[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27632]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          BIO OF CHARLES ADAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN LEWIS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2005

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, Charles R. Adams retired from his 
position of National Employee Development Center Director for the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service 
(NRCS) in Fort Worth, Texas on November 3, 2005.
  Adams learned the importance of self-development at an early age 
while growing up on his family farm in Logansport, Louisiana. His 
parents, the late Mr. T.C. Adams and Elneva Adams, gave him and his ten 
siblings firsthand experience in working the land, and he still carries 
those experiences with him today.
  After leaving Logansport, Adams graduated from Southern University at 
Baton Rouge with a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy. He received his 
Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in 
Cambridge, Massachussetts in 1983 and has Ph.D. studies in Urban and 
Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Arlington.
  His impressive career with USDA spans some 38 years, having held some 
of the top positions in his Agency, including Regional Conservationist 
for the NRCS Southeast Region, based in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1997- 
2004, Director of the National Employee Development Center, based in 
Fort Worth, Texas, from 1993-97, South National Technical Center 
Associate Director, also based in Fort Worth, from 1992-93, and Water 
Quality Coordinator at the center from 1990-92.
  Before that Adams served as NRCS's State Conservationist for Arizona, 
based in Phoenix, from 1988-90, after having been the State 
Conservationist for Nevada, based in Reno, from 1986-88. He was the 
Deputy State Conservationist in New Mexico, based in Albuquerque, from 
1985-86, after having been the Assistant State Conservationist for 
Operations at that location from 1984-85.
  Adams worked as an area conservationist in Rio Rancho, N.M., from 
1983-84, after working as an area conservationist in Flagstaff, Ariz., 
from 1981-82. From 1978-81 he served as a district conservationist in 
Edinburg, Texas, following service from 1976-78 as a district 
conservationist in Eastland, Texas. He was a soil conservationist for 
the Agency in Abilene, Texas from 1973-76. He began his full-time 
career with the agency as a soil scientist in Athens, Texas in 1969.
  During his tenure with USDA, Charles founded some of the Agency's 
most innovative approaches to outreach, including the Student Trainees 
in Agriculture Related Sciences (STARS) program, an initiative to 
introduce under-served high school students in the Southeast to 
agriculture, as well as NRCS's American Indian Program Delivery 
Initiative, an annual conference linking USDA officials with American 
Indian leaders to promote tribal participation in USDA programs and 
services.
  While working for NRCS Charles Adams has received a number of awards 
and recognitions. Within the last few years alone he received several 
USDA Honor Awards, including the Secretary's Award for his leadership 
of the Southeast Region American Indian Initiative Workgroup and the 
Sustainable Coffee Production Team, and his work in the Agency's 
Streamlining and Cost-saving Initiative. He received special 
recognition through a national volunteer award for his long-standing 
dedication to the NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Program and was the 
recipient of the Chief's Workforce Diversity Award which praised his 
encouragement and promotion of professional development among his 
employees. In addition, his extensive outreach efforts to minorities 
and women earned him a nomination for the Agency's highest Civil Rights 
Award in 2003.
  Adams is married to the former Prenella Williamson of Port Gibson, 
Mississippi. In his spare time, he enjoys raising horses on his ranch 
in Shreveport, Louisiana, restoring his collection of antique cars, and 
fishing with his young grandsons.

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