[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


               COMMEMORATING THE RETIREMENT OF BOB EPLING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 24, 2017

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the retirement of 
Bob Epling.
  Mr. Epling began his career as an assistant bank examiner with the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in Washington, D.C. From there, 
he moved to South Florida, where he would spend most of the next fifty 
years. Mr. Epling worked for several banks in South Florida, and has 
served as the President and CEO of Homestead/Community Bank of Florida 
for the last forty years. Through his work at the bank, Mr. Epling has 
consistently proven himself to be an honorable, ethical man.
  Mr. Epling has also been an active member of the South Florida 
community. He has served as the Chairman of the International Hurricane 
Center for the past twenty years, serves on the executive board of the 
South Florida Council of Boy Scouts of America, and is a member of the 
Military Affairs Committee of the Greater Homestead/Florida City 
Chamber of Commerce, among many other activities.
  Mr. Epling is also a Senior Advisor to the Orange Bowl Committee, 
after serving as its President in 1993. In his work with the Orange 
Bowl Committee, Mr. Epling was able to break ground on a renovation of 
the football stadium and field at Harris Field Park in Homestead. This 
project is just one example of Mr. Epling's continuing commitment to 
making life better for his neighbors in South Florida.
  I have known Bob for several decades, and have been consistently 
impressed with the breadth of his involvement with the community. Bob 
has been a loyal friend, and is an honest voice who can speak to the 
positive qualities of his community as well as the challenges it faces. 
I congratulate Bob on a remarkable career and a lasting impact made.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Bob Epling for his 
tremendous service to the South Florida community, and I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable individual.

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