{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/tribute-bill-cotter", "TRIBUTE TO BILL COTTER", "2022-12-07", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 190\n\n(Senate - December 7, 2022) PDF\n\nMrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I am pleased to commend Mr.\n\nBill Cotter for his service and contributions to the State of\n\nMississippi in his 23 years of service with the Hancock County Port and\n\nHarbor Commission.\n\nBill is retiring as CEO, but his record of leadership with the\n\ncommission extends well beyond his latest role. In addition to CEO,\n\nBill has served as the director of Stennis International Airport, as\n\nwell as the chief operations officer for the facility as a whole, which\n\nincludes the airport, its surrounding commercial property, and the Port\n\nBienville Industrial Park, located on the Pearl River in southwest\n\nMississippi.\n\nWhile advancing into greater positions of responsibility, Bill's\n\nguidance helped the Hancock Port and Harbor Commission meet challenges\n\nhead-on and achieve enormous success. As airport director, Bill led\n\nStennis Airport's recovery from Hurricane Katrina, and he coordinated\n\nthe tasks necessary for transitioning the airfield into a disaster\n\nresponse staging area during the BP Deepwater Horizon crisis.\n\nBill's contributions to the agency are also felt through his project\n\nmanagement undertakings. Since 2005, Bill has overseen nearly $40\n\nmillion in capital improvements at Stennis International Airport, which\n\nhave proved invaluable in enabling the facility to serve as a resource\n\nin meeting the aviation needs of both the military, businesses, and\n\nindustry.\n\nThe Port and Harbor Commission's maritime business has also thrived\n\nunder Bill's leadership. During his tenure as chief operating officer,\n\nexisting docks at Port Bienville were refurbished and improved, and\n\nconstruction is underway on a new 600-foot dock.\n\nThe Hancock Port and Harbor Commission has consistently fulfilled its\n\neconomic development mission, and Bill is a big reason why. Through his\n\nefforts, numerous companies have located on commission properties,\n\nincluding the U.S. Department of Defense contractor Tyonek Service\n\nGroup, which performs a wide range of aircraft service operations and\n\nhas been a vital catalyst in the success of the Stennis International\n\nAirport in attracting and serving military customers.\n\nIn conclusion, the value provided by Hancock Port and Harbor\n\nCommission has been made more appealing through Bill's leadership and\n\nhard work. The resulting economic growth and development is felt on\n\nmultiple layers throughout Hancock County and has brought about a\n\nquality of life revered by residents and visitors alike.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/tribute-bill-cotter"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1337902396917343, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}