[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       TRIBUTE TO JAMIE ROCHELLE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 5, 2001

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a woman of 
extraordinary ability, Jamie Rochelle, who this month ends an 
illustrious career at San Antonio's municipally-owned utility, City 
Public Service (CPS), and concludes her year-long service as chairman 
of the board for the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. She has 
proven herself not only a capable leader and chief executive, but also 
an important member of our community. Her efforts have made San Antonio 
a better place to work and live.
  Jamie Rochelle is a true success story. What began as a computer 
programming job at CPS started her on a 31-year path that led her to 
become in 1998 the first female general manager and chief executive 
officer at CPS, now the second largest municipally-owned utility in the 
United States with more than $6 billion in assets. What's best, her 
leadership has helped keep CPS rates among the very lowest in the 
country. During her time at CPS, she handled a large debt refinancing 
yielding $20 million in interest savings, streamlined company 
management, managed supply crises well, and struck beneficial deals 
that helped the company save money and improve service. These 
experiences made her a successful manager and an astute chief 
executive.
  CPS enjoys a diverse array of energy sources, protecting customers 
from market fluctuations and supply interruptions. Ms. Rochelle saw to 
it that CPS expanded its generating capacity while working to protect 
the environment. Last year, she took pride in bringing on-line a new 
state of the art gas-fired power plant. Under her leadership, the 
company was quick to respond last year to surging gas prices in an 
effort to soften the impact on the many vulnerable families it serves. 
Even in the absence of crisis, CPS a Project WARM fund to provide 
financial assistance to help needy families pay their utility bills.
  CPS also takes pride in the success of its small and disadvantaged 
business outreach program. This past year CPS received the coveted 
Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence from the United States Small 
Business Administration. Competing against 2,500 utilities nationwide, 
CPS won this honor for its proven record of reaching out to and 
including small business in its contracting operation. Similarly, CPS 
has proven to be a good corporate neighbor. Whether through its Share 
the Warmth program to provide warm clothes in the winter, or its 
Weatherization Program to better insulate older, inner city homes in 
the summer, CPS and its employees reach out with a helping hand.
  Jamie Rochelle has helped make CPS a pro-active leader in renewable 
energy research and development. In April 2000, CPS began to offer 
wind-generated electricity to its customers. With a financial 
investment, CPS supports solar energy projects in San Antonio. One 
project, in cooperation with Solar San Antonio, will assist local 
government in reducing energy consumption and researching the 
feasibility of renewable energy sources. One of its new service centers 
will become a working showcase in the possibilities of solar energy.
  Jamie Rochelle has worked closely with me and my staff on projects 
important to our community and the Nation. Among other things, she has 
supported our efforts to transform Brooks AFB into a more efficient 
entity, known as a city-base, by partnering with the Air Force and 
academia on innovative energy projects. CPS partners with the Southwest 
Research Institute, Brooks AFB, St. Philips College and DCH Technology, 
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a year-long fuel cell research 
project at Brooks AFB, to find ways to make fuel cell technology 
feasible for residential uses. CPS has supported the Brooks Energy and 
Sustainability Laboratory, an effort coordinated by the Texas 
Engineering Experimental Station of Texas A&M University to make energy 
consumption in buildings operate at peak efficiency, cutting waste and 
conserving valuable resources. Most recently, Ms. Rochelle signed off 
on a partnership with the Department of Energy to develop at Brooks AFB 
a building cooling and heating plant as a model for efficient energy 
generation and use.
  Jamie Rochelle is more than just a series of accomplishments, though 
she has had many and will likely have many more in the future. Quiet, 
confident and sure, she exemplifies good leadership. Knowing of the 
challenges facing not only CPS but San Antonio, she has provided a 
positive and inclusive vision for the company. She reaches out to 
others and has participated in numerous civic organizations, 
culminating in her past year as the head of the Greater Chamber. It has 
been my honor to work with her on behalf of the people of San Antonio.

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