The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF HARDIN WATKINS
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HON. TED BUDD
of north carolina
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Hardin Watkins' recent retirement as City Manager of Burlington, North Carolina.
With his retirement on March 4, 2022, Mr. Watkins ended a 32-year career in public service. For the past six of those years, he has diligently worked to better the lives of the people of Burlington. Residents and city employees alike will miss his wealth of experience and institutional knowledge.
A native of Hendersonville, North Carolina, Mr. Watkins attended the University of North Carolina where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Analysis and his Masters of Public Administration. After completing his education, he accepted a position as a city planner in Bennettsville, South Carolina. He was soon offered a new challenge in Decatur, Georgia, where he was hired as an assistant to the city manager. Mr. Watkins was rewarded for his hard work and dedication to the communities he served, and he was offered the position of City Manager of Suwanee, Georgia. However, after nearly a decade in that role, he returned to his home state in 2007 to manage the Town of Garner, North Carolina. Finally, in 2016, he was hired as the City Manager of Burlington.
The breadth of his work to improve the City of Burlington is remarkable. Within his six years at the helm of city government, Mr. Watkins was instrumental in creating the city's Economic Development Department, establishing the Community Police Advisory Team, and launching Link Transit in Burlington. Residents of Burlington will also be thankful for his efforts to restore the city's antique Dentzel carousel and overhaul the city's publicly owned golf course.
Although Mr. Watkins has begun a new stage of life, he does not intend to idle in his retirement. Instead, he intends to continue his long record of improving communities. But perhaps most importantly, he will have well-deserved time to spend with his family.
Madam Speaker, please join me in thanking Mr. Hardin Watkins for his three decades of public service and wishing him the best in his future endeavors.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 41
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