DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN DICKS TO SPEAK AT SHOWCASE BREAKFAST
 The Showcase for Commerce committee is pleased to announce that Congressman Norm Dicks, Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, will be the Showcase's keynote speaker at the John P. Murtha Breakfast at 7:30 am on Friday, June 4, 2010 at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center.
Congressman Dicks was named chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee on March 9. He succeeds the late Congressman Murtha, under whose leadership Showcase was created in 1991. Congressman Murtha was a strong supporter and guiding force of Showcase for Commerce since its inception. Daniel R. DeVos, Chairman of Showcase for Commerce, said, "Having Congressman Dicks agree to be our featured speaker is an honor and a tribute to the legacy of Congressman Murtha. It also accentuates the importance of the continuing role of the Showcase in the economic vitality of our region".
Widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable members of the House on national security issues, Congressman Dicks was first elected to Congress in 1976, and received a rare first-term appointment to the House Appropriations Committee, where he worked closely with Mr. Murtha for over 30 years. He represents Washington’s Sixth District, which extends northward from the city of Tacoma and includes most of the western peninsula of Washington. The Sixth District has a large military presence, including McChord Air Force Base, Fort Lewis and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, as well as a number of other naval installations and a large Coast Guard presence.
A native of Bremerton, Congressman Dicks earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and his Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1968. As an influential moderate Member of Congress and recognized expert on defense and national security issues, during the 1980s he was involved in all of the major arms control decisions in Congress, and was appointed to serve as an official observer to the US-Soviet arms reduction talks due to his expertise. Among his numerous honors, Congressman Dicks was awarded the CIA Director's Medal upon completion of his service on the House Select Committee on Intelligence in late 1998.
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