[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9747]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JIM ANDERSON

 Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I wish to honor Jim Anderson, who 
has been the president of the Springfield, Missouri, Area Chamber of 
Commerce since 1988. Later this month, Jim will leave that position to 
pursue other opportunities. Jim has played a role in nearly every major 
development that has shaped Springfield over the last 25-plus years. 
Over that time he has been a great friend and an important advisor on 
all things Springfield--my hometown and Missouri's third largest city.
  Jim Anderson was lured back to Springfield from Jefferson City, MO, 
to run Springfield's Chamber of Commerce, a role he had already played 
in Jefferson City for nearly a decade. With his background as teacher 
and administrator, his quick smile and sharp mind for details, and a 
wealth of contacts and government know-how, Anderson has been a 
spirited leader at the Springfield Chamber. His knowledge and 
experience have helped as he has devoted his efforts to economic 
development, job creation, civic involvement, and advocacy efforts at 
both the local and state levels.
  Jim Anderson is a leader who knows what it takes to make his 
community an attractive place for businesses and consumers. From 2001 
until 2009 Anderson served on the Missouri Highway and Transportation 
Commission and rose to the chairmanship in 2007 and was vice chairman 
the following year. During that period Jim became a supporter of 
infrastructure programs to fix bridges, expand capacities, and grow a 
safer transportation network to promote economic development. Jim's 
keen intellect on economic development issues earned him an appointment 
in 1993 by Gov. Mel Carnahan to the Missouri Business Council and to 
the Total Transportation Commission in 1996.
  In 2005 Jim's peers honored him with the Springfieldian Award, a 
recognition given to the person whose contributions leave a lasting 
mark on Springfield. Jim has certainly left his mark. That same year 
Anderson was a recipient of the Missourian Award. In 2007 he was the 
recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Business Award from the 
Springfield Business Journal. And last year Anderson received the 
Career Service in Economic Development Award at the Governor's 
Conference on Economic Development. These awards only scratch the 
surface of Jim's impact on the region.
  Jim has amassed many awards and accolades from the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce. But Jim is also grounded in his local community--Springfield. 
He served as chairman of United Way of the Ozarks and president of 
Urban Districts Alliance. He is a member of the Springfield Rotary Club 
and has been recognized for his work with the Boy Scouts. Jim is a past 
chairman of the board of directors of Springfield Innovation, Inc., at 
the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center. Anderson is an active 
member of First & Calvary Presbyterian Church.
  Jim's contributions to the Springfield area have strengthened the 
fabric of the community. I know he will be glad to have more time with 
his wife Janet and their daughters Rachel and Rebecca. I wish him well 
in his next opportunity and thank him for his years of service in 
Springfield.

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