[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MR. LORON HODGE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CALVIN M. DOOLEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
accomplishments of Mr. Loron Hodge, the Executive Director of the Kern 
County Farm Bureau. Mr. Hodge will be retiring this fall after 25 years 
of advocating on behalf of the agricultural community in Kern County.
  Loron Hodge was born in Arkansas in 1939, where he lived until his 
father accepted a job as a foreman on a ranch in Tulare County, 
California. It was here that Mr. Hodge first learned about farming by 
working on a family farm with his brother. After working in the Central 
Valley's agricultural economy, Mr. Hodge worked in sales in 
Porterville, California until 1970. In 1970, Mr. Hodge moved from 
Porterville to accept a job as the Assistant Manager at the Bakersfield 
Chamber of Commerce. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Hodge was promoted to 
Manager of the Chamber of Commerce.
  In 1979, Mr. Hodge became the Executive Director of the Kern County 
Farm Bureau. Since that time, his hard work and dedication have made 
him a valuable advocate for farmers and ranchers in Kern County, 
California. In his 25 years as Executive Director, Mr. Hodge made many 
contributions that improved the Farm Bureau's operations and expanded 
its activities. Mr. Hodge played a vital role in the acquisition of the 
former Chamber of Commerce building, which is now the current home of 
the Kern County Farm Bureau. In addition to helping to improve the 
infrastructure of the Farm Bureau, Mr. Hodge helped to expand the Farm 
Bureau's agricultural education programs, including Farm Day in the 
City and the Teacher's Ag Seminar, which educates students and teachers 
throughout Kern County and America about the importance of the 
agriculture industry. As a result of his hard work, the Farm Bureau's 
membership reached an all-time high in 2001.
  In addition to his role on the Kern County Farm Bureau, Mr. Hodge is 
a manager of the Water Association of Kern County and member of the 
Kern Taxpayers Association, the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air 
Pollution Control District and the Committee of Industries. In the 
past, Mr. Hodge has served on the boards of the Kern Historical 
Society, Project Clean Air and is former secretary of the Coalition to 
Protect Private Property Rights.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues join me 
in thanking Mr. Loron Hodge for his dedicated service to the San 
Joaquin Valley and wishing him well upon his retirement from the Kern 
County Farm Bureau.

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