[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN PRAISE OF SCENE MAGAZINE'S ``MAN OF THE YEAR,'' JIM HETTINGER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TIMOTHY WALBERG

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 27, 2007

  Mr. WALBERG. Madam Speaker, Jim Hettinger, a constituent of mine from 
Battle Creek, MI, will be recognized as Scene Magazine's ``Man of the 
Year'' this Thursday. Mr. Hettinger is receiving this honor for his 
work in and around the community of Battle Creek over the past three 
decades.
  Mr. Hettinger's work has spanned all areas of community service; from 
education to economic development to the arts to food banks to health 
care. Jim Hettinger has touched many lives in his community.
  In 1978, Mr. Hettinger was named president of Battle Creek Unlimited, 
an organization. which brings together government, non-profit and 
business groups for the sole purpose of furthering the development of 
the economy of Battle Creek and Calhoun County.
  Highlights of Mr. Hettinger's leadership of Battle Creek Unlimited 
include saving the Federal Center in Battle Creek in 1993, the addition 
of Duncan Aviation and Western Michigan College of Aviation and the 
establishment of the West Michigan Aviation Research Foundation. As the 
article in Scene Magazine honoring Mr. Hettinger states, ``the Research 
Foundation will help to promote economic development and attract 
research dollars to this community.''
  Mr. Hettinger is probably best known for his efforts and foresight in 
transforming Fort Custer, which was an abandoned military training 
base, into the 3,000-acre Fort Custer Industrial Park, the largest 
modem industrial park in Michigan. Today, the industrial park has over 
90 companies and employs thousands of good paying, high-skilled jobs.
  This is not the first award for Mr. Hettinger as he has been 
rightfully showered with praise for his commitment to the Calhoun 
County community. Mr. Hettinger received Governor Engler's first 
Economic Developer of the Year award in 1995. He received Certificates 
of Recognition for Community Service from Presidents Bill Clinton and 
George W. Bush in 1999 and 2001 respectively. Mr. Hettinger's community 
service endeavors are too expansive to list here today, and his work is 
best displayed by the tremendous number of lives he has touched 
throughout his career in Battle Creek.
  I extend my sincere appreciation and offer the congratulations of the 
U.S. Congress to Mr. Jim Hettinger for being named Scene Magazine's 
``Man of the Year.''

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