[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12435-S12439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THANKS TO STAFF
Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, on the last day the Senate was in
session, October 4, I stood on the floor and briefly thanked my staff
members for all their hard work over the years. At that time, I had a
list of their names, hometowns, and date of joining our staff inserted
into the Congressional Record. I also said that later, I would make
additional comments about each of those.
As I said, it is easy to take staff for granted. Much of what they do
is carried out in such a way that we might not be aware always of what
they are doing. But they put in long hours just like we do. They are
dedicated not only to us, but to the States we serve. My staff has
helped thousands of Alabamians and other citizens with problems,
questions, projects, and other general concerns.
I have been fortunate to have many long-time staff members who have
been with me for many years, some since my first year in the Senate.
Others have not been here as long, but have still made valuable
contributions. Most have come from Alabama or had some connection to
the State, such as being an alumnus of a university there, but others
have come from the Washington area or other parts of the east coast.
I am proud of my staff, both here in Washington and in the four State
offices. They have done an outstanding job for the Senate, for the
State of Alabama, and for the Nation and I thank all of them and wish
them well as they retire or move on to new career opportunities. I
would now like to say a few words about each of those who are still
serving with us during these final weeks of my term.
steve raby
Heading up my Washington staff is Steve Raby, my administrative
assistant. Over the years, Steve has been a tireless worker and voice
for the State of Alabama and the Nation. He has superb judgment and
unsurpassable ability to motivate workers under his supervision. He
first joined my staff in January 1984 as a legislative assistant
focusing on agriculture and rural development policy. In 1987, he
became my administrative assistant, responsible for legislative and
political matters affecting Alabama. Steve was born in Huntsville, AL,
and received his bachelors and masters degrees from Auburn University.
I have accused him numerous times of filling my staff with Auburn
graduates so he could have more support in the Auburn-Alabama football
rivalry. Prior to joining my staff, Steve worked as a research
assistant at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta analyzing economic
indicators of regional economy. Steve is married to the former Denise
Cole. They have two sons--Nathan and Keenan. I predict a great future
for him in anything he undertakes, including politics.
winston lett
As ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative
[[Page S12436]]
Oversight and the Courts, I have faced a myriad of interesting and
challenging issues. Since 1990, Winston Lett has served as Democratic
chief counsel and staff director of this prestigious subcommittee and
has worked with me on multitudes of legislation. Born in Opelika, AL,
Winston graduated from Auburn University and received his law degree
from the University of Alabama. It is safe to say that Winston is a
favorite son of his hometown: The Opelika and Auburn Chambers of
Commerce proclaimed ``Winston Lett Day'' in 1989. Aside from this
distinction, Winston was assistant attorney general in Alabama from
1973 to 1977 before transferring to Washington as administrative
assistant to the late Representative Bill Nichols of Alabama until
1988. In 1989, Winston was administrative assistant to Representative
Glen Browder before joining my staff a year later. Winston has been a
calm, steady voice amid many turbulent judiciary matters and I deeply
appreciate his outstanding work. He is an excellent lawyer and has an
exceptional ability to get along with people.
denise addison
Denise Addison was born here in Washington, the fifth child of Elmer
and Louise Meadows. She graduated from Saint Patrick's Academy in 1975
and has been a fixture on Capitol Hill for 21 years now. She has worked
for an astounding number of Members of Congress, beginning with Senator
John V. Tunney of California. Since then, she has also worked for
Congressman Robert N.C. Nix of Pennsylvania; Senator Charles H. Percy
of Illinois; Senator Robert Kasten of Wisconsin; and Senator Mark
Andrews of North Dakota. She came to my office in 1988, and has been an
integral part of the success of our correspondence, computer, filing,
and office management operations. She married Alvin Addison in 1985,
and together they have three children, Alvin, Jr., Dominique, and
Jasmine.
sonceria ann bishop berry
Every office has that one person who knows how to fix, find, and take
care of just about anything. In my office, that person is Sonceria Ann
Bishop Berry. Ann joined my Tuscumbia office in April 1979 and moved to
Washington the following month as a secretary. She eventually served as
assistant office manager before being promoted to office manager in
1992. A native of Birmingham, AL, Ann received her bachelors degree
from the University of North Alabama. She is married to Reginald A.
