[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 27511-27512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ALBERT SPADA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MAURICE D. HINCHEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 18, 2005

  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend and 
constituent Albert Spada for his distinguished professional career and 
impressive record of community service. Al retired earlier this year as 
Ulster County Clerk, a position he has held since 1967. I would like to 
recognize and thank him for his outstanding leadership in Ulster County 
both as an elected official and an active and dedicated member of the 
community.
  Al was elected to the office of Ulster County Clerk at the age of 34, 
the youngest county clerk in New York at the time. Prior to his 
election, Al served as Deputy Clerk for Ulster County and legislative 
aide to New York State Assemblyman Kenneth Wilson and New York State 
Senator E. Ogden Bush. Prior to that, Al served in the United States 
Air Force during the Korean Conflict as a Staff Sergeant. After serving 
as chief of the Air Force supply depot in Japan, he received an 
honorable discharge from military service.
  For more than 35 years, Al served the people of Ulster County with 
distinction and honor. His responsiveness and accessibility to county 
residents defined his tenure in office. Al established himself as the 
preeminent advocate for Ulster County residents on matters pertaining 
to the functions of his office and other county government business. 
Over the nearly 4 decades that he was in office, Al's personal efforts 
have positively affected the lives of countless Ulster County 
residents. All of these attributes contributed to Al being the longest 
serving County Clerk in Ulster County since George Clinton held the 
position in the late 18th century.
  Al has received numerous honors over the years including the Lifetime 
Achievement Award from the New York State Association of County Clerks 
and the Man of the Year Award from the local chapter of the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars. Al has been a member of the New York Association of 
County Clerks since 1966 and has served on the boards of Benedictine 
and Kingston Hospitals, the New York State Advisory Board of Public 
Works and the Kingston Housing Authority, where he currently sits as 
chairman. He has served on the Heritage Advisory Committee, the New 
York State Sports Authority and the Ulster County United Way. Most 
notably perhaps, Al has been a lifetime member of the Glasco Volunteer 
Fire Department.
  In addition to the many accomplishments and accolades that Al has 
received over the years, he is widely regarded as a friend to many 
people throughout the community. His loyalty and generosity, as well as 
his extraordinary sense of humor, have endeared him to countless Ulster 
County residents and while his presence in the county building will be 
greatly missed, we will all take comfort in knowing that he will remain 
an active member of our community.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to congratulate my friend Albert Spada 
and his family on the occasion of his retirement after so many years of 
dedicated service to the residents of Ulster County. I offer him my 
warmest personal wishes for a healthy and happy retirement along with 
my deep appreciation for his friendship and his longstanding commitment 
to public service.

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