[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E48]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNITION OF JANE HEALY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2002

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Jane Healy 
for her many years of public service and the contributions she has made 
to so many people in Colorado. On February 1, 2002, she will be 
celebrating her 70th birthday. Many of those 70 years have been 
involved in public service. I wanted to take this opportunity not only 
to wish her a most happy birthday, but also to highlight her 
outstanding career and accomplishments.
  Upon my election to the 2nd Congressional District in 1998, I was 
fortunate to have Jane join my staff as the Director of Constituent 
Services. I was very appreciative because I had learned of her many 
years of constituent service work for my predecessor, David Skaggs, as 
well as similar work for other Colorado elected officials including 
Senator Gary Hart and State Treasurer Gail Schoettler.
  Jane's work in these offices earned her a reputation as a caring and 
extremely effective advocate for individual Coloradans with state and 
federal agencies. She had developed great expertise in relevant agency 
rules and procedures and had earned the respect of agency personnel. As 
a result, she could provide simple, direct advice and was especially 
helpful to many people who would have been frustrated and confused 
without her assistance.
  Nowhere was this expertise more pronounced than in the complex area 
of immigration matters and the extensive process of selecting nominees 
for appointment to the service academies.
  On immigration matters, Jane became the ``dean'' of the Colorado 
delegation staff--particularly on issues related to visas and the 
status of foreign nationals lining and working in the United States. 
Oftentimes, when an issue was too complex for other offices to handle, 
she would be asked advice on how to proceed. On the service academy 
selection process, she was especially adroit at making this potentially 
stressful and unmanageable system of selecting nominees to our armed 
service academies a smoothly functioning and enjoyable experience, 
while always underscoring the honorable nature of the effort and 
treating it with the highest respect and decorum.
  When she joined my staff, she helped set the standard of excellence 
for casework service. She helped train novice staff members in the art 
of casework service and correspondence. Her knowledge and expertise has 
served my office well--but more importantly, it has helped countless 
numbers of people over the years. It is estimated that over the course 
of her career, she directly helped resolve over 20,000 cases on an 
impressive array of issues.
  Jane's dedication was unequaled. Coworkers would notice that she 
would frequently leave the office at the end of the day with bags of 
casework papers on which she continued working at home. My staff and I 
deeply miss her talents in calligraphy, here editing skills, her love 
of Ireland, and her chocolate raspberry pies.
  On a personal note, Jane also worked as the Colorado State 
Coordinator for my father's presidential campaign in 1976. She proudly 
displayed in her office a photo taken during that campaign showing her 
with my dad.
  She also has been involved in many other community activities, such 
as serving on the Board of North Metro Community services, which 
provides needed services to disabled citizens in the northern portions 
of the Denver-metro area. To serve so broadly, so successfully, and 
with such grace, heart, and spirit is deserving of recognition.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in expressing 
ourgratitude to Jane Healy for her exemplary public service to the 
people of Colorado and their elected officials. Her many 
accomplishments go beyond reckoning, and I wish her good health and 
happiness in the future.

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