[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 150 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JIM O'CONNOR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 28, 1999

  Mr. BLAGOJEVICH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a 
distinguished 1998-99 White House fellow--Jim O'Connor, a resident of 
my 5th Congressional District in Chicago.
  Mr. O'Connor is a management consultant at A.T. Kearney in Chicago. 
He received his Bachelor's Degree in Government and English, as well as 
his Juris Doctor, from Georgetown University. Additionally, he received 
an M.B.A from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at 
Northwestern University, where founded the Kellogg Corps, which sends 
teams of MBA students to developing communities around the world. Mr. 
O'Connor served as the first American volunteer teacher at a rural 
Catholic school in Lebowa, South Africa. He has also founded two 
organizations--the Field Associates, a group of young adults who 
promote Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History, and the Associates 
Board of the Big Shoulders Fund, which involves young adults in 
advisory and fundraising roles with needy Catholic schools in Chicago's 
inner city. Mr. O'Connor also finds time to participate on several 
boards, including the Guild Board of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the 
Chicago Community Trust Young Leader's Fund, and Georgetown 
University's Governing Board.
  Since 1965, the White House Fellowship Program has honored 
outstanding citizens who demonstrate excellence in community service, 
leadership, and professional achievements. It is the country's most 
prestigious fellowship for public service and leadership development. 
White House Fellows are chosen on the merit of remarkable achievement 
early in their career and the evidence of growth potential. Every year, 
500 to 800 applicants nationwide compete for 11 to 19 fellowships. Mr. 
O'Connor has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to public service 
with his involvement in many community-based organizations. His 
tireless efforts on behalf of the people of Chicago have earned him the 
honor of participating in this prestigious fellowship.
  As a White House Fellow for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Mr. 
O'Connor is responsible for assisting the Community Development 
Financial Institutions Fund in performance-measure development and 
planning, as well as assisting with a Congressional analysis regarding 
the Hedge Fund Industry. He also worked on a creation of BusinessLINC, 
a secretarial initiative created to enhance partnering between woman-
owned minority business and larger corporate entities. Other projects 
include an economic development initiative for Washington, D.C., and an 
analysis of the emerging trends in electronic commerce.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Jim O'Connor 
for a noteworthy record of community service and professional and 
academic excellence. The people of Chicago are the beneficiaries of Jim 
O'Connor's hard work and good citizenship.

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