[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 23243-23244] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO ALLEN A. PICKENS ______ HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD of guam in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 29, 1999 Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend and congratulate Mr. Allen A. Pickens on his very distinguished career and well-earned retirement. Through the years, Al has made great contributions toward the development and economic stability of the island [[Page 23244]] of Guam. He played a significant role in the transformation of Guam from an economy dependent on Federal and local government to its present state as a self-sufficient economic center of the Western Pacific. As a teenager growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, Al dreamt of being an accountant. In pursuit of this objective, he attended the Central College in Iowa for a year on a basketball scholarship. Forced to drop- out due to an illness, he later enlisted in the United States Air Force. After four years of involvement with Air Force security operations in West Pakistan and Okinawa, Al was able to return to school. He spent the next 3 years finishing his studies at Drake University. Upon graduation, Al was offered a job in Hawaii with the accounting firm Peat Marwick. It was in Hawaii that he met and married his wife Dianne, who was an office manager and accountant for the state's Catholic Social Services. Al first came to Guam in 1962, during the island's introduction to international commerce which was made possible by President Kennedy's withdrawal of the island's security clearance requirements. After several years of working and traveling between Guam and Hawaii, Al was assigned to manage the Peat Marwick Guam office in 1969. Less than six years later, he became the youngest partner in the firm. As resident manager and, later, partner, Al guided KPMG Peat Marwick toward great success as a premier accounting firm on Guam. Since the 1994 merger of KPMG Peat Marwick with Deloitte & Touche LLP, Al served as managing partner. As one of the first accountants on the island, he was considered mentor to hundreds of young accountants who have gone through his firm. A large number of his former apprentices now run Guam's top companies. In time, Al also gained a solid reputation as a business consultant. Local businessmen have come to rely upon his professional advice. Several island businesses would never make a major move without first consulting him. They have come to realize that the value of his advise is worth far beyond any fee that he may charge. A confessed workaholic, Al usually works 7 days a week taking time off only on Christmas, Thanksgiving and an annual 2-week vacation. Not one to miss a day of work, Al claims never to have had a sick day. He is usually at his desk by seven in the morning. Although he usually works eleven-hour days, Al is usually home at around six in the evening for his daily run. Begun in 1976 to cure chronic headaches and chest pains, Al's preoccupation with this activity led to the formation of the Guam Running Club. On behalf of the club, he has organized marathons--participating in more than a dozen. Nowadays, he usually participates in 10k's and hill climbs. Always one to foster community involvement, Al has been a pervading presence in the island's many civic and community organizations. Among others, Al served as charter president of the Guam Society of Certified Public Accountants, member and charter vice-president of the Guam Chapter of the Association of Governmental Accountants, chairman and director of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, charter chairman of the Guam Business Hall of Fame and president of the Rotary Club of Guam, the Air Force Association and the Navy League of Guam. He is also president emeritus of the St. John's School Board of Trustees and founder of Junior Achievement of Guam. For his achievements he merited mention in the 1988 Who's Who in America and in the 1984/1985 Who's Who in the West. The distinguished professional career and expansive community involvement of Allen A. Pickens has endeared him to the people of Guam. I congratulate him for his outstanding achievements and commend him for all the good work he has done for the local community. I wish him and his family the best for his retirement. On behalf of the people of Guam, a heartfelt ``Si Yu'os Ma'ase'' to a distinguished business and community leader. ____________________