[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E128-E129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING JOHN LANDERS UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 1, 2005

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, for the past two years John 
Landers has served with utmost distinction as a professional staff 
member of our Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization.
  Anticipating an active agenda on Federal workforce issues and 
oversight when I assumed the Chairmanship of the Government Reform 
Committee in January of 2003, I requested the loan of a subject expert 
on civil service law and regulation from the Office of Personnel 
Management.
  The person selected by OPM for this assignment was John Landers. I 
expected John to be technically competent, but with over 30 years of 
experience in Federal personnel issues John brought with him an 
encyclopedic recall of pertinent statutes, regulations, court cases, 
and precedent that proved invaluable to our Committee's work.
  John began his career at the U.S. Civil Service Commission as a 
retirement claims examiner in 1972. He quickly progressed through the 
benefits programs to lead the Retirement Policy Division and eventually 
became a Senior Advisor. As a legislative and policy analyst, John 
wrote Government-wide regulations as well as legislative proposals on 
the retirement, health, and life insurance programs. Having learned 
these programs from the inside out, John took over OPM's Technical 
Analysis Branch in 1984 and the Retirement Policy Division in 1987, 
where he helped develop and implement the Government's new retirement 
system known as ``FERS.''
  In 1998, John became a Senior Advisor to OPM's Associate Director for 
Retirement and Insurance, and in 2001 became a Special Assistant to the 
Director of OPM. In these positions John assisted in shaping broad 
Federal

[[Page E129]]

workforce policy, including introduction of pre-tax benefits as a 
component of compensation, and personnel elements written into the 
legislation creating the new Department of Homeland Security. For his 
contributions John received the Director's Award for Excellence in 
October 2002.
  John retired from OPM in January 2003, but his newly won status was 
short-lived when he was approached by the Director as her choice to 
represent the agency with our Committee. I am very grateful that John 
placed his dedication to public service above his own well-earned 
interests by accepting the appointment. During the past two years his 
expertise contributed directly to our key initiatives including 
establishing the new National Security Personnel System for the 
Department of Defense, improving benefits for Federal employees and 
retirees, and providing diligent oversight of personnel management 
across the Government.
  On January 7 of this year, John completed his last day of service 
with the Committee and resumed his status as ``retired.'' I believe 
John really means it this time, and we promise not to further interrupt 
his plans. On behalf of our entire Committee, I express deep 
appreciation to John for his superb service to our Nation, and I wish 
him many happy and healthy years ahead to enjoy with his wife Rita and 
their family.

                          ____________________