[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RUSS KIMBALL NAMED TO FLORIDA TOURISM HALL OF FAME

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, Russ Kimball, the General 
Manager of the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Florida, since 
its opening more than 30 years ago, was inducted into the Florida 
Tourism Hall of Fame last month.
  Russ is not only a constituent and good friend, but he is one of our 
community's most respected business leaders and experts in the tourism 
industry. He is the longest serving member on the Pinellas Tourist 
Development Council, which oversees an industry in Pinellas County that 
welcomes 13.5 million visitors to our community annually and generates 
almost $7.0 billion for our local economy.
  Russ is an outstanding businessman but he runs his business as if his 
employees are his family. That explains why his hotel has one of the 
longest serving staffs of any establishment in Florida and our nation.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Russ Kimball on this 
great honor for all his work and his leadership in Florida tourism. He 
joins some of the greats of this industry including Walt Disney in 
being honored by his peers for his hard-work and vision in making 
Florida not only a national but an international tourist destination.

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