[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING MR. JOHN WINGATE GRIFFIN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 2003

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I 
congratulate Mr. John Wingate Griffin on his retirement from the 
Federal Government after 32 years of dedicated service to this great 
country. His career exemplifies selfless public service at its best and 
is a model for existing and future Federal employees. He retired at the 
end of May 2003.
  A fifth generation native Californian, Mr. Griffin was born on 
December 2, 1946. After graduating from high school in Ojai, 
California, he later continued his studies at Ventura College earning 
an Associate Degree in economics. He received his bachelor's degree of 
International Relations and Economics in June 1973 from California 
State University.
  Mr. Griffin served his country honorably in the military for over 3 
years with the United States Army. He continued his Federal career for 
an additional 28 plus years as an economist with the United States Army 
Corps of Engineers in Sacramento and San Francisco, California. When he 
retired from the Corps, he was serving as Chief of Civil Works Program 
Development for the South Pacific Division where he had been employed 
since September 1986. In addition to leading a staff of economists and 
program analysts, Mr. Griffin presided over the largest Corps' Civil 
Works General Investigations program covering all or part of ten of the 
Nation's largest States and was a special advisor to the Division 
Commander. He provided regional oversight to four district program 
development activities located in Sacramento, San Francisco and Los 
Angeles, California and Albuquerque, New Mexico. His knowledge of the 
General Investigations program, coupled with his analytical 
capabilities, placed him in a class by himself as a program expert. He 
maintained a personable attitude that contributed to overcoming 
numerous challenges and made even the most difficult tasks doable. As 
he is fond of saying, ``one can disagree without being disagreeable.'' 
His advice was always on the mark.
  Mr. Griffin will retire to his hometown of Auburn, California where 
he and his beloved wife, Daniela, had been active in their community 
for well over 30 years. Individually or together, they touched the 
lives of many in the community by serving on the planning commission, 
teaching in the public schools, contributing to fine dining experiences 
in Auburn through operation of their elegant restaurant, enjoying 
ballroom dancing, or helping others with expert mechanical advice on 
automobiles. They were the perfect couple and we express our deepest 
sorrow at Mr. Griffin's loss of Daniela earlier this year. We wish him 
a healthy, happy, and well-deserved retirement.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in congratulating Mr. John Wingate Griffin on his 
retirement as he concludes a successful Federal career. We thank him 
again for a job well done, and for his many contributions to the Corps, 
the Army, and the Nation.

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