Recognizing Lieutenant General A.C. Roper

Floor Speech

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Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary career and achievements of Lieutenant General A.C. Roper, the first African-American, three-star general in the U.S. Army Reserve, as he celebrates his retirement from 41 years of service in the United States Army.

Lieutenant General Roper's extraordinary career began after he was commissioned in 1983 as a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has an extensive military education and received master's degrees from both the University of Alabama and the U.S. Army War College.

Throughout his exemplary career, Lieutenant General Roper moved quickly up the ranks and broke down barriers for African Americans serving in the Armed Forces.

On May 14, 2021, he made history as the first African American to become a three-star general in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Most recently, he served as deputy commander of the U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the U.S. Element, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. He has received numerous awards and decorations.

Mr. Speaker, I got to know Lieutenant General Roper during his time as the chief of police for Birmingham Police Department. I was immediately impressed by his firm yet compassionate leadership style that commanded the respect of his fellow officers and endeared him to the Birmingham community.

Lieutenant General Roper's reputation has always been one of great purpose and great passion. He is an honorable man, guided by an abiding faith in God and a love of country.

On behalf of a grateful Nation, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the retirement of Lieutenant General A.C. Roper after 33 years in law enforcement and 41 years of military service. Recognizing Small Business Winners in Alabama's Seventh District

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Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the award-winning small business owners in Alabama's Seventh Congressional District as we celebrate National Small Business Week.

Ms. Jackie Smith is the proud owner and operator of The Coffee Shoppe and Reflections in our hometown of Selma, Alabama. After leaving her job in 2011, Jackie bravely took on the risk of opening up her own small business, turning the site that once was a segregated diner into a beautiful coffee shop in the heart of downtown Selma. For 13 years, The Coffee Shoppe has provided a place for the community to come together, learn about Selma's history, and eat some great food.

Like any businessowner, Jackie has had her fair share of hardships. After the tornado of January 12, 2023, we saw her resilience, and thanks to an investment by the SBA, she was able to open her doors and continue The Coffee Shoppe's great legacy; and, in fact, she opened up another business, Reflections.

This week, Jackie's extraordinary entrepreneurship earned her national recognition as the Small Business Administration's 2024 Phoenix Award winner for outstanding disaster recovery efforts. We congratulate her on her outstanding achievements.

Today, I also recognize SBA's 2024 Small Business Persons of the Year in Alabama: Shanna Ullmann, Timothy Ullmann, and Robert Prescott of Transformation Partners, LLC in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Beginning in the year 2000, as a statewide training provider, their firm has grown tremendously over the past two decades. Today, they serve numerous clients in the field of higher education, government, military, and corporate America, offering consulting services and employee development programming.

Transformation Partners was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but once again, thanks to the assistance of the SBA, the firm remained operational and weathered the storm. Now their efforts have earned them national recognition as SBA's 2024 National Small Business Persons of the Year for Alabama.

I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the outstanding entrepreneurship in Alabama's Seventh Congressional District. Congratulations to all of our winners. I wish them much success in the years ahead.

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