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[Page S274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO CARL ADRIAN
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a
close friend, ally, and devoted public servant, Mr. Carl Adrian, as he
retires from a 16-year career supporting our national security,
environmental cleanup, economic growth, job creation, and furthering
the ever-expanding missions of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PNNL, as well as advancements in
innovation and more tied to each of these in my home State of
Washington.
Mr. Adrian, retiring president and CEO of Tri-Cities Development
Council--TRIDEC--began his service to the Pasco, Richland, West
Richland, and Kennewick cities, also known as the TriCities, on
September 1, 2003. Mr. Adrian arrived in the Tri-Cities as a
transplant, being born and raised in Omaha, NE, where he graduated from
Westside High School. Mr. Adrian then obtained his bachelor of arts in
political science, geography, and later a masters of administration in
urban and economic geography from the University of Iowa.
Prior to Mr. Adrian's tenure with TRIDEC, he spent significant time
supporting economic development throughout the central region of the
United States through his work with multiple organizations. He served
communities in Casper, WY, the Quad-City area of both Iowa and
Illinois, and Cedar Valley located in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, IA, before
embarking upon his last enterprise in the Tri-Cities.
Mr. Adrian has devoted his life to supporting commerce and new
innovation in the region. In his role at TRIDEC, Mr. Adrian has been
one of the Tri-Cities most effective advocates to Congress, frequently
working to ensure members of Washington State's congressional
delegation were abreast of the concerns and needs of the community
while also helping to strengthen federal support for Central Washington
priorities, including working to successfully expand Washington State's
wine industry, signing vital MOUs with Hong Kong to bolster the local
economy, and more. Mr. Adrian's dedication to inclusive collaboration
ensures important stakeholders are never left uninformed on the needs
of the Tri-Cities area, and through his robust advocacy, the region has
seen significant population and economic growth as well as industry
expansion, offering many Tri-Citians a new path to the American Dream.
As TRIDEC's longest-serving president, Mr. Adrian has successfully
led efforts to help expand the Tri-Cities airport and offer nonstop
daily flights to key regional airports; create the Manhattan Project
National Historical Park in 2015; promote services to attract, retain,
and improve commerce and economic development throughout the region,
which led to significant job growth, population growth, and the
development of several new business ventures in the TriCities.
It is clear to me that Washington State has benefited greatly from
Mr. Adrian's vision and passion for promoting what the Tri-Cities
community, its workforce, the Hanford Site, and PNNL have to offer, as
I have seen firsthand both at home and in the other Washington. His
work is evident in the progress that has been made on environmental
cleanup at Hanford, as well as his work to help plan a future for the
Tri-Cities that looks past cleanup operations towards preserving the
region's rich history through designations of the B Reactor as a
National Historic Landmark and Manhattan Project National Historical
Park, and seeking out new, emerging opportunities like small modular
reactors to help grow additional economic opportunities in the region
and boost Washington State's leadership role in cutting-edge energy
technologies to combat climate change. Through all of this, he has
remained as committed as they come. Last August, when I had the good
fortune to get one more visit with Mr. Adrian at PNNL, I was
unsurprised that he still carried the same enthusiasm and pride for his
work as he did during his first visit with me in 2003.
Mr. Adrian has been critical to my work in the U.S. Senate to ensure
the Federal Government is keeping its commitments to central
Washington, and he has made a tremendous impact on the Tri-Cities
community, Washington State, and our Nation. Today, I join with others
throughout the State of Washington in thanking him for his many years
of service. I congratulate Mr. Carl Adrian on his retirement and wish
him and his wife Rheta the best of luck as they write their next
chapter together.
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