[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 29853]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO JIM L. RIDLING FOR HIS TIRELESS COMMUNITY SERVICE TO 
               MONTGOMERY, AL, AND MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TERRY EVERETT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 18, 2003

  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, Montgomery, Alabama, in my congressional 
district, is the home to Maxwell Air Force Base and the Air University. 
It is without a doubt the crown jewel in Air Force excellence and base 
operations. This didn't just happen by accident. Many people have 
played major roles in building the necessary synergy of local and 
federal support to transform Maxwell and Montgomery into the success 
stories they are today. One of those key players is Jim L. Ridling, who 
is retiring from Southern Guaranty Insurance.
  As the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce points out, senior Air 
Force leaders continue to praise the excellent relationship between the 
Montgomery and Maxwell-Gunter as the best in the Air Force. No doubt, 
some of that praise goes to the man who twice presided over the 
``Wright Flyers'', served as chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber. 
of Commerce's Military Council, and labored as a member of the 
Executive Committee of the Montgomery Air Force Association.
  Jim Ridling has worked behind the scenes and sometimes out front to 
make sure the needs of Maxwell and other area defense activities were 
met both locally and in Washington. This is no small task and the 
rewards are big as Montgomery continues to enjoy a local defense 
economic impact of well over $1 billion annually.
  All I have mentioned really doesn't begin to scratch the surface of 
Jim's community service. He's also a member of the Board of Directors 
of the Business Council of Alabama, a member of Board of Directors of 
the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of 
Directors of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, a member of the School 
of Business Advisory Council of Troy State University, and a member of 
the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America. And this 
remarkable record doesn't even include his ``real'' job.
  This week we pause to honor Jim Ridling as he retires from the post 
of President and CEO of Southern Guaranty Insurance Company in 
Montgomery. Jim was never content with building Southern Guaranty into 
a business success. He also focused his sights on making Montgomery a 
continued success. And we are ever grateful. I wish him and his wife 
Catherine all the best, but I somehow believe that Jim's days of 
service to Montgomery are far from over.

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