[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8590-8591]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ALAN McGRAW

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. JOHN R. CARTER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2017

  Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the extraordinary work 
of my friend Alan McGraw, mayor of my home of Round Rock, Texas. On May 
25, he will step down after three successful terms leading this growing 
and dynamic Central Texas city.
  Mayor McGraw's devotion to public service has made Round Rock a great 
place to live and work. He focused on bringing jobs to the area, 
prioritized keeping citizens safe through support of public safety 
officials, and improved transportation and quality of life for the 
citizens of Round Rock. From planned resorts to a downtown 
revitalization project to a state-of-the-art convention center, Round 
Rock has become a city on the cutting edge of urban development.
  Round Rock has benefitted from Mayor McGraw's love of the outdoors. 
His connection with the owners of Bass Pro Shops brought the retail 
giant to Round Rock, further strengthening the local economy. McGraw's 
forward-thinking leadership resulted in the construction of the Round 
Rock Sports Center which has entrenched the City as the Sports Capital 
of Texas, further diversifying Round Rock's position in sports tourism.
  While effective city leadership isn't easy, Texans aren't afraid of a 
challenge and Mayor McGraw has embraced every opportunity, no matter 
how daunting, to improve Round Rock. He shepherded the city through 
recent economic downturns and has worked tirelessly to inject realism 
to regional transit planning. His leadership has been a reflection of 
the very best values of the Lone Star State.
  While McGraw isn't tired of the privilege of leading Round Rock, he 
knows that everything has its season and that it's time to allow the 
next generation of leaders to take the stage. Retirement from office 
won't give him much idle time. He'll fill his days at his law practice, 
start up an archery retail business, and spend time with his beloved 
wife Kathy and two children.
  Mayor Alan McGraw has done what all public servants are elected to 
do: put the needs of the people first. He's led Round Rock to

[[Page 8591]]

new heights and positioned my home town to continue its progress into a 
bright future. I salute his leadership, congratulate him on his 
retirement, and wish him nothing but the best for the years ahead.

                          ____________________