[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MILDRED KIEFER WURF--A VIGOROUS ADVOCATE FOR GIRLS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 1998

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mildred Kiefer 
Wurf, the distinguished and high respected Director of Public Policy of 
Girls Incorporated who has been a powerful voice for girls for nearly 
three decades.
  Mrs. Wurf began her career as a senior staff member on the 
President's Council on Youth Opportunity and established contacts with 
more than 175 voluntary and professional organizations for this White 
House agency, promoting programs for disadvantaged youth within the 
nonprofit sector and among federal agencies. She has served as an 
appointee to the U.S. Department of Labor, Citizen Review Commission, 
Comprehensive Youth Employment Commission, US Travel Service Advisory 
Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Commission on 
Youth, Kettering Foundation and the Government Relations Committee of 
the Independent Sector. Mildred Kiefer Wurf served as the founding 
coordinator of the National Collaboration for Youth, where she brought 
together directors of 13 national organizations, developed management 
and funding symposiums, drafted statements on youth issues, wrote 
testimony and briefed principals and facilitated large youth employment 
and delinquency prevention grants.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Wurf was the first director of the Washington 
Office of Girls Clubs of America. She monitored hearings and 
legislation, testified before Congressional Committees, was responsible 
for staffing the Expansion, Development and Advocacy Committees of the 
National Board and originated and wrote a Washington newsletter for 
affiliates and Board. She has persuasively applied her passion for 
words both as a spokesperson and as coauthor of Girls, Inc. Advocacy 
publications that were used to remove barriers, provide gender equity 
and fight for equitable allocations of resources--``Today's Girls, 
Tomorrow's Women,'' ``An Action Agenda for Equalizing Girls' Options,'' 
``Service Through Advocacy'' and ``Leadership Through Advocacy.''
  She has initiated successful collaborations with national women's 
organizations including the American Association of University Women, 
National Council of Jewish Women, The Committee of 100 Black Women and 
the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs 
Inc., among others, that resulted in noteworthy initiatives such as the 
``Women Helping Girls With Choices'' Project. She has been an active 
volunteer serving on the Board of the National Committee for Citizens 
in Education, Business and Professional Women's Foundation, National 
Child Research Center, Fund for an OPEN Society, as Board Chair of the 
Center for Youth Services in Washington, D.C. and on the Advisory 
Committee of the Center for Early Adolescence at the University of 
North Carolina. As Director of Public Policy of Girls Incorporated, she 
continues to monitor issues affecting girls and young women, informs 
the National Board, staff and affiliates of relevant legislation and 
public education events, recommends and drafts public policy positions 
and serves as a strong, smart, bold and ``vigorous advocate for 
girls.''
  She is the proud and loving mother of a son, Nicholas Wurf of London, 
England and, a daughter, Abigail Wurf of St. Louis, Missouri.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that this August body join me in applauding 
Mildred Kiefer Wurf for her dedicated service and exemplary record of 
highly effective advocacy on behalf of Girls Incorporated and the 
millions of girls of this nation and extend to her our best wishes for 
every success in her future endeavors.

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