September 17, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 161 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
TRIBUTE TO JOSEPH T. McELVEEN, JR.; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 161
(Extensions of Remarks - September 17, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks] [Page E854] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO JOSEPH T. McELVEEN, JR. ______ HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN of south carolina in the house of representatives Thursday, September 17, 2020 Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend and the retiring Mayor of my hometown of Sumter, South Carolina. Joseph T. McElveen, Jr. is a dedicated public servant and an ardent advocate for Sumter. His leadership will be missed, but I know he will continue to be an active part of his beloved community. Joe McElveen and I share the hometown of Sumter and are blessed to have had entrepreneurial parents to teach us. His father, John, owned a bicycle shop and ice cream parlor on Liberty Street across from my mother's beauty shop. The two of them created a partnership that resulted in my brothers and me spending our summers selling his ice cream from our mother's push carts in our neighborhood. I am grateful that the relationship between our families developed into a lifelong friendship between us. Joe attended public schools in Sumter and graduated from The Citadel in 1968. He was a Gold Star student and a Distinguished Air Force Student and Graduate. Following college graduation, Joe went on to attend the University of South Carolina Law School, where he served on the Editorial Board of the South Carolina Law Review and published two articles. He graduated and was admitted to the Bar in 1971. After law school, Joe served in the U.S. Air Force as an administrative officer for the 728th Tactical Fighter Support Squadron. When his active duty service ended, he continued in reserve duty as a Staff Judge Advocate until 1977. During that time, Joe joined the Bryan Law Firm and became a partner in 1975. His legal career focused on family law and workers' compensation. Joe served on the House of Delegates and Board of Governors for the South Carolina Bar Association, and as a board member of the Workplace Litigation Group. He also received the Gold Compleat Lawyer Award by the South Carolina School of Law in 1996. In addition to his success as a lawyer, Joe is also dedicated to serving his community. He has served on the Sumter County Drug Abuse Council and as a member of the City of Sumter Zoning Board of Adjustments and the City/County Planning Commission. He has also served as president of the Sumter Jaycees, the Sumter Optimist Club and the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the board of the Sumter Family YMCA and was recognized for his service by the March of Dimes and the Heart Association. Joe has also held elective office. He was elected to Sumter City Council for two years, serving from 1984 to 1986. In 1986, he began representing Sumter County in the South Carolina House, where he served on the Judiciary and Rules Committee. He also served two terms as Majority Leader and left the State Legislature in 1996. In 2000, Joe ran for and was elected Mayor of our hometown. With his retirement this year as Mayor of Sumter, Joe leaves as the longest serving Mayor in the city's history. He also leaves a legacy of making the City of Sumter a better place. I was pleased to work with the Mayor to secure federal funding to renovate an old warehouse into a much-needed Intermodal Transportation Center. Later the Regional Transportation Authority honored me by naming the Center in my honor and I was present for its dedication in 2008. We also worked closely together to bring resources and services to economically distressed communities through three HOPE (Harvest Opportunity and Promoting Empowerment) Centers in the federally designated Sumter Columbia Empowerment Zone. As Mayor, Joe also oversaw a revitalization of Sumter's historic downtown. The Sumter Opera House was restored as a center for entertainment, a new Public Safety Complex was opened, and public parks including Memorial Park, Palmetto Park and Swan Lake Iris Gardens have been upgraded. During his tenure, he encouraged Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification in new construction and renovations to public buildings to promote sustainability. He also expanded sports and recreational opportunities by opening the City of Sumter Aquatics Center and the Palmetto Tennis Center. Joe also led the initiative to decrease vacant properties by more than 22- percent and developed the PRIDE program to help 564 owners clean up blighted properties. His efforts to improve Sumter, were recognized when the City was recognized as a Top 20 finalist in the 2019 All American City Competition hosted by the National League of Cities. Joe is a longtime member of The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and was elected to the 28-member USCM Advisory Board. He also serves as Chair of the Veteran Affairs Task Force and Vice Chair of the Membership Committee. He is married to the former Kathy Watson. They have two children, Thomas (Bronwyn) and Kate Price (Nick), and two grandchildren Adelaide and Joe McElveen. The family attends First Presbyterian Church, where Joe has served as a deacon and an elder. Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me wishing Mayor Joe McElveen a happy and healthy retirement from public life. He has demonstrated through this lifetime of service that he is motivated by his love of his community and its people. He has given his time and his talents to ensure Sumter continues to grow and thrive. It is a better place because of his service, and that is a tremendous legacy of which he should be extremely proud. ____________________