[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23399]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE WORK OF ROBERT H. DIEFENBACHER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 2003

  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert H. 
Diefenbacher, retiring President of the Exton Region Chamber of 
Commerce, and commend him for his life long service to our community.
  Robert Diefenbacher began his tenure as President of the Exton Region 
Chamber of Commerce in August of 2000, following his retirement as a 
successful local entrepreneur. His 38 years of business and marketing 
experience has been a tremendous asset to the chamber and has provided 
unwavering guidance and support to its membership. He spent 10 of those 
years creating and growing his own advertising, graphic design and 
printing business, a true testament to the hard work and dedication 
apparent in all his undertakings.
  During his illustrious career Mr. Diefenbacher has worked as a 
consultant, professor, and journalist, passing his limitless knowledge 
on to countless others. He has held various management positions in 
companies such as IBM Corporation and Decision Data Corporation.
  As a young man, after receiving his Bachelor and Master of Management 
Engineering Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Robert served 
in the U.S. Navy as the Chief Engineer on a destroyer in the Atlantic 
and Mediterranean fleets. His heroics serving our nation as well as 
serving those in our community demonstrate Robert's tremendous 
leadership abilities and have allowed him to hold countless positions 
of prestige. He is the current Chairman of the West Whiteland Township 
Concert Series, a past President of the Rotary Club of Central Chester 
County, past Chair of the Chester County School to Career Partnership. 
He served as Chair of the Continental Committee of Paoli Presbyterian 
Church and is Past-Chair of the Advisory Committee of the former Penn 
State Technology Development Center Business Incubator.
  Robert's service has not gone unnoticed by his peers, he has received 
the Service Award from the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce, was 
recognized with Thirty Awards for Excellence in the Neographics 
Competition of Graphics Arts Association, received a Philly Gold Award 
for a Consumer Magazine Advertising Campaign, a Business of the Year 
Award from the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce, an Outstanding Service 
Award from the Chester County Intermediate Unit and a Chamber Service 
Award from the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry.
  I ask that my colleagues join me today to commend and honor Robert H. 
Diefenbacher for his many years of service to our community and wish 
him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

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