[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   A TRIBUTE TO DR. CHARLES CHRESTMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 15, 2013

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Charles 
Chrestman, of Lumberton, North Carolina, for his commitment and service 
to his community. Dr. Chrestman retired from his position as President 
of Robeson Community College on December 31, 2012, but his legacy of 
dedicated leadership in education will stay strong for generations to 
come. Dr. Chrestman has not only been a steward to higher education in 
Robeson County, but a trusted advisor and dear friend.
  Dr. Chrestman's colleagues acknowledge the remarkable progress the 
college has made during his decade of service as President. During his 
tenure, Dr. Chrestman worked to reaffirm Robeson Community College's 
status as a nationally accredited institution. He also helped oversee 
the creation of three new buildings on campus: a Continuing Education 
building, a Health Science building, and a Workforce Development 
Center. Two others were completely renovated. The College also landed 
one of the state's NCCCS Biotechnology Network regional centers that 
now serves a statewide role in advancing bio-agriculture.
  Dr. Chrestman's dream was to see all graduates become productive 
laborers within the community and the great state of North Carolina. 
During his tenure, Robeson Community College began offering the ACT's 
WorkKeys Assessment, which leads to a Career Readiness Certificate. 
Today, Robeson County ranks in the top three among the state's 100 
counties with more than 5,000 individuals holding the certificate. 
These and many other accomplishments are a testament to Dr. Chrestman's 
leadership.
  I am personally grateful to Dr. Chrestman for his service as Chairman 
of my Education Advisory Committee, a small group of education leaders 
from the seventh congressional district of North Carolina who regularly 
meet to discuss education issues affecting our communities. His 
leadership in this capacity has been invaluable to me, and I will 
remain thankful.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Dr. Charles Chrestman's forty 
years in higher education as he retires as President of Robeson 
Community College. His long record of public service will continue to 
benefit the students and citizens of Robeson County and beyond.

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