[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18960]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               HONORING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF VINCE THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LANE EVANS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 4, 2001

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Vince Thomas, a committed and 
dedicated community activist from my Congressional District. He is 
retiring from his position as executive director of Project Now, a 
community action agency, after almost 30 years of service to the Quad 
Cities area.
  I have had the honor to know Vince for over 20 years. Throughout my 
work as a Member of Congress, I have had the privilege to work closely 
with him on many projects and initiatives to aid our local area. 
Through these efforts, he has helped build a strong Quad City community 
that respects diversity and reaches out to the less fortunate in our 
area. I am proud of the work we have achieved together and the wise 
counsel that Vince has given to me over the years.
  You need to look no farther than the numerous awards presented to him 
to know the high regard that the Quad Cities and people throughout 
Illinois hold for Vince. He has been awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King 
``I Have A Dream Award'' and the Martin Luther King Steering Committee 
Peace Award as well as the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens 
Award and an appreciation award from the Quad City League of Native 
Americans. He is clearly a man of conscience and duty.
  While Vince has been a man of many causes, he is also known for his 
warm personality. He may be a tenacious advocate, but he is also known 
for his quick smile and considerate manner. I am fortunate to count 
Vince as a good friend.
  For those who know Vince, his name is synonymous with working for 
social justice and serving the neediest in our society. While Vince 
will be retiring from Project Now, I know that he will continue to be 
an energetic advocate for the underprivileged in our area. I wish him 
the best as he embarks on his retirement. I know that he will continue 
to be an inspiration to those of us who seek to make the Quad Cities an 
even better place to live.

                          ____________________