[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       IN HONOR OF GILBERT RIVERA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2001

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Gilbert Rivera, a man who 
takes tremendous pride in his heritage and humble beginnings, for his 
tireless work on behalf of his community.
  Gilbert Rivera left Puerto Rico for the Bedford-Stuyvesant community 
of Brooklyn when he was nine years old. After graduating from 
Automotive High School, Rivera entered the United States Army.
  After finishing his service in the United States Army, Gilbert began 
working for a small construction company and saved his money to start 
his own company. His dream was realized when he and his twelve siblings 
started AM & G Waterproofing after purchasing an abandoned building. As 
a self-starter, Gilbert knew what it would take to make his businesses 
succeed and today he employs over two hundred workers at AM & G. Mr. 
Rivera has also been tremendously successful with his other enterprise, 
the Park Avenue Home Center, which boasts over 15,000 square feet of 
retail space and offers top name, quality products for both contractors 
and consumers.
  In addition, Gilbert has a deep commitment to his community and 
recognizes that with his success comes his responsibility for 
leadership and mentoring. That is why he is a benefactor to numerous 
charitable and community programs. Rivera's belief in ``giving back'' 
to the community is visible by looking at the programs which he 
supports that influence inner city minority youth.
  Mr. Speaker, Gilbert Rivera has devoted his life to better serving 
his community. He spends time and tireless energy lending himself to 
his community. As such, he is more than worthy of receiving our 
recognition today. I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in 
honoring this truly remarkable man.

                          ____________________