Berry and they have one daughter, Elizabeth Ruth. Ann was one of my
youngest staff members when she arrived in Washington. I have seen her
grow up into a fine young woman. I am proud to have her as a member of
my staff. She is one of a kind.
mary catherine brooks
Mary Catherine Brooks, or ``Cappie'' as she is known, joined my staff
in March 1989 as assistant to my administrative assistant, Steve Raby.
A native of Birmingham, AL, Cappie attended the University of Alabama
and the Katherine Gibbs School in Boston, MA. During her years of
service on my staff, Cappie has tackled many special projects. One of
the most notable was the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast honoring
President Bill Clinton. As chairman of the Senate Prayer Breakfast, I
was responsible for organizing a guest list of several thousand
dignitaries from over 100 different countries. I relied heavily on
Cappie, who managed the event masterfully. President Clinton and Vice
President Al Gore both thanked Cappie personally for her outstanding
work. Cappie's next special project is of a more personal nature: Her
Spring 1997 wedding to Bill Stiers. She is most attractive as well as
efficient.
tim brown
Tim Brown has been my loyal and dedicated traveling companion over
the years. He has been with me to each and every county in Alabama at
one time or another. He has served as my State director, heading up all
four of my Alabama offices, since 1995. Prior to that, he was the field
representative responsible for 23 counties based out of Montgomery. He
came to my Montgomery office in 1985 after working on my campaign the
previous 2 years. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Auburn
University in 1971 and his law degree from Jones Law School in 1976.
From 1972 to 1983, he worked for his family's business--Brown and Sons,
Inc., a trucking and textiles company. Tim is from Enterprise, home of
the famous boll weevil statue. His father, the late M.N. ``Jug'' Brown
was mayor of Enterprise for 18 years. He is married to Cathy, an
employee of Alabama Power Co. His political instincts are sharp, and he
has been my eyes and ears in Alabama. He has been instrumental to the
effectiveness of our State operations and no one could have done a
better job of keeping me up-to-speed on local and State issues.
beau greenwood
Beau Greenwood has been my agriculture legislative assistant since
February 1995. As we faced the formidable task of rewriting the farm
bill in the 104th Congress, I relied heavily on Beau. He worked with me
to ensure that southern agriculture was treated equitably. We faced a
tremendous battle with the peanut program, but fortunately were
successful in defending this vital program. This long, grueling process
came to a successful conclusion thanks in no small part to Beau's
efforts. Prior to serving on my staff, he worked for Representative
Charlie Rose of North Carolina from 1992 to 1995. A native of Corpus
Christi, Beau is the son of Allen Greenwood of Corpus Christi and
Sherri Moore Greenwood of Little Rock, AR. Beau attended Texas A&M
University and received his undergraduate degree from George Washington
University. He studies each issue carefully and is a master of details.
joyce d. hackworth
Joyce Hackworth has been with me since the beginning of my Senate
career, building on her legacy of working with Democratic Senators from
Alabama. Born and raised in Montgomery, AL, she attended Troy State
University before going to work for Senator John Sparkman in January
1971. In fact, Joyce moved to Birmingham to open Senator Sparkman's
first State office. She remained with him until he retired in 1979. I
was elected to Senator Sparkman's seat that year and brought Joyce over
to my staff. She has been the office manager in my Birmingham office
since January 1979, and says she plans to retire along with me. Her
retirement date, effective January 2, 1997, will mark 26 continuous
years as a U.S. Senate staffer. Eighteen of those years have been spent
on my staff handling everything from casework to the wide range of
constituent requests that come into a Senate office on a daily basis. I
appreciate her excellent work and colorful personality.
henderson thad huguley
Thad Huguley, who has been with my Washington staff since 1992, hails
from Lanett, AL. While a student at the University of Alabama, he
served as vice president of the Student Government Association, was
inducted into numerous campus leadership and scholastic honor
societies, and worked as a part-time field reporter for the CBS
affiliate in Tuscaloosa. He began working for me as a legislative
correspondent. As a legislative assistant since late 1993, Thad has
been responsible for telecommunications, commerce, environmental,
banking, housing, transportation, and labor issues. He seems to have
delved into virtually every possible issue area at one time or another.
He is a jack-of-all-trades who was always able to master complex issues
quickly. He has been a tremendous asset to my office and has been
instrumental in helping set and accomplish our legislative agenda. He
completed his master of arts in American history at American University
in May 1996.
lea aldridge hurt
Lea Hurt has been writing media releases, producing television and
radio feeds and juggling reporter queries in my press office since July
1991. Before joining my staff, she was a familiar face on my hometown
television station, WOWL-15 NBC, in Florence, AL, where she anchored
the evening news. After moving to Annapolis in 1990 to be with her new
husband Jay, Lea worked as an assignment editor at Sun World Satellite
News until I hired her a year later to be my assistant press secretary.
