[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 6600] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]A TRIBUTE TO RODNEY D. HUDSON ______ HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER of maryland in the house of representatives Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Rodney D. Hudson, founder and president of QuickSilver Analytics. Graduating with a bachelors degree in chemistry from Cameron University in 1974, Rodney went on to earn a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware in 1982. QuickSilver Analytics is a registered service-disabled veteran-owned small business, specializing in chemical and biological warfare-related services and products. Rodney Hudson has been named the SBA's Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year for 2008. Mr. Hudson was an Army Chemical Officer for over 21 years. He managed numerous chemical warfare materials (CWM) sampling and analysis (S&A) projects. Mr. Hudson has been directly involved with all aspects of chemical warfare agents for over twenty years, including CWM storage, laboratory procedures for environmental S&A, the operation of equipment for air monitoring, quality assurance/control, and major project management. Mr. Hudson is a veteran of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. While in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, Mr. Hudson evaluated and briefed the Army Headquarters Staff on the potential chemical downwind hazards from destroyed Iraqi chemical storage igloos. He managed the collection, reporting and deployment of the only remote chemical monitoring and biological detection teams in the theater of operation and coordinated the transportation of all suspect chemical and biological samples to U.S. laboratories. President of the Maryland Chapter of Elite Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Business (SDVOB) Network, Rodney is also a member of the American Chemical Society, the Association of the United States Army, the National Defense Industrial Association, and the Society of American Military Engineers. Rodney has been a strong advocate for service- disabled veterans, lobbying the Maryland State Legislature to award three percent of all Maryland state contracts to service-disabled veterans. He has counseled several business owners on techniques and opportunities currently available to SDVOB owners and on ways to improve their business volume. Mr. Hudson has worked tirelessly taking from his personal time to offer counsel to veterans who are considering starting a business. He has garnered the support of the MD Secretary of Veterans Affairs for his efforts and has provided a conduit for information flow to state legislators and the governor on issues important to Maryland SDVOB owners. Mr. Hudson has reached out to county government procurement personnel and introduced the Maryland Chapter of the Elite SDVOB network at last year's Maryland Association of Counties Conference. Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Rodney Hudson. His legacy as a successful business owner in the defense industry is surpassed only by his tireless advocacy for service disabled veterans. It is with great pride that I congratulate Rodney Hudson on his being awarded the SBA's Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year. ____________________