[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9188]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         TRIBUTE TO FRED KOCHER

 Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay 
tribute to Fred Kocher of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on being honored 
as the 2001 Journalist of the Year by the Small Business 
Administration.
  Fred has been the host of New Hampshire's Business for eight years. 
Every week he reports on the local, regional and national business 
environment analyzing companies, business trends and economic 
indicators.
  Fred has enhanced the awareness of the issues that face business 
owners in our state, region and country. He has worked diligently to 
benefit the business community and has also been a strong advocate on 
behalf of small business entrepreneurs in New Hampshire.
  He is a former small business owner who helped create the New 
Hampshire International Trade Resource Center in Portsmouth. Fred is 
currently the Director of Corporate Communications and Investor 
Relations for NEON Communications, Inc.
  Fred has been a contributor to his community serving as president of 
the New Hampshire High Technology Council and he also served as 
president of the New Hampshire International Trade Association. Fred is 
the creator and chairman of the ``Politics & Eggs'' statewide breakfast 
series that allows members of the business community to hear directly 
from presidential candidates every four years.
  Fred Kocher has served the citizens of New Hampshire with selfless 
dedication. I commend him for his contributions to the business 
community of our state. It is an honor and a privilege to represent him 
in the United States Senate.

                          ____________________