Now, as communications director, Lea handles a wide range of issues. A
native of Decatur, AL, Lea is the daughter of Linda and Walter Brooks.
She attended Calhoun Community College in Decatur, where she was SGA
president, before graduating from the University of North Alabama with
a
[[Page S12437]]
degree in English. Lea and I work together every week to produce my
weekly column. I figured recently that we have put out around 280
columns on topics ranging from the balanced budget amendment to
constituent services. I have appreciated her hard work, pleasant
personality, and dedication. She always presents an attractive
appearance. I wish her every future success.
brenda jarvis
Brenda Jarvis knows Montgomery--everything from the city streets to
the State legislature. It is her hometown as well as where she now
lives with her husband Jake and two children, Heather and Ricki Marie.
Brenda joined my staff as a field representative in 1990, working with
constituents, State agencies, the State legislature, local governments
and chambers of commerce. Prior to that, she served as a member of
Governor George Wallace's staff from 1971 to 1979 as an administrative
assistant working with legislation, extraditions, the Department of
Corrections, the Board of Pardon and Parole, the Department of Public
Safety, court matters as well as appointments to boards, agencies and
courts. From 1983 to 1987, Governor Wallace appointed her to be
assistant director of the State Commission on Aging responsible for the
State administration of the Older Americans Act. With her extensive
career background, Brenda has been an invaluable help to me in many
matters over the years. I have enjoyed working with her.
mary janet johnson
Jan Johnson was one of the original ``Howell's Angels'' in my 1978
campaign for U.S. Senate. She and other volunteers worked many long
hours for my election and, thanks to these efforts, we were successful.
When I took office, Jan joined my staff working out of my Tuscumbia
office as a field representative and State aide, continuing her legacy
of long hours and hard work. In her 18 years on my Senate staff, Jan
has traveled the State of Alabama like few others have. She knows the
``where'' and the ``who'' and can tell you the always-fascinating
history that goes with it. Jan was born in Franklin County to Oscar and
Nelda Lois Jackson. She has a son, Jacob Johnson, and a daughter, Mary
Elizabeth Johnson Cahoon. I have depended on her greatly over the years
and have appreciated her hard work.
jeanne jones
Since September 1982, Jeanne Jones has been a case worker and
secretary in my Mobile office. For many years, Jeanne was the right-
hand for Bob Morrissette, my dear friend and field representative in
Mobile who passed away only recently. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
James C. Lloyd, Jeanne was born in Birmingham, AL. She graduated from
Shades Valley High School and attended Jacksonville State University
and the University of South Alabama. Jeanne moved to Juneau to work for
the State of Alaska for 2 years before returning to Alabama to live in
Mobile in 1971. She has three children: Jeri, Jana and Jill; one son-
in-law, Dirk, and two grandchildren, Taylor and Shelby. For 14 years,
Jeanne has helped thousands of people in south Alabama with countless
issues. I appreciate her dedicated work and tireless efforts on my
behalf.
betty streeter lanier
Betty Lanier has been serving on my staff for more than 10 years now
as a secretary and staff assistant. Most recently, she has worked
extensively with the legislative director, serving as his right hand in
terms of managing his heavy load of casework, correspondence, and
legislative schedule. Previously, Betty worked for Illinois Senator
Paul Simon and for a short time for Congressman Claude Pepper's House
of Representatives Subcommittee on Health and Long-term Care. She also
worked for several offices within the Department of Justice, including
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which brought her to Washington.
From the small Bullock County town of Midway, AL, Betty is endowed with
a variety of talents. She is a member of the Congressional Chorus, and
has performed with the group at inaugurations, annual lightings of the
Capitol Christmas tree, and Kennedy Center Arts Festivals. In addition,
she has taken several Shakespearean acting classes. A post and avid
reader, she has done an outstanding job and brought a real cultural and
artistic flair to the office.
alan leeth
Alan Leeth has been a legislative assistant and counsel in my office
since December 1995, responsible for banking, budget, tax issues and
Indian affairs. In the year that he has been with me, he has helped me
develop and plan legislative initiatives, monitor developments within
committees and on the Senate floor. Alan is from Opelika, AL, and is
the son of Roy and Carol Leeth. He graduated from the University of
Alabama at Birmingham and received his law degree from my law school
alma mater, the University of Alabama, where he met his wife Tracy.
