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“ACKNOWLEDGING THE SERVICE OF RAY CHRISTENSEN” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1901 on Sept. 20, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ACKNOWLEDGING THE SERVICE OF RAY CHRISTENSEN
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HON. MARK UDALL
of colorado
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the important contributions Ray C. Christensen has made to Colorado and the country's agricultural community. Ray has served as the executive vice president of the Colorado Farm Bureau for the last 20 years and with his retirement, Colorado will lose a powerful advocate for agriculture.
Shortly after I was elected to the State legislature in 1996, I came to know Ray and was often reminded of how highly regarded he was at the State capitol. I was aware of agricultural issues, but hardly an expert--and I knew other legislators in both parties who took a somewhat disdainful attitude toward farm issues. Others felt that agricultural matters were best left to State legislators from rural areas. But as Lew Entz--now a State Senator--reminded me, ``If you eat, you are in agriculture.''
I took that to heart then, and I take it to heart as a Member of Congress. From the farm to the table, nothing is plainer or more important, and no one embodies this truth better than Ray Christensen.
Ray's professional biography makes this abundantly clear. He graduated from South Dakota University with a B.S. and graduate degrees in geography and agriculture. He has held positions at the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, the Missouri River Basin Commission, and the office of Public Affairs for the Farm Bureau. He has also served on the Colorado Agricultural Council, Denver Agricultural and Livestock Club, Colorado Public Expenditures Council, Colorado Medical Society Foundation, CSU Cooperative Extension Advisory Council and Colorado Commission on Taxation.
As executive vice president of the Colorado Farm Bureau, Ray cultivated valuable relationships with Colorado businesses, environmental organizations, and social advocacy groups, ensuring long-
term progress that spans beyond the agricultural community. Uniquely dedicated to cooperation and driven by the concerns of the family farm, Ray has provided invaluable service to Colorado agriculture.
Ray and I come from different walks of life and different political leanings, but I have always respected his depth of experience and his steadfast commitment to rural America.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Ray Christensen and in wishing him success in all his future endeavors. It has been a privilege to work with him on a number of issues, and as a friend from Colorado once remarked to me, ``It's a whole lot better to have Ray on your side than the other way around.''
I couldn't say it any better.
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