HONORING JIM PHILLIPS FOR HIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO THE NORTH COUNTRY AND THE NATION; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 126
(Extensions of Remarks - July 16, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING JIM PHILLIPS FOR HIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO THE NORTH COUNTRY
AND THE NATION
______
HON. ELISE M. STEFANIK
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jim Phillips,
President and CEO of the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance, for
his lifetime of service to the North Country and the Nation.
Jim Phillips, a longtime business leader with experience in cross
border commerce, founded the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance
(Can/Am BTA) in 1992. He recognized the need for a bi-national
coalition of private and public stakeholders to advocate for the needs
of the users of the U.S.-Canadian border including trade,
transportation, border management and tourism. Jim Phillips has served
as its President and CEO since its founding, creating an effective
transcontinental and bi-national organization with engagement from
twenty-seven states and all the provinces of Canada. The organization
he built and leads involves a combined network of over 60,000 companies
and organizations including producers, shippers, brokers, chambers of
commerce, universities, bridge and tunnel operators, business and trade
corridor organizations as well as economic development and government
agencies.
Under his many years of leadership at the Can/Am BTA, Jim Phillips
became one of the most respected voices in all matters related to the
U.S.-Canadian border in both countries, consistently earning the trust
and partnership of Canadian and U.S. officials at all levels and over
many administrations. Throughout the years, Jim Phillips has directly
contributed to many border related advances including multiple
infrastructure investments, the Shared Border Accord and enormous
progress toward U.S.-Canadian customs and regulatory harmonization,
among many others.
In the 21st Congressional District, Jim Phillips was pivotal in
working with the North Country Chamber of Commerce to develop the
original concept of the Quebec-New York Corridor as a vehicle for bi-
national collaboration, and in helping to secure more than $107 million
for the new U.S. border facilities at Champlain in 2005. Jim Phillips
also played a leading role in the original organization of the Northern
Border Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, an important bi-
partisan platform for northern border advocacy.
Jim Phillips has made an indelible impact on the North Country and
our relationship with Canada through his decades of experience and
leadership. On behalf of New York's 21st District, I would like to
thank Mr. Phillips for his lifetime of service to New York and the
United States.
____________________