Alan has been a tremendous asset to my staff and I am sure I will
continue to hear great things from him in the future.
william mansel long, jr.
William Mansel Long, Jr. began working in my Washington office in
1979 as a legislative assistant. Since that time, he has moved up the
ranks and currently serves as legislative director. Mansel has proven
himself to be a close friend, loyal employee, and trusted advisor. I
have known him and his family for many years; he is also a native of
Tuscumbia. He served in the Army for 2 years, earning a Good Conduct
Medal. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Tennessee State
University, and has taken graduate courses at Alabama A&M University,
District of Columbia Teachers College, The American University,
Catholic University, Trinity College, and George Washington University.
Before joining my staff, Mansel was a social studies teacher, special
education teacher, and a consultant for International Business
Services. He has received numerous honors and awards, and received a
Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Faulkner University in 1984. ``Dr.
Long,'' as the staff affectionately calls him, has been an outstanding
public servant and I could not imagine having served in the Senate
without his assistance and leadership.
judy lovell
Judy Lovell has been my correspondence manager since 1990. In those 6
years, she has helped me develop and maintain an office mail management
plan to deal with the thousands of letters we receive every week. Judy
takes care of the mail in a full circle approach. She directs the
incoming mail to the appropriate person and then oversees the final
return mailing process, scrutinizing everything from grammar to
content. Aside from her outstanding work, Judy is also known for her
excellent bean dip, which we have been fortunate enough to frequently
sample over the years. Before joining my staff, Judy worked for Senator
Howard Cannon of Nevada from 1981 to 1983, and Senator John Danforth of
Missouri from 1983 to 1990. She and her husband John live in Bowie, MD,
and have four children: John, Tim, Terry, and Tracy; and one
grandchild, Katy.
kristi mashon
Kristi Mashon has taken on the herculean task of archiving documents
from my career as a Senator and as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme
Court. She has been working with me on this project since June 1995.
Kristi previously served as archivist for Senator George Mitchell of
Maine and is also currently working for Senator Patrick Leahy of
Vermont. A native of Austin, TX, Kristi is the daughter of Les and
Barbara King. She graduated from the University of Texas in 1988 and
completed her graduate education at the University of Maryland in 1995.
Kristi and her husband Mike have one daughter, Madeleine, who recently
celebrated her second birthday. I have appreciated Kristi's thorough
work and attention to detail. I am confident that my documents and
memorabilia are in good hands.
kimberly mcdonald
Kim has been with my staff since November 1991. She started out as a
legislative correspondent, researching and formulating responses to
constituent mail. In 1995, she was promoted to caseworker where she
acts as a liaison between constituents and Federal, State or local
government agencies. Her areas of responsibility include Aging, Foreign
Affairs, Government Affairs, Health, Immigration, Labor, Postal Affairs
and Social Security. As you can imagine, with such a wide range of
issues, Kim stays busy. She has worked
[[Page S12438]]
with me to help countless Alabamians who thought they had no where to
turn. It was only about a year ago that our staff celebrated Kim's
marriage to Curtis F.M. McDonald, our last ``office'' wedding. I have
enjoyed working with Kim and am sure that she will continue to achieve
great things.
tom mcmahon
Tom McMahon has been my press secretary since February 1989. As my
chief spokesperson, Tom has to be conversant on a wide variety of
issues. In this area he has proven himself as a true ``renaissance
man,'' able to knowledgeably discuss everything from bankruptcy reform
to crop insurance. Tom came to Washington in 1987 as press secretary to
the late Representative Bill Nichols of Alabama. Prior to that, he
worked in university relations at his alma mater, Auburn University. In
fact, Tom leads the ``Auburn gang'' in my office as a former president
of the Metro Washington Auburn Club. He graduated from Auburn in 1984
with a degree in communications. Before graduation, he was station
manager at Auburn's WEGL-FM radio and worked as an anchor and reporter
at WAUD-AM radio, also in Auburn. He and his wife Diane, a native of
Scottsboro, AL, now live in the Washington area. I have appreciated the
outstanding work Tom has done over the years and am sure we will
continue to hear great things from him in the future.
jacqueline a. natter
Jackie joined my staff as a legislative correspondent in November
1994, after serving an internship at the State Department's Bureau for
Political-Military Affairs. While she was studying international
relations and English at Georgetown University, from which she
graduated in 1994, Jackie completed an internship in my office and
worked as a research assistant for the National War College. As a self-
described ``military brat,'' her interest in military affairs started
at a very young age, and has continued through her academic and
professional work. Currently serving as a legislative assistant
handling national defense, space, and veterans issues, Jackie also
coordinates my military services academy nominations. She is the middle
daughter of Rear Admiral Jack and Nancy Natter of Birmingham and is
looking forward to returning to Alabama at some point in the future.
