[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 24, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THANK YOU, RISDEN WALL, FOR YOUR LOYAL SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JACK FIELDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 24, 1996

  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it was with mixed emotions that I 
announced last December 11 my decision to retire from the House at the 
conclusion of my current term. As I explained at the time, the decision 
to retire was made more difficult because of the loyalty and dedication 
of my staff--and because of the genuine friendship I feel for each of 
them. They have served the men and women of Texas' 8th Congressional 
District in an extraordinary way.
  Today, I want to thank one member of my staff--Risden Wall, a 
legislative assistant who is serving a congressional fellowship through 
the Brookings Institution. Risden is a senior special agent with the 
U.S. Customs Service who began his congressional fellowship in my 
office in January 1995.
  Risden, a native of Ridgeland, SC, earned an associate degree from 
Brewton Parker Junior College in 1966, and received his bachelors 
degree from Florida State University in 1970. From 1967 to 1969, he 
served in the U.S. Army as an airborne combat infantryman with the 82nd 
Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC, and as a rifleman/radio 
transmitting operator with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the Republic 
of Vietnam.
  After leaving the Army and obtaining his college degree, Risden went 
to work for the U.S. Customs Service in Miami, where he served as a 
``sky marshall,'' charged with deterring possible skyjacketings of 
domestic and international commercial flights. Soon thereafter, Risden 
served as a special agent in the Customs Service's Miami office--
working to prevent narcotics smuggling, money laundering, fraud and 
other criminal activities. He served in that position for 12 years 
before moving to Washington to become a senior special agent at Customs 
Service headquarters, where he worked on financial investigations and 
undercover operations.
  In 1986, Risden was asked to represent the Customs Service on the 
National Drug Enforcement Policy Board. On the board, he helped 
establish strategic priorities for all federal anti-narcotics 
activities. From 1986 to 1991, he served as the Customs Service's 
representative to the U.S. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, 
coordinating investigative activities between 160 member countries, 
20,000 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the Justice 
Department and other authorities within the executive branch.
  Prior to his fellowship, Risden served as the Customs Service's 
Northeast Area program manager. As such, he was responsible for 
overseeing all Customs Service investigations in the northeastern 
United States.
  As a member of my staff, Risden has worked on banking, housing, 
veterans affairs, international relations, military affairs and 
judiciary issues--keeping me abreast of legislative developments in 
each of these areas and responding to constituent inquiries.
  Risden is one of those hard-working men and women who make all of us 
in this institution look better than we deserve. I know he has done 
that for me, and I appreciate this opportunity to publicly thank him 
for the dedication, loyalty and professionalism he has exhibited 
throughout his tenure in my office.
  Risden's future plans after I retire are as yet uncertain, but 
knowing him as well as I do, I am confident that the skills and 
professionalism he has demonstrated in my office will lead to continued 
success in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I know you join with me in saying ``Thank you'' to 
Risden Wall for his loyal service to me, to the men and women of Texas' 
8th Congressional District, and to this great institution. And I know 
you join with me in wishing him and his lovely wife, Georgene, the very 
best in the future.

                          ____________________