[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8434]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN C. GARDNER

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is my distinct pleasure to pay 
tribute to John C. Gardner, an exceptionally dedicated public servant. 
Mr. Gardner is retiring after ten years of service as the President of 
the Quad City Development Group, a public/private not-for-profit 
corporation. This organization promotes economic growth in and around 
the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock 
Island, Illinois. The Development Group markets these communities as 
locations for companies seeking to expand or relocate. It also works 
with Quad City communities to improve their climate for job creation.
  Under his leadership, the Quad City Development Group has been the 
driving force behind the retention and addition of more than 14,000 
jobs and the investment of over $1 billion in the Quad Cities area. 
John's leadership style, which was developed and honed in the private 
sector, was ideal for his position as the President of this vital 
community and business-based group.
  I would like to take a moment to highlight John's career. Immediately 
before joining the Quad City Development Group, John was the director 
of economic development for Lee Enterprises, Inc., the owner of the 
Quad City Times and the Southern Illinoisan newspapers. Before that 
assignment, John was publisher of the Quad City Times for five years. 
He learned the newspaper business in a 23-year career as a reporter, 
editor and eventually publisher of The Southern Illinoisan newspaper in 
Carbondale, Illinois. He is active in a number of professional and 
community organizations, and has been involved in various statewide 
projects in both Iowa and Illinois. He is a member of the Iowa Group 
for Economic Development and was chairman of the Iowa Future project, a 
statewide strategic planning effort.
  It gives me great pleasure to present the credentials of John C. 
Gardner to the Senate today. It is clear that the Iowa and Illinois 
communities he has served so well are losing a great talent. They will 
miss his leadership, his winning smile, and his personal and 
professional dedication. I would like to wish both John and his wife, 
Ann, the best in their retirement and continued success in all their 
future endeavors.

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