[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15276]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MATT WILLIAMS

 Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate and 
commend Matt Williams, a life-long Nebraskan, as he recently began his 
term as chairman of the American Bankers Association.
  Mr. Williams is the president and chairman of Gothenburg State Bank, 
in Gothenburg, NE. Matt has led the bank for 39 years, an institution 
founded by his great-grandfather. I am fully confident that his strong 
work ethic, fostered by working summers on the family ranch, and his 
wealth of knowledge of banking issues will lead him to much success in 
his new position.
  An extremely active member of the community, Mr. Williams has taken a 
personal role in growing the local economy. He has joined forces with 
other local leaders to promote Gothenburg, a small town of less than 
4,000 people which is now home to operations of 4 Fortune 500 
companies. Matt's solid understanding of how access to capital can 
cultivate economic development and job growth will be essential as he 
promotes the values of the banking community.
  Matt is also no stranger to advocating on behalf of the banking 
industry. In 2003 and 2004, he served as chairman of the Nebraska 
Bankers Association and currently serves on the FDIC Advisory Committee 
on Community Banking. The American Bankers Association is fortunate to 
have someone with Matt Williams' knowledge and leadership skills at the 
helm. He understands the important role banks can play in an economic 
recovery.
  I am confident Matt will tackle the obligations of this new position 
with the same tenacity that has brought him so much success in his past 
endeavors. I wish him nothing but the best and look forward to working 
with him on the issues of the day.

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