[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 2 (Friday, January 5, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ROBERT COKER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 5, 2024

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a long-
standing friend and community leader, Mr. Robert Coker, as he retires 
in his 42nd year of service from U.S. Sugar, working on behalf of 
farmers across South Florida.
  Mr. Coker began his successful career with U.S. Sugar in 1982 in its 
Community Affairs Department. By 1993, he became Vice President of 
Community Affairs, ascending to Senior Vice President by 2000. For 23 
years, Mr. Coker served as senior Vice President, elevating U.S. Sugar 
and its Public Affairs department to a new, nationally recognized 
standard of excellence.
  A man known across government, industry, and the South Florida 
community as a consummate professional; a man of integrity and 
unwavering dedication to his community, Robert Coker leaves behind a 
legacy of legislative victories for Florida's agricultural sector. From 
transportation, tax, and trade to agriculture, environment, and labor 
policy, Mr. Coker ensured that farmers' needs were well-represented, 
from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C.
  A loving husband to his wife Mendy and dedicated father to his three 
children, Mr. Coker's impact both personally in his community and 
professionally has left an indelible mark on us all. I know his work 
will serve as the foremost example for all those to follow, and I wish 
him the very best as he steps into this next stage of his life.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to be able to address the House on 
behalf of my dear friend, Robert Coker, and I ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing this outstanding individual.

                          ____________________