[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO WALESKA MARTINEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 2, 2001

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my following statement 
be entered into the Record. It is with great sadness that I inform my 
colleagues of the loss of a committed public servant, Waleska Martinez. 
Waleska was a passenger on the United Airlines Flight 93 that was 
hijacked on September 11, 2001, and crashed outside Pittsburgh, PA.
  Waleska Martinez's career with the Census Bureau spanned 13 years 
during which she worked with strong commitments to excellence and 
innovation on all major Regional Office automation operations in 
support of the Current Survey programs, the Decennial Census, and 
Census Tests.
  She began her career in 1988 as a clerk in the New York Regional 
Census Center. Within a matter of months she was promoted to an 
Assistant Manager for Administration position and then to an 
Administrative Specialist position. During the 1990 Census, Ms. 
Martinez provided exemplary payroll/personnel support and other 
administrative support and guidance to all areas of the Regional Census 
Center and the District Offices. In addition, she developed specialized 
automation reports and spreadsheets that provided managers with 
valuable, easy-to-use information on the status of critical 
administrative activities.
  In 1991, upon the successful completion of her 1990 Census 
Administrative Specialist duties and responsibilities, Ms. Martinez was 
transferred to the New York Regional Office as a Special Survey 
Technician. On the basis of her considerable academic and technical 
background and experience in the areas of computer science and 
management information systems, Ms. Martinez was called upon to serve 
as the Regional Office Computer Specialist in early 1993. During the 
following years of major expansion in Regional Office automation and 
the introduction of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing for the 
major Current Survey programs, Ms. Martinez kept the New York Regional 
Office in the forefront of automation support, training, and 
performance.
  In 1998, Ms. Martinez was selected to serve as the Census 2000 
Automation Supervisor for the New York Region and was given full 
technical, operational and managerial responsibility for the entire 
range of automation hardware, software, and support including a complex 
telecommunications network for the Regional Census Center and the 39 
Census 2000 Local Census Offices.
  During her career with the Census Bureau, Ms. Martinez was the 
frequent recipient of performance awards and special act awards in 
recognition of her outstanding technical and managerial skills and 
innovative contributions in all areas of automation. She received the 
Bronze Medal Award, the highest honorary award granted by the Census 
Bureau in 1998.

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