[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF TOMMY HAROLD MINK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 27, 2022

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Tommy Harold Mink in celebration of his retirement from the Rockcastle 
County Industrial Development Board in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, where he 
has dedicated 45 years of service to the community and southeastern 
Kentucky.
  Mr. Mink has been instrumental in providing wisdom and guidance for 
industrial development, job creation, and economic growth in Rockcastle 
County, beginning with the Rockcastle County Improvement Board and 
continuing to aid in acquisition, retention, and development of local 
land for new opportunities for more than four decades as a charter 
member of the Rockcastle County Industrial Development Board.
  Mr. Mink is also a member of the Kentucky Cattleman's Association 
Hall of Fame, as a result of his life-long, successful career in the 
farming industry. His passion for farming began as a child in 
Rockcastle County where he was born and raised on a 35-acre dairy farm. 
He became a first-generation college graduate in his family, earning a 
degree in agriculture in 1958. Today, he and his sons still own and 
operate a 350 cow/calf and back-grounding operation.
  His expertise has been highly sought after by a number of local and 
state organizations, including serving as a board member of the 
Rockcastle County Cattlemen's Association since 1985, serving as Master 
Conservationist in 1981, a charter member of the Rockcastle County 
Forage Council, the Rockcastle County Soil Conservation District since 
1982 and Chairman from 1983 to 2019, a charter member of the Rockcastle 
County Saddle Club for more than 20 years, an Extension Agency Board 
Member, Chairman of the Western Rockcastle Water District, the Farmers 
Home Administration, a Farm Bureau board member, the Vocational 
Educational Regional Advisory Board in Harlan County, and a court-
appointed appraiser for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is also 
Chairman of the Brindle Ridge Fire Department, a founding member of 
Cedar Rapids Country Club, and a deacon of the Brindle Ridge Baptist 
Church. Mr. Mink has also been a Kentucky Colonel since the late 
1960's.
  As a veteran of the U.S. Army, with two tours of active duty from 
1959 to 1966, this nation owes Mr. Mink a great debt of gratitude for 
his military service. His overall lifetime of service is truly 
inspiring, from working on the farm as a young boy, to becoming a 
member of the U.S. Armed Forces, to establishing a Veterans Honor Guard 
in Rockcastle County, to building a successful business and providing 
tireless community service throughout his entire adult life.
  Mr. Mink has sincerely earned his due retirement and I wish him and 
his family the very best in the years to come.

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