[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 19 (Thursday, February 1, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E107-E108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL JOSEPH REED

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 1, 2024

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr Speaker, I rise today in sadness and in joy 
to celebrate the life of a good man and a friend of longstanding, Mr. 
Michael Joseph Reed. Sadly, Michael transitioned from labor to reward 
on January 15, 2024, at the age of 69. A private service will be held 
on Friday, February 2, 2024, among family, friends, and loved ones. 
While his passing leaves in its wake many heavy hearts, upon prayerful 
reflection, the pain we share must melt into joy. For Michael

[[Page E108]]

Reed leaves a remarkable legacy of service to humanity as a public 
servant, mentor, confidant, husband, and friend to many.
  A native of Buffalo, New York, Michael earned his bachelor's degree 
in Business Administration from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. 
He also earned a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from 
Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
  Michael's career in public service began as a Presidential Management 
Intern at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Budget 
Policy. This experience led him to his first Capitol Hill position as 
an intern for former Congressman Louis Stokes of Ohio, who was a member 
of the House Appropriations Committee. After leaving Congressman 
Stokes, he joined the staff of Congressman William Gray, Chairman of 
the House Budget Committee and a member of the Appropriations 
Committee, as Legislative Director. After leaving Congressman Gray's 
office, he was Vice-President for Marketing at the United Negro College 
Fund. He was also the Director of Regional Card Marketing and Vice-
President for Government Affairs for the American Express Company.
  When I was selected to serve on the House Appropriations Committee in 
2003, I needed a seasoned specialist and adviser. I was blessed to have 
Michael Reed join my team--starting as a Policy Adviser and Special 
Assistant, later becoming my Deputy Chief of Staff, and finally my 
Chief of Staff where he served until his Capitol Hill retirement in 
2021.
  For 18 years I matriculated in the ``Michael Reed School of Budgetary 
Policy''. He was a master of the appropriations process and its 
nuances. He was also constantly growing and expanding his expertise. 
Initially unfamiliar with agriculture issues, he quickly became steeped 
in the knowledge of the field. He was an invaluable asset to me and was 
respected by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
  It was no surprise that upon leaving Capitol Hill, Michael was 
honored by the communities and industries whose lives his work touched, 
most notably the University of Georgia (UGA) and the Georgia Peanut 
Commission. UGA's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences 
bestowed its Medallion of Honor on Michael in 2021. This award 
recognizes outstanding individuals for their dedication to the 
college's mission and is an expression of the University's gratitude 
for the time, advice, support and impact awardees have provided. The 
Georgia Peanut Commission presented Michael with its Distinguished 
Service Award in 2022, which is a testament to the decades of work 
Michael Reed did to help protect our peanut farmers and grow the peanut 
industry.
  Upon his retirement from the public sector, Michael decided to re-
enter the private sector and utilize his extraordinary skills and 
talents to make a meaningful contribution to mankind's efforts to 
confront the challenges of the environment and climate change. In 2021, 
he joined the American Forest Foundation as Vice President of Policy, 
exploring the pivotal role our nation's forests play and the potential 
they have in meeting this global challenge.
  Sir Winston Churchill often said: ``You make your living by what you 
get, you make your life by what you give.'' Michael gave so much to so 
many for so long and truly lived a complete and full life. His public 
service, his devotion to his family, and his service to his community 
and nation, reflect the legacy he leaves and the joy we must celebrate. 
Truly the world is a better place because of the life Michael led.
  Michael Reed accomplished so much in his life, but none of this would 
have been possible without the grace of God, the love and support of 
his loving wife, Attorney Diane Fields Reed, his late father-in-law, 
Judge Richard Fields, their beloved dog, Alexandra, and a host of 
family and friends that will miss him dearly.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives 
to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with countless others throughout 
Georgia and the Nation in saluting and honoring Mr. Michael Joseph Reed 
for service to his community, to his country, and to humankind; and in 
extending our deepest condolences to Michael Reed's family, friends, 
loved ones, and all those who mourn his loss. We pray that we will all 
be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in 
the days, weeks, and months ahead.

                          ____________________