[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 61 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING ELEANOR NISSLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 14, 1998

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Eleanore S. Nissley 
on being named 1998 Woman of the Year by the New Jersey Federation of 
Republican Women. This award is highly deserved, based on Eleanore's 
long record of service to the Republican Party, which spans five 
decades. Eleanore is a stalwart veteran of our party who has fought for 
Republican values since the Eisenhower Administration and is still 
fighting today. No one could be more deserving of this high honor.
  Eleanore is an accomplished businesswoman, an active participant in 
our political process, an advocate of higher education, a supporter of 
mental health programs, and a true member of her community through 
organizations such as the United Way. She has truly followed the 
philosophy that a successful person should return something to the 
community, underscoring the contribution of volunteers to making their 
communities a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
  I can think of few--if any--individuals who have a record of service 
to the Republican Party as impressive as Eleanore's. Her political 
activities go back to 1953, when she joined the Bergen County Young 
Republicans Club. She joined the Bergen County Republican Woman's Club 
and the Bergen County Republican Committee the following year and the 
New Jersey Federation of Republican Women in 1958. She has been the 
Republican State Committeewoman for Bergen County since 1965. She was 
secretary of the Republican State Committee from 1981 to 1997, when she 
became vice-chairwoman.
  Eleanore has been to six of the last eight Republican National 
Conventions as either a delegate or alternate delegate. She was on hand 
for the nomination of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George 
Bush, and Bob Dole--every Republican President and Presidential nominee 
of the past two generations. Eleanore's participation in these events 
extended far beyond her official duties as a delegate, however. She 
returned home charged with the energy of the convention and worked 
tirelessly to campaign for the GOP nominee and to encourage other 
Republican women to do the same. She worked not only to support the 
presidential nominee at the head of the ticket but every Republican 
candidate as well. She was a leader among women whose strong advocacy 
and support were important to many women candidates. Her advocacy and 
support for me was a key to my election to Congress. I have always 
relied on her for sound advice and counsel.
  Eleanore has an equally strong record of community service, 
particularly in education, young people and mental health. She served 
as vice chairwoman of the Bergen County Mental Health Board from 1969 
to 1975 and has served on the boards of the Family Counseling Service 
of Ridgewood and the Health and Welfare Council of Bergen County. She 
was a member of the Lay Development Board that helped establish a 
College of Professional Psychology at Rutgers University and a member 
of the Professional Standards Review Committee of the New Jersey 
Psychological Association. She was an advisory associate to the 
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers. She 
is a former trustee of Bergen Community College and a founding member 
of the Bergen Community College Foundation. Eleanore has also served on 
the boards of the Community Chest and the United Way. She is a former 
commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is 
currently vice chairwoman of the Hackensack Meadowlands Development 
Commission.
  However, this is not the first award Eleanore has received. She has 
been honored by a number of groups, including the Bergen County Young 
Republicans, the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey 
Council of County Colleges, and Bergen Community College, to name a 
few.
  All of this has been done while pursuing an impressive business 
career and raising a family. A graduate of New York University with a 
bachelor's degree in education, Eleanore has been president of Anclote 
Estates since 1995 and of Steffens Reality Co. since 1984. She was 
previously with Cogenic Energy Systems Inc., the Fifth Avenue 
Collection Inc., and Sartex International Inc. Eleanore lives in 
Ridgewood. She has four children, Jim, Gale, Peter, and Debbie.
  I would like to take this occasion to bring attention to the 
achievements and service of this outstanding lady and add the 
recognition of my colleagues in this House for all she has done for her 
community and the Republican Party. Eleanore is truly one of the 
outstanding Republican women in our State and has been a leader in 
promoting Republican candidates and ideals and making us the majority 
party across the USA. She has been an inspiration for women seeking to 
become active in our electoral process. I thank her for her many 
contributions and wish her continued success in the future.

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