[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 124 (Tuesday, August 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MS. MARGIE MEARES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HEATH SHULER

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 16, 2011

  Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Margie Meares who 
dedicated her professional career to conserving our environment and 
improving energy efficiency. Few individuals have had as dramatic an 
impact on protecting our environment as Ms. Meares.
  After graduating from Duke University Ms. Meares took a job with the 
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources working 
to improve and protect the quality of our water. As a founding member 
of the Clean Air Community Trust, she worked tirelessly to improve the 
quality of our air. Her efforts helped lead to the passing of the 
state's Clean Smokestacks Act. Enacted in 2002, this Act requires North 
Carolina power companies to reduce their smog and haze-forming 
emissions by approximately three-fourths by 2012.
  Her service to our state was mirrored in her work on behalf of her 
local community, where she helped to found Evergreen Charter School and 
served on its Board of Directors. As an elected member of the Woodfin 
Water Board, she helped to protect the quality of local water 
resources. She was a founding member of the Community Energy Advisory 
Council in Asheville, where she worked to engage the community in 
shaping the programs and policies of its electric utilities.
  Ms. Meares focused on improving the energy efficiency of homes and 
buildings, both at home in North Carolina and across the country. She 
worked tirelessly to help develop North Carolina's new Energy 
Conservation Code, improving the minimum efficiency of buildings. She 
developed educational materials for building officials and spent three 
years conducting classes helping them to better understand and enforce 
the energy efficiency rules governing buildings.
  Nationally, Ms. Meares worked with building officials across the 
country to reduce the energy consumption of our buildings by at least 
30 percent. She also developed one of the nation's first programs to 
educate realtors about the value of energy efficient and 
environmentally friendly real estate.
  The quality of our nation's air and water has been improved due to 
the robust efforts of Ms. Meares. Her work to conserve and protect our 
environment and resources will have a long lasting impact. I ask my 
colleagues to join me today in recognizing the exceptional life of Ms. 
Margie Meares, whose work and service will not soon be forgotten.

                          ____________________