[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12723]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE RETIREMENT OF DAN MAYER

 Mr. JOHNSON. Madam President, today I wish to recognize the 
service of Mr. Dan Mayer, who has been in the banking business for 
nearly 49 years. Spending the past 47 years in Sturgis, SD, Dan has 
helped guide peers and new generations alike toward success in the 
beautiful Black Hills.
  Dan began his career and community service in Sturgis in 1959. After 
being elected to the Sturgis city council in 1968, he served for 22 
years, presiding as president for several terms. In 1973, Dan was part 
of the group that started the Sturgis Industrial Economic Expansion 
Corporation, which developed the first Sturgis Industrial Park.
  I remember when Dan and other city leaders met with me to discuss 
expanding their industrial park, intent on making Sturgis an attractive 
and effective place to start a business. I was pleased to work with the 
group to obtain funds for the expansion, which eventually attracted gun 
and ammunition manufacturers to the industrial park.
  With nearly five decades of personal and professional ties to the 
Sturgis area, Dan is still an active force in the community. He 
currently serves on the Heritage Acres Board, the Sturgis Industrial 
Board, the Sturgis Hospital Advisory Board, and the Sturgis Water 
Board. One Sturgis resident is quoted as having said, ``Our business 
wouldn't be here without this man. He believed in our community and, at 
the most vital of times, he believed in us.''
  Dan will be retiring on June 19, 2008 and intends to stay in the 
Sturgis area, retaining his positions on the local boards. I want to 
commend Dan for his longstanding and steadfast commitment to the 
betterment of his community. Being in the banking business for so many 
years, Dan has been a major influence in the lives of Sturgis area 
residents. He has seen countless families through home and ranch 
purchases, home improvements and business start-ups and expansions. 
Along with his wife Donna, children Jamie and Mark, and nine 
grandchildren, Dan has strived to fulfill his commitment of making 
Sturgis and the surrounding area a greater place to live, work, and 
raise a family. I am most deeply grateful for the opportunity to thank 
Dan for his efforts, and eagerly look forward to his continued 
involvement in the community.

                          ____________________