She has been a valuable addition to my staff and I know she will make
tangible contributions to the fields of national defense and foreign
policy in the future.
barry phelps
A native of the Birmingham, AL area, Barry Phelps moved to Washington
in 1989 after completing his master of public administration and
bachelor of arts degrees at the University of Alabama. He came to work
for my office in the fall of 1990 as a legislative correspondent and 1
year later became my speechwriter. Since that time, he has
simultaneously handled legislative issues relating to foreign policy,
international trade, and general governmental affairs. In addition to
being an excellent ``wordsmith,'' Barry has also been instrumental to
my work as chairman of the Senate delegation to the North Atlantic
Assembly, traveling either with me or as my representative to NAA
meetings in Berlin, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway; and
Turin, Italy. In the fall of 1993, he began the graduate liberal arts
program at Georgetown University, attending classes in the evenings and
on weekends. He completed his master of arts degree there in April
1996, concentrating his studies in the area of international affairs.
We were not surprised to learn that Barry was ranked first in his
graduating class and had the honor of serving as commencement marshall.
robert schultz
Bob Schultz has been an outstanding recent addition to my staff in
Washington. A Pennsylvania native and graduate of Dickinson College in
Carlisle, Rob was brought on board earlier this year to handle the
important task of compiling and summarizing my 18-year Senate
legislative record. He completed a similar project for former Senator
Don Riegle of Michigan in 1993 and 1994. Since he has been here, he has
compiled my record in certain policy areas, such as defense and foreign
policy, agriculture, court reform and judiciary, civil rights, and
space exploration and NASA. Rob has done an incredible job under severe
time constraints, and we could not have succeeded without him.
barbara sherrill
I noted in my retirement announcement that Tuscumbia, AL, is the best
little town in America to go home to. Barbara Sherrill, a secretary and
caseworker in my Tuscumbia office, figured that out years ago. A native
of Waukegan, IL, Barbara worked in Washington, DC, for the Air Force at
the Pentagon. Her husband, Estes, is a native of Tuscumbia, so in 1971
after he retired as an Air Force pilot, their family moved back to that
area. Barbara joined my staff in 1985, working with my chief of staff,
the late Bill Gardiner. Her assistance has been invaluable to me as
well as to the many constituents who call or drop by the Tuscumbia
office seeking help. She has said that her greatest reward is hearing
constituents say that the help they received from our office has made a
difference in their lives. Barbara has three children--Beth, Martha,
and Andy--and three grandchildren--Benjamin, Elizabeth, and Rachel.
samantha smith
Two positions in a Senate office that are usually considered
``gatekeepers'' to the member are receptionist and personal scheduler.
By that definition, Samantha Smith is the ultimate ``gatekeeper,''
serving on my staff since August 1993--first as a receptionist and then
as scheduler. Born in Florence, AL, she is the middle daughter of Judge
and Mrs. Larry Mack Smith. Samantha graduated from Hollins College in
Virginia in 1992 with a degree in French. She spent a total of 2 years
in France both as a student and as a teacher before joining my staff.
Her ability to juggle the hectic schedule requests that come into my
office has been a tremendous asset to me. I appreciate the fine job she
has done.
mary k. speis
Mary Speis has been with my staff ever since the beginning of my
tenure in 1979. Her career on Capitol Hill, however, goes all the way
back to 1965, when she served as an assistant to former Illinois
Congressman Barratt O'Hara. A native of Washington, DC, her Alabama
ties came about thanks to her sister, Jackie, who worked for Alabama
Congressman Tom Bevill before moving to Athens, Greece to be with her
husband, a native of that beautiful country. Mary has often visited her
sister in Greece during the summer recess periods. A graduate of the
University of Maryland with a fine arts degree, she landed a job with
former Alabama Senator James B. Allen working with the legislative
assistants. In 1978, after the death of Senator Allen, she worked for
his wife, Marion, who succeeded him in the Senate. In 1979, she came to
my office to serve as an aid to the legislative assistants. In 1985,
she began working as my personal assistant and has become very special
to me and the rest of the staff.
