[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 HONORING JOHN WILLIAMS AS HE ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT AS PRESIDENT OF 
               THE GREATER CINCINNATI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 18, 1999

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Williams, a 
valued friend and constituent who has served as president of the 
Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce since November 1, 1984, and has 
just announced he will step down in February, 2001. John manages the 
Chamber's active 7,000 member organization, a talented 80 person staff 
and extensive network of volunteers. Under John's guidance, the 
nation's fourth largest chamber has twice received the chamber of the 
Year Award from its peer organizations.
  John has been actively involved in every significant civic issue 
affecting our area. He has been a leader focused on finding solutions 
to problems, including the campaign to retain Cincinnati's professional 
sports teams and build two new stadiums; the development of the Blue 
Chip Campaign for Economic Development and the Partnership for Greater 
Cincinnati; the growth of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky 
International Airport, the increased importance of small business; and 
the Chamber's concentration on becoming more inclusive and regionally 
focused.
  A native Cincinnatian, John grew up in Dayton and graduated from the 
Kent School in Connecticut, Princeton University, and the University of 
Cincinnati College of Law. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for three 
years, including a tour in Vietnam as a rifle company commander, where 
he was injured twice. He was decorated with the Bronze Star with combat 
V for valor, and two Purple Hearts. In 1971, he joined the prestigious 
Cincinnati law firm of Taft, Stettinuis and Hollister, and was admitted 
to partnership in 1977. John practiced corporate and securities law 
until he left his leadership position to join the Chamber in 1984.
  John insists that leading the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce 
is the greatest job in the world. That may be true, but only because he 
has made it so by his activism and success. He also serves our 
community as a board member of Downtown Cincinnati, Inc.; the Greater 
Cincinnati Center for Economic Education; the Kenton County Airport 
Board; the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau; and the 
Queen City Club. John is married to Francie Woodward Williams.
  All of us in the Greater Cincinnati area congratulate John on his 
service. We appreciate his outstanding leadership and friendship, and 
we wish him well in his final months of service and the new challenges 
to come.

                          ____________________