Recognizing John Powell

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated husband, loving father, respected executive, committed man of faith, and friend of longstanding, John T. Powell. After 38 years of dedicated service to the peanut industry and agriculture industry as a whole, he will retire as the Executive Director of the American Peanut Shellers Association and Institute. An event to celebrate his remarkable career will be held on August 20, 2024, at the Doublegate Country Club in Albany, Georgia

John Powell has truly been a stalwart in the Peanut Industry for over five decades. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Auburn University. He also graduated from the institutes of Organizational Management at the University of Georgia and the University of Notre Dame. His educational achievements prepared him to make a difference in the lives of peanut shellers, farmers, producers and professionals across the world.

During his time as the Executive Director of the American Peanut Shellers, John helped to found the Peanut Institute and the U.S. Peanut Federation. These two entities have helped to promote the interests of the peanut industry throughout the United States and the world. Moreover, John has worked on eight farm bills during his life, always advocating for those who he represented. Since 2001, John, in association with the National Peanut Board, has helped to steer more than 36 million dollars to food allergy research, outreach and education. Earlier this year, because of his significant contributions to the Peanut Industry, John was inducted into the American Peanut Council Hall of Fame.

It has been said that ``Service is the rent that we pay for the space that we occupy here on this earth.'' John has paid his rent, and he has paid it well. In addition to his responsibilities as Executive Director, his other professional affiliations include serving as the President of the Peanut Institute Foundation, The American Peanut Council, The American Peanut Export Council Committee, The American Society of Executives and the Georgia Society of Association Executives.

But John's service has extended beyond the peanut industry. He has served as a former Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Albany-Dougherty Chamber of Commerce. He is also a former president of the Albany Museum of Art. The community affiliation of which John is probably the proudest is his affiliation as Vice Chair and board member of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.

John has accomplished much in his life but none of it would have been possible without the love and support of his devoted wife of 52 years, Mary; his children, Ben and Emily; and his four grandchildren, Evan, Zoey, Zack and Bella

On a personal note, John has been my friend of longstanding and close advisor on all things relative to the peanut industry during my time in Congress. He never told me what I wanted to hear, but he always told me what he felt I needed to hear. I will forever be grateful for his advice, counsel, and friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, my wife Vivian and the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District in honoring the remarkable career of John Powell as an extraordinary advocate for America's peanut industry and service to his community. May God continue to bless him and his family as he moves to the next chapter of his remarkable life.

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