News

Buckhannon, West Virginia - President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Kimberly A. Reed on Monday returned to her hometown to address 300 business, educational, and community leaders the 54^th Annual Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce dinner focused on the theme "Spring into Service."

In her remarks, Chairman Reed discussed EXIM's historic seven-year reauthorization, as well as the agency's priorities going forward. She also highlighted how EXIM's financial products and services can support West Virginia businesses by facilitating U.S. exports.

"Growing up in Buckhannon gave me a strong foundation for my life, and I will always give back to my community," said Chairman Reed. "It is an immense honor to address the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce and share insights on serving in the Trump Administration, including on how the Export-Import Bank of the United States, along with an array of pro-growth policies, can support American jobs, boost the economy of the United States, and help businesses like those in the Mountain State to thrive in the global marketplace. Fifty-three percent of the businesses EXIM supports in West Virginia are small businesses, and I am committed to helping more small businesses sell their 'Made in the USA' products around the world."

"It was an honor to have Chairman Reed join the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce this evening," said Executive Director of the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce Tammy Reger "What makes Buckhannon and Upshur County shine is the service from its business owners, residents and students. Chairman Reed not only gave the Chamber an overview of her position at EXIM and office updates, but went into how the values she learned growing up in Upshur County has influenced her career in public service."

During her remarks, Chairman Reed, a 1985 West Virginia Golden Horseshoe recipient and 4-H All Star, credited and thanked Upshur County Public School System and West Virginia Wesleyan College educators, as well as local leaders in 4-H, business, and government, for giving her the foundation of core Mountaineer values-service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation-to now be able to serve at the highest levels in national government and represent the United States around the world.

Chairman Reed highlighted the inspiring influence that West Virginia Wesleyan government professor Dr. Robert Rupp made in her life. "Dr. Rupp not only tapped my interest in shaping policy issues important to West Virginians, he gave me the courage to take on the charge that President Trump gave to me during my swearing in in the Oval Office to 'do great things," said Reed.

Earlier in the day, Chairman Reed delivered the Inaugural West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law and John Chambers College of Business and Economics Distinguished Lecture in Morgantown. Chairman Reed also spoke at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce's 83^rd Annual Meeting and Business Summit in August, 2019.

ABOUT EXIM:

EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to overseas purchasers of U.S. goods and services. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters when they compete against foreign companies that receive support from their governments. EXIM also contributes to U.S. economic growth by helping to create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. In recent years, approximately 90 percent of the total number of the agency's authorizations has directly supported small businesses. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt.

For more information about EXIM, please visit www.exim.gov.