Congratulating Edward Lewis on His Retirement

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great Marylander: Ed Lewis. He and his wife, former Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis, are two of my dearest friends. After an impressive, decades-long career in communications and government relations, Ed recently decided to retire. We ought to pay tribute to his many accomplishments and contributions to our community over the years.

An expert communicator with a deep understanding of public policy, Ed started to hone his skills at Howard University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism, and later at the University of Maryland, where he earned a master's degree in public policy management. Ed began his career as a reporter for the Memphis Commercial Appeal. While there, he helped come up with innovative new journalism tactics, developing a best practices handbook for online interviews. Ed has always maintained strong ties to the journalism community. He was the first Black person to serve on the National Press Club's Board of Governors. From the National Press Club Journalism Institute to the Press Club's Speakers Committee to the Corporate Advisory Council of the National Press Foundation, he's held leadership positions at a variety of other press organizations. That includes his role as a founding member of the Washington Automotive Press Association.

Ed Lewis remains a towering figure in the public relations and automotive industries. He held senior positions at the Tire Industry Safety Council, the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, Nissan, Ford, and other leading automakers. For the past 18 years, Ed served as the Director of Public Policy Communications for Toyota. These companies always knew they could count on Ed to craft a compelling message and to distill complex policy into simple terms that the public could understand. Ed also cultivated close relationships with leading figures in government and the press that proved invaluable to his work. Whether it was handling crisis communications, navigating complex interactions between the public and private sectors, or helping guide high-level business decisions, Ed proved to be one of the very best professionals in his field.

Ed has received more honors and awards than I could ever list in full, but they include the Public Relations Society of America's Platinum Award and the National Press Club's Vivian Award--among many others.

What I most admire about Ed is his commitment to giving back to our community in Prince George's County. Although his corporate career may be coming to an end, I have no doubt that his commitment to serving Prince Georgians never will. I was pleased to see him and Yvette roll out their new Fresh Start initiative in partnership with Bowie State University just this past April. The program will provide financial aid to formerly incarcerated individuals to help them attend BSU. Ed and Yvette want to give these men and women an opportunity to build a better life as well as a better community for all. For that, they have our thanks.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all my colleagues join me in congratulating Ed on his retirement and in thanking him for his service to our community--service that will surely continue for many years to come.

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