[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15629-15630]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     IN HONOR OF LONE STAR COLLEGE MONTGOMERY'S 20 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 2015

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand to recognize Lone Star 
College-Montgomery for 20 years of turning today's students into 
tomorrow's leaders. From opening day in 1995, this Montgomery County 
college has been changing lives and enriching our community on its 
beautiful 210 acre campus amid the tall Texas pines.
  LSC-Montgomery has come a long way from 1991 when Conroe Independent 
School District voters approved joining the Lone Star

[[Page 15630]]

College System. Enrollment for the inaugural fall 1995 semester was 
approximately 3,200 students. Today, the college is educating four 
times that number and growing.
  The rich history of this college starts before it even opened the 
doors of opportunity to students throughout Montgomery County. It began 
with the vision of community leaders like George Mitchell, Dan Hauser, 
Jon Weisner, Mary Matteson and a host of others who stood as champions, 
working to gain community support and ultimately the passage of the 
bond referendum to build the college.
  As the Chamber of the Commerce President I had the privilege of 
working with local leaders to establish the Community College in 
Montgomery County and as a State Legislator secured $6 million to fund 
the startup of the campus.
  The commitment of higher education leaders such as former North 
Harris Community College Chancellor John Pickelman and Montgomery 
College founding President Dr. Bill Law saw the college through its 
construction at its current location--a crossroads of east and west, of 
north and south.
  Montgomery College presidents would continue to build upon the early 
legacy of the school. Dr. Tom Butler oversaw the addition of a new 
72,000 square foot library and classroom building. New programs were 
added along with expansion of the school's nursing program including a 
registered nurse program.
  In 2008, Montgomery College became Lone Star College-Montgomery. The 
name had changed but the dedication to students continues.
  Dr. Austin Lane's leadership saw the campus through continued rapid 
growth and its most significant expansion including three new campus 
buildings and construction of the Conroe Center.
  Today, under Dr. Rebecca Riley's leadership, the college offers over 
13,000 students the opportunity to pursue 40 different career programs 
as well as academic transfer classes in a variety of disciplines. On 
the Lone Star College-Montgomery campus, students can pursue bachelors, 
masters and specialized degrees that give them a start on a bright 
future.
  The past has been exciting, but the future is even more so.
  The construction of a new Student Services building and a state-of-
the-art lab building, expansion of the workforce programs space at LSC-
Conroe Center, and a new satellite center in the rapid-growth area of 
Magnolia point toward a bright future for LSC-Montgomery.
  And I look forward to LSC-Montgomery adding to its multiple honors 
including being named a ``Showcase College'' by the Consortium for 
Community College Development, a ``Best Practice'' college by the 
MetLife Foundation, a ``Hometown Hero'' by The Woodlands Development 
Company and the prestigious ``Drum Major Award'' sponsored by the 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration. And finally, being 
named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, 
the highest federal recognition a college can receive for its 
commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.
  These achievements and more will be celebrated Saturday, October 3, 
2015 as a new campus space is dedicated in Maverick Square.