[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5156]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO ATMORE MAYOR HOWARD SHELL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 18, 2012

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of South 
Alabama's senior statesmen. This fall, Atmore Mayor Howard Shell will 
officially retire from office, leaving a legacy of 22 years of 
dedicated service to his community.
  A four-year Navy veteran of the Korean War, and a retired research 
and development employee for Monsanto Corporation, Howard Shell first 
entered politics in 1984, winning an Atmore city council seat. After 
holding the post for just two years, he was appointed to serve out the 
remaining two years of the late Mayor Patricia McKenzie's term of 
office in 1986.
  Mayor Shell's characteristic strong leadership was a natural fit as 
the city's chief executive. Consequently, he threw his hat into the 
ring, serving two consecutive terms as Atmore's duly-elected mayor from 
1988 to 1996. In 2000, he reentered the mayor's race, returning to 
serve three more consecutive terms as Atmore's top office holder.
  With more than two decades of his life invested in leading the city 
he loves, Mayor Shell has made a difference in the lives of the 
citizens of Atmore. He has presided over local economic growth and, 
more recently, has led efforts to extend the city's revenue base 
through new industrial and commercial recruitment along Interstate 65.
  A dedicated and visionary leader, Mayor Shell has not only been 
Atmore's strongest advocate but also an active civic leader on 
regional, state and national levels. He has served on the National 
League of Cities' Economic Development Board, as well as the Alabama 
League of Municipalities, the South Alabama Regional Planning 
Commission Board of Directors, and the Jefferson Davis Community 
College Board of Advisors.
  As he prepares to leave public office, I join with all the people of 
South Alabama in extending our heartfelt thanks for a job well done, as 
well as our very best wishes for all future endeavors. May he and his 
lovely wife, Nannette, find ample time to enjoy their two children, 
five grandchildren and great grandson as they open another rewarding 
chapter in their already rich lives.

                          ____________________