[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E13]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SALUTING DIXIE WILKS-OWENS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Dixie Wilks-Owens, 
who is retiring from the California Employment Development Department 
after 27 years of dedicated service. Throughout her career, Mrs. Wilks-
Owens has earned a reputation among her peers as an outstanding 
communicator and public servant genuinely enthusiastic about her job 
and the opportunities it provides to affect positive change.
  Most recently, Mrs. Wilks-Owens served as chairperson of the 1996 
Work Force Preparation Conference, a highly successful public forum on 
workforce preparation issues which was held in conjunction with the 
Federation of Conferences.
  While at the office of work force policy, Mrs. Wilks-Owens was staff 
to the State job training coordinating councils' planning committee. 
She prepared agendas and policy issue papers, analyzed Federal and 
State legislation and made presentations to the SJTCC, task forces, and 
other committees on work force preparation issues.
  Prior to this position, Mrs. Wilks-Owens was the manager and 
assistant deputy director of the EDD Marketing Services Office. In this 
role, she is noted for having developed the first biennial strategic 
marketing plan and for writing and producing the EDD employee handbook. 
In addition, she was an integral force in the planning, developing, and 
management of a full-functioning reemployment center for displaced 
legislative staffers left unemployed by Proposition 140. Additionally, 
she oversaw the planning and coordination of a broad retraining and 
reemployment program serving 5,000 former General Motors workers in 
Fremont, CA.
  Mrs. Wilks-Owens also served as a Federal legislative specialist in 
the EDD legislative liaison office. There, she tracked and analyzed 
Federal legislation, spearheaded the successful 1989 job service 
campaign and made legislative presentations.
  As an active member of the International Association of Personnel in 
Employment Security [IAPES], she has served as California Legislative 
chair, California vice president, California president, International 
Legislative chair and District XV representative and California 
Legislative chair.
  In addition to her professional pursuits, Mrs. Wilks-Owens has 
demonstrated a unique commitment to her community and is noted as a 
tireless volunteer and master organizer.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize 
Dixie Wilks-Owens for her outstanding commitment to her profession. I 
ask my colleagues to join me in wishing her continued success in all of 
her future endeavors.

                          ____________________