Cohen Open House Tomorrow; Congratulations to Randy Wade

January 10, 2008
Press Release
For Immediate Release

CONGRESSMAN COHEN OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11
RANDY WADE NAMED NEW DISTRICT OFFICE DIRECTOR

Washington, DC – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will host an Open House at his 9th District Congressional Office on Friday, January 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. There, constituents will have the opportunity to meet the Congressman as well as the District staff and learn how they can be assisted on a variety of issues. The District Office is located in Suite 369 of the Clifford Davis / Odell Horton Federal Building at 167 N. Main St.

“As we begin a new year and approach the beginning of a new session of Congress, I want to invite you join me this Friday at my District Office located in the Clifford Davis / Odell Horton Federal Building for an Open House to discuss issues of interest to our Congressional District,” said Congressman Cohen.

In conjunction with the Open House, Congressman Cohen has just announced that long-time law enforcement officer and community leader Randy Wade will take over as District Director, replacing Sherman Greer. Mr. Wade served as Deputy District Director for Congressman Cohen for the past year.

“I’m thrilled to have someone with Randy’s experience and knowledge of the community directing our staff,” Congressman Cohen explained. “Through his years of service both as a mediator between law enforcement and the African American community and as a civic leader, Randy has shown his deep commitment and love for the City of Memphis. He has been a great friend to me and I have the utmost faith in his abilities.”

Mr. Wade has been a prominent figure in the community since his appointment in 1982 to the position of deputy administrator of the Shelby County Sherriff’s Department. “I was the blocker,” he said. “If people had problems, then they would come see me before they went to a lawyer because I could usually solve their problems by talking to the right people in the right division.”

Congressman Cohen added, “That’s what Randy brings to the table: the ability to solve problems. He’s been doing it for over a quarter of a century, and he has the trust of people in the community.”

Mr. Wade is also credited with elevating the Sherriff Department’s drug prevention program with the help of an old friend, former NBA All-Star and Memphis Tiger basketball legend Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. “Penny and I always had a great relationship,” explained Mr. Wade. “He had to grow up without a father and so did I, so I tried to be a mentor for him over the years. When I was trying to get the youth anti-drug program in Memphis off the ground, Penny was a big help because all the kids look up to him.”

Born and raised in Memphis, Mr. Wade served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, receiving numerous accolades for his service. He said that his most memorable experience during that time was recovering the Apollo 10 spacecraft while aboard the USS Princeton in 1969 after it landed in the Pacific Ocean near American Samoa.

Mr. Wade said that he is looking forward to continuing to work with Congressman Cohen in the area of constituent service for years to come. “Steve and I have been close friends for years,” he said. “He’s done a great job handling the responsibilities of representing the people of the 9th District and helping out the people when they come to him. I think that I can make our office even better, though, with my previous experience. I’ve been doing this kind of work all of my life. The people of Memphis and Shelby County need to know that if they ever have any problems that Congressman Cohen can help with to call us at the District Office and we’ll take care of it.”

Congressman Cohen reiterated that sentiment, saying, “Our office prides itself on providing the highest level of constituent service in the country. I think with Randy Wade at the helm of our District Office, we are going to up the ante. Randy has more experience doing this than anybody in Memphis, and I have the utmost faith in him to get the job done.”
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