yolanda angeline turner
Yolanda Turner came on board our ``Senate ship'' in August 1992 as a
staff assistant working with the office manager and correspondence
management staff. The daughter of Mrs. Velda A. Ragland and Mr. Glenn
A. Turner, she is from Suitland, MD. Her mother and sister, Monique A.
Turner, work for Senator Bill Bradley, just down the hall from Yolanda.
Their work in the Senate is truly a ``family affair.'' Before joining
our office, she was a clerk typist for the resource management staff at
the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We were all excited earlier this
year by the birth of Yolanda's daughter, Breanna Akira Turner.
Stanley vines
If you want to know about voting statistics and election demographics
in the State of Alabama, Stanley Vines is the man to see. With over 20
years of involvement in Alabama politics, he has gathered a wealth of
information about voting trends. Stanley's political bloodline runs
deep--his father's family has been active in politics in the Bessemer
area for over a century. He began political work in 1976 and since that
time, has set up phone banks and helped runs numerous campaigns for
Alabama candidates. Stanley began serving as field representative in my
Birmingham office in 1982, after a 41-year career with American Cast
Iron Pipe Co. In the years since, he has helped me better present the
people of
[[Page S12439]]
Alabama by keeping me abreast of the issues and events going on in that
area. Born in Watson, AL, Stanley graduated from Birmingham's Phillips
High School and attended Jefferson State Junior College. Stanley and
his wife, Ethel Catherine Vines, have two sons, Thomas and James.
heidi wagner
Heidi Wagner has served as a front-office receptionist in my personal
office and most recently as clerk and staff assistant for the
Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts minority staff.
A Mobile, AL native, she graduated from the University of South Alabama
and is working on a masters degree at American University here in
Washington. She is the portrait of cool under pressure, since she is
always able to handle even the most demanding tasks and situations with
grace, professionalism, and good humor. She is sort of a word
``connoisseur,'' constantly challenging staff with the presentation of
new words and definitions to enhance their vocabulary. Her ``Word of
the Day'' feature appearing on computer screens each morning was often
a welcome way to begin the day.
sally walburn
The first voice you hear when you call into my Washington office is
that of Sally Walburn. Her cheery ``Senator Heflin's office, this is
Sally. May I help you?'' has opened up hundreds of conversations with
Alabamians. Sally has been my receptionist since June 1996. A native of
Tuscaloosa, AL, she is the youngest child of Dr. and Mrs. James
Walburn. Sally graduated from Ole Miss in May 1996 with a degree in
English. Although her time on my staff has been brief, she has
demonstrated her outstanding abilities in dealing with constituents on
the ``front line.'' I wish her every future success.
james g. whiddon iii
Jim Whiddon is currently serving as my counsel on the Subcommittee on
Administrative Oversight and the Courts and as legislative assistant
for energy and natural resources issues. He has done an outstanding job
on these and other issues that have come his way since joining the
staff in 1993. He has been especially helpful on bankruptcy reform and
the constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. Before moving to
Washington, he worked in Atlanta. Jim, a native of Montgomery, attended
the University of Alabama, where he earned his bachelor of science
degree at Samford University in Birmingham, where he obtained his juris
doctor degree from the Cumberland School of Law. He served as a law
clerk to the Honorable Rodney R. Steele, Chief Judge of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
janetta whitt-mitchell
Janetta Whitt-Mitchell is a native of Mobile, AL. She graduated from
Tuskegee University and is a longtime community activist and energetic
advocate for the improvement of social conditions. Through her work as
my Mobile field representative and other leadership activities, she had
helped communities address needs related to health care, employment,
human rights, education, law enforcement, economics, and drug abuse.
She is a member of the New South Coalition and an associate of the
National Organization for Women. She is also first vice president of
Mobile's Human Rights Commission and serves on the board of directors
of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women's Mobile County Chapter.
The daughter of Mr. Charles and Mrs. Mary Lee Whitt, she is married to
Dr. Joseph Colvis Mitchell. Janetta has been an invaluable member of my
State staff and I truly appreciate her hard work and advocacy on so
many issues and projects.
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