[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MATT JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2003

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Matt 
Johnson, a young man who served Michigan's First Congressional District 
well for nearly 9 years, and has now become Michigan Governor Jennifer 
Granholm's Upper Peninsula Representative.
  Matt started working for me in May of 1994 as an intern while 
attending Northern Michigan University (NMU). Matt took on significant 
responsibility during his internship, working some extended hours and 
learning the ropes of how a congressional district office is run.
  After completing his degree in Public Administration at NMU, Matt 
assumed a full-time position in my Marquette district office as a 
congressional aide. Another staff member in my Marquette office at the 
time, Brian Schlientz, unfortunately took ill with a brain tumor and 
passed away several months later. I mention this, Mr. Speaker, because 
Matt's new role as a congressional aide fresh out of college was no 
doubt a difficult enough adjustment, but when compounded with the 
tragedy of losing his mentor, Matt faced significant challenges.
  After working as a congressional aide for nearly three years, Matt 
was promoted to the role of District Administrator when my District 
Administrator, Scott Schloegel, moved to Washington to become Chief of 
Staff. Matt was responsible for coordination and oversight of the staff 
in my six district offices. He also did outreach, grants, and special 
projects throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the pleasure of watching Matt Johnson grow 
from a fresh-faced college intern into a seasoned public servant. Along 
the way he has traveled tens of thousands of miles, held hundreds of 
meetings, assisted thousands of constituents, and learned volumes of 
information about federal--and now state--government. Matt has also 
taken time to settle down a bit with his wife, Cheri and their 1-year-
old daughter, Jacey, on their horse farm in Skandia. On their farm, 
Matt and Cheri host various horse events, including a charity fund 
raiser each year. As anyone in public service knows, one's spouse often 
sacrifices as much as the public servant does. I would be remiss in not 
thanking Cheri for sharing Matt with us and being understanding on 
those dozens of occasions when duty called Matt to drive several hours 
away to attend meetings, dinners, and other functions on my behalf.
  Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this opportunity to publicly recognize a 
dedicated former employee, a good friend, and a wonderful human being 
for his contributions to Michigan's First Congressional District.




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