chief 
operations officers of JCPenney, where he was responsible for stores, 
operations and merchandising.
  Since 2018, Joseph has been the executive vice president for Lowe's. 
He is responsible for nearly 300,000 associates, leading teams relating 
to stores, contact centers, services, operations, workforce management, 
asset protection, real estate, facilities, aviation and global 
security.
  In addition to his professional pursuits, Joseph works to give back 
to his community. He serves on the boards of the Lisa Beth Gerstman 
Foundation, City of Hope Hardware/Homebuilding Industry, Building Homes 
for Heroes and the Big XII Council. Together with his wife, Misty, he 
founded a nonprofit real estate company to provide affordable housing 
for Georgians in need in the Greater Atlanta area.
  I am honored to join with the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons to 
recognize Joseph, a proud son of Northeastern Pennsylvania, for his 
impressive career achievements and his military service. May he 
continue to strive for excellence in his professional and personal 
endeavors. I wish him the best this St. Patrick's Day.

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