[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23638]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO BOB DeMERSSEMAN

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and 
congratulate Bob DeMersseman of Rapid City, SD, for over 22 years of 
service with the Rapid City Economic Development Partnership.
  Mr. DeMersseman is retiring this December after an impressive career 
of service with the Economic Development Partnership. For 19 of the 22 
years, Bob served as president of the organization. During his tenure, 
Bob and his staff and the city's economic development groups have 
created and expanded two industrial parks, set up the low-interest 
Rapid Fund loan fund, developed the Western Research Alliance to 
promote a growing technology community and created the Black Hills 
Business Development Center, an incubator to help researchers, 
inventors and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into commercial ventures.
  Bob has been instrumental in forging vital and important 
relationships and partnerships with area Chambers of Commerce, economic 
development organizations, universities and community officials. There 
was a time when local communities didn't foster such working 
relationships and with the guidance and advice of leaders like Bob, 
this improved tremendously. Today, when one Black Hills community 
attracts or expands a business, other communities realize that they 
also benefit.
  While developing partnerships and relationships between communities 
and their leaders, Bob has also realized that economic development and 
attracting businesses and industries to the local area has become 
increasingly competitive. Bob along with other Rapid City and Black 
Hills leaders have done a commendable job in creating and developing 
more tools for the tool box to promote Rapid City and the Black Hills 
to national and international prospects. He has helped to acquire and 
expand land tracts for business and industrial parks, worked hard to 
promote and market Rapid City and the Black Hills communities and 
provided valuable guidance on issues impacting the future promotion and 
growth of Rapid City and the Black Hills region. He has worked hard to 
expand Rapid City's economic base.
  Here is what a few of Bob's peers say about his impact on economic 
development in the Rapid City area. ``In my opinion, Bob has been at 
the front end of developing a very diversified economic development 
program for Rapid City, and he will be remembered for putting a lot of 
great things in place,'' said Mark Merchen, chairman of Black Hills 
Vision, a group working to create a regional technology corridor.
  ``Bob has been such a key part of our team effort to create economic 
development in Rapid City,'' said Pat Burchill, chairman of the Rapid 
City Economic Development Foundation, the partnership's real estate 
arm. ``Our success has a lot to do with Bob's efforts.''
  I commend Bob for his passionate dedication and tireless work to 
expand and enhance Rapid City's economic potential as well as helping 
to develop and promote that same potential in the Black Hills region. I 
wish him all the best in his retirement and know that he will bring a 
high level of enthusiasm, energy, dedication and commitment to his 
retirement endeavors.

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