The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“HONORING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF MR. NEAL W. ALLEN, III” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1088-E1089 on July 12, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF MR. NEAL W. ALLEN, III
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HON. CHELLIE PINGREE
of maine
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated public servant who has significantly contributed to Maine and our communities for more than forty years.
This July, Neal W. Allen will be retiring as the Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments after 18 years. In this role, he has led a regional planning organization that provides support to communities across Southern Maine around municipal services, transportation & land use, economic development, sustainability, housing, and many other issues that impact people in their daily lives.
At the Council of Governments, Mr. Allen led major initiatives around sound governance of the organization, along with the establishment of its Sustainability Principles. Those Principles opened new opportunities for the region, including a federal HUD Sustainability grant that involved more than 40 partners from Kittery to Brunswick. The Sustainability Principles also formed a basis for the Council's energy planning, electric vehicles initiatives, and designation in the U.S. Commerce Department's Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership.
Following service in the Coast Guard during the Vietnam era, Mr. Allen's career in Maine began in the 1970s, as an Assistant City Manager in Portland. Among other contributions to the City, he played a key role in establishing Portland's ambulance service, Medcu, the first of its kind in Maine. He then went on to serve the City through a variety of challenging issues as Acting City Manager and later, as the first Executive Director of the waste management organization that is now named Eco Maine. That program resulted in the closing of numerous open burning landfills and the establishment of a regional system for managing solid waste. Along the way, Mr. Allen served a Governor and U.S. Senator in various roles, and was the co-recipient, along with former Governor Joseph Brennan, of the State of Maine Award in 1983.
This is just a small sampling of the many ways that Neal Allen made our region better. This career is reflective of his commitment to public service and to the notion that practical, local collaboration can make a big difference in the daily lives of people in our communities. I doubt that this retirement will be the last word on his contributions to our community.
Mr. Speaker, I truly admire Mr. Allen for his long and devoted service to Maine, and would like to thank him for the difference he has made in the lives of Mainers.
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