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[Pages S17-S18]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO MICKEY MILLER
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this month my friend Mickey Miller will
retire from Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation, Nolin RECC,
after 45 years at the organization, including more than a quarter
century as its president and CEO. Mickey has dedicated his career to
providing reliable, cost-effective energy services to Kentuckians in
nine counties with integrity and innovation. I would like to take a
moment to reflect on his remarkable career in our Commonwealth.
From LaRue County, Mickey graduated from the University of Kentucky
with a degree in agriculture economics and marketing. During his time
at Nolin RECC, Mickey has championed a great deal of growth and
advancement. In fact, the cooperative's membership has more than
tripled, providing vital services to Kentucky families and employers
and fueling development in the region.
[[Page S18]]
Mickey's contributions extend beyond his work with Nolin RECC. As the
chairman of the Kentucky Council of Cooperatives and the director of
the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Mickey has been a
strong advocate for affordable and reliable electricity programs
throughout the Commonwealth. He also has served on the board of the
United Utility Supply Cooperative, providing for the needs of
communities across 19 States. Previously, Mickey led energy
cooperatives throughout the Nation as the chairman of Touchstone
Energy.
In addition to his many business successes, Mickey has also committed
himself to the betterment of his community. As an executive board
member of the Lincoln Heritage Council of the Boy Scouts of America,
Mickey is dedicated to helping prepare the next generation to excel. He
also worked to encourage economic growth in his community through his
involvement with the Elizabethtown--Hardin County Industrial
Foundation.
I would like to particularly recognize one part of Mickey's work for
his community: saluting our Nation's veterans. Supporting the Honor
Flight Kentucky program, Nolin RECC, under Mickey's leadership, along
with other Kentucky cooperatives, enabled 43 World War II, Korea, and
Vietnam veterans to travel to Washington, DC, last year to see the
memorials built to honor their service. I am grateful for the work of
Honor Flight Kentucky, which gives many veterans their only chance to
visit our Nation's Capital, and I applaud the efforts of community
leaders like Mickey for making these trips a possibility for our
heroes.
Given Mickey's dedication to these many causes and his passion for
rural communities, it is no wonder that he has been honored with
several awards recognizing his service to many of these organizations.
From the Touchstone Energy Distinguished Service Award to the Boy Scout
Hardin County Distinguished Citizen Award, Mickey is widely praised for
his professional accomplishments and his service to his community.
Although I am sure everyone at Nolin RECC is sorry to see him go, I
know they will join me in thanking Mickey for his many years of
dedicated service to Kentucky's rural communities. I wish him a
relaxing retirement with his wife of 46 years, Barbara, his daughters,
Jennifer and Carmen, and his grandsons, Craig and Mason. I encourage my
Senate colleagues to help me congratulate Mickey Miller on a remarkable
career of service to Nolin RECC.
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