[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CELEBRATING THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF OTIS T. BARKER, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 25, 2025

  Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Mr. 
Otis T. Barker, Sr. and his remarkable career of service to the City of 
Buffalo as he enters into retirement after many years of dedicated 
work. Mr. Barker is a lifelong resident of the City of Buffalo, raised 
in the Kenfield/Langfield neighborhood and received his education in 
the Buffalo Public Schools and at the State University of New York at 
Fredonia.
  Mr. Barker's career began as a seasonal stock clerk for the Adam, 
Meldrum & Anderson department store, where he worked for 14 years. 
After several promotions, Mr. Barker became the company's first African 
American male to hold the executive title of buyer in its 125 year 
history. Soon after, Mr. Barker was hired by the former Deputy Speaker 
of the New York State Assembly, Arthur O. Eve, to serve as Chief of 
Staff from 1996 through 2002. This experience deepened his 
understanding of his community and the affairs of New York State.
  After the retirement of Deputy Speaker Eve, Otis Barker joined then-
New York State Senator Byron W. Brown's team as Director of Community 
Relations. When Senator Brown became Mayor of the City of Buffalo in 
2006, Mr. Barker was appointed Director of the Division for Youth, 
where he managed the Mayor's Summer Youth Internship Program and the 
Mayor's Summer Reading Program. In 2011, Mr. Barker was promoted to 
Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Community Services and 
Recreational Programming, where he managed seven divisions, including 
Youth Services, Senior Services, Disabled Parking Permits, and 
Workforce Development. Later, in 2017, Mr. Barker was appointed 
Commissioner of Community Services and Recreational Programming, where 
his leadership and dedication continued to shape the city's services 
for the better.
  Mr. Barker is a proud father of four children--Otis Jr., Jarred, 
Ondrea, and Peyton, and a grandfather to three--Destiny, Olivia, and 
Omeir. As he retires, Mr. Barker looks forward to spending more time 
with his family and finally getting some well-deserved rest.
  Today, as Mr. Barker retires from his decades of dedicated service, 
we celebrate not only his professional accomplishments but also his 
dedication to mentorship, his commitment to his faith, and his tireless 
work to better the City of Buffalo. Please join me in congratulating 
Mr. Otis T. Barker, Sr. on a career well spent, and wishing him well as 
he enters this new chapter of his life.

                          ____________________