[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 97 (Thursday, June 12, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE SERVICE OF MARIE McELLIGOTT TO THE COMMUNITY OF GUAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2008

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Ms. 
Marie O. McElligott, for her outstanding service to the community of 
Guam, and her countless contributions to its people. As an active 
member of our island community, Marie has been a great leader in both 
her volunteer and public service capacities.
  Marie has served our country for 26 years as an officer in the U.S. 
Navy in various capacities including communications officer, 
administrative officer, commanding officer for personnel support and 
director of family service centers and at many different ports, in Long 
Beach, California; London, England; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Naples, 
Italy. From 1981 through 1983, Marie led the coordination of a Navy 
logistics support and mobilization plan, which was used during 
Operation Desert Storm. During the latter part of her career serving as 
director of Navy Family Centers in Bangor, Washington and Guam, Marie 
was instrumental in developing a violence protection program for the 
submarine community, training programs for the prevention of sexual 
harassment, and an affirmative action plan. In the Guam Navy Family 
Center, Marie led military and civilian personnel in providing 
counseling and other family services for as many as 15,000 military 
personnel and their dependents. While on Guam Marie became an active 
member of the community off base, and served the community for many 
years in various government and private non-profit organizations. Marie 
was the Navy ex-officio member of the then Territorial Board of 
Education, the cochairman of the ``Just Say No Task Force,'' a member 
of the Mental Health Five-Year Planning Committee on Aging, a member of 
the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross Board of Directors, and the 
executive director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
  After retiring from the Navy in 1991, Marie returned to Guam as a 
civilian, and making our island her home. Since then, she has dedicated 
herself to the people of Guam in both government and community 
organizations. For 13 years she worked as the administrator of client 
services and family counseling for the Superior Court of Guam. Under 
her guidance, a law to create policies for diversion and family 
violence prevention was passed. She also chaired the committee that 
created guidelines for Guam's only family visitation center. Her 
efforts have been recognized through numerous awards and accolades, 
including an induction into the Ancient Order of the Chamorri--the 
highest honor bestowed upon non-native residents of Guam; resolutions 
of commendation from the Guam Territorial Board of Education; 
Legislative Resolutions from the Twentieth, Twenty-Sixth and Twenty-
Eighth Guam Legislatures; and a Resolution of Commendation from the 
Judiciary of Guam.
  For the last 3 years, Marie worked as the director of Guam's 
Lighthouse Recovery Center under the Salvation Army, managing a staff 
of 10 to provide food and shelter to the homeless and counseling and 
rehabilitation to those suffering from drug addiction on Guam. Her work 
has resulted in the implementation of a quarterly ``clean and sober'' 
event for Lighthouse Recovery Center residents, members of Alcoholics 
Anonymous, and supportive Aftercare clients. She has also been 
instrumental in growing the financial base for the Lighthouse Recovery 
Center with military chapels and non-profit organizations.
  Marie's knowledge and expertise has been a significant contribution 
to the operations of Guam's community service organizations. Over the 
years she has served as president and vice chair of the Guam Women's 
Club, and has also been an active member and chairperson of the Guam 
American Cancer Society, Guam American Red Cross, and the Guam 
Humanities Council, amongst many others. To date, Marie has given over 
10 years of her personal time and commitment to advancing the issues 
and objectives of local non-profit organizations.
  Marie has been a part of our community for over 20 years and our 
island will be saddened by her departure, we will remain forever 
grateful for the service she has given to Guam. On behalf of the people 
of Guam, I extend our sincere appreciation to Marie O. McElligott for 
her service to our Nation and to our community. We wish her the best as 
she embarks on a new journey in life.

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