[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13412]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO ROBERT INGRAM, BALDWIN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Robert Ingram, who is 
retiring as President and CEO of the Baldwin County Economic 
Development Alliance. Under his leadership Baldwin County became the 
top ``micropolitan statistical area'' in the state and the 27th out of 
576 in terms of economic strength ratings for the United States.
   Robert's record in economic development is considerable. He is a 
Past Chairman of the 17-state Southern Economic Development Council, 
and in 2001, 2003, 2006 & 2007 received the organization's highest 
award, the Chairman's Award of Distinction. Robert is a past president 
of the Mississippi Jaycees, past National Vice President of the United 
States Jaycees, and past International President of the University of 
Southern Mississippi Alumni Association. He previously served as 
President of the Mississippi Association of Chamber of Commerce 
Executives and President of the Mississippi Economic Development 
Council. Robert holds the Professional Community Economic Developer 
designation, is a graduate of the Community Development Institute, and 
served on the National Board of Directors of CDI. In 2010, he was named 
by Janus Economics, an international economic development consulting 
firm, as the first Janus Fellow, in recognition for his service to the 
profession.
   Robert has also served as Senior Vice President of Economic 
Development for the Metro-Jackson Chamber of Commerce, has coordinated 
the marketing/recruitment effort of the three-County, Metro Economic 
Development Alliance, served as President/CEO of the Greenwood/Leflore 
Industrial Board and served as Economic Development Assistant to the 
President of the University of Southern Mississippi. Robert holds both 
a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Business Administration from Southern 
Miss.
   On the volunteer side Robert has served as president of a chamber of 
commerce and chairman of an economic development foundation. In the 
private sector he has been a senior business developer and commercial 
lending officer in a major financial institution and made multi-million 
dollar business loans. In the public sector he has worked in economic 
development for the State of Mississippi and has created a 
comprehensive county economic development agency and 501(c) 6 
subsidiary ``from scratch''. He also served as Mayor of the City of 
McComb, Mississippi, where he both reorganized local government and 
helped consolidate local economic development agencies. On the 
entrepreneurial side, he was one of seven organizers and a charter 
director and officer of Pike County National Bank.
   In his current position, Robert oversees the day to day operation of 
the Alliance and works closely with private and public sector leaders 
on countywide and regional community/economic development related 
issues critical to the future of south Alabama. Robert was active in 
the regional work of the Coastal Recovery Commission and currently 
serves on the Board of the Coastal Alabama Leadership Foundation.
   On behalf of the people of Alabama and my colleagues in the Alabama 
Delegation, I would like to extend my personal appreciation to Mr. 
Ingram for his service to Alabama's past, present, and future through 
his leadership with the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance.

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