[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 135 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING ELAINE POMEROY McKELLAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 3, 2013

  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an 
extraordinary individual and former member of my staff, Mrs. Elaine 
Pomeroy McKellar. Elaine recently retired after an exceptional 46 year 
career dedicated to serving others, with the last 8 years serving on my 
staff. We join together in praise of her remarkable contributions to 
the Bay Area and our great nation.
  She was born Elaine Pomeroy on August 3, 1944 in Thomasville, 
Georgia, where parents were stationed during World War II. Following 
the war, she and her family moved to Valley City, North Dakota where 
she grew up with her three younger siblings Linda, Earl, and Glenn. She 
received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of 
North Dakota, and obtained her Masters in Social Work (MSW) at the 
Washington University in St. Louis.
  Armed with her MSW, Mrs. McKellar eagerly headed to the San Francisco 
Bay Area determined to work in the progressive political climate and 
change-oriented environment. She met her husband, Larry McKellar, while 
out on the front lines advocating for fair wages and walking a picket 
line for the United Farm Workers. They have one son, Dominic McKellar, 
who works with his father in the family-owned courier business.
  She started her career off in the 1970s at Catholic Social Services 
in San Francisco. She primarily worked on foster care services and with 
youth transitioning out of the foster care system. She later went to 
the Children's Home Society as the Coordinator of Emergency Foster Care 
Family and recruitment, a non-profit agency serving children and 
families through critical child welfare services.
  In the late 1980s, Mrs. McKellar's career took her to Bay View 
Hunters Point Foundation, where she helped to implement elementary 
school mental health programs with her experience and expertise in 
social welfare. Following her experience at the Bay View Hunters Point 
Foundation, Mrs. McKellar worked at the UCSF Medical Center at Mount 
Zion, through a Robert Wood Johnson grant, and provided critical mental 
health services to children victimized by domestic violence.
  Then in 2005, Mrs. McKellar came to work in my Oakland District 
Office. While initially starting as a part-time caseworker, she quickly 
rose to become the Senior Caseworker managing the casework services. 
She had spent the last 8 years providing outstanding constituent 
services to the residents of the 13th Congressional District. Mrs. 
McKellar's experience as a social worker was an asset to my office, as 
her institutional knowledge and expertise in social welfare easily 
allowed her to work closely with federal agencies and handle sensitive 
situations with the upmost professionalism and ease. She was committed 
to ensuring that my constituents received timely responses from 
agencies, frequently going above and beyond what was required of her.
  Mrs. McKellar worked closely with veterans and constituents with 
issues relating to Social Security and Medicare. Her many contributions 
to the office have not gone unnoticed. For 5 years, she was responsible 
for organizing An Artistic Discovery, an annual Congressional high 
school art competition aimed at encouraging students to express 
themselves through the arts. Mrs. McKellar worked tirelessly to build 
relationships with high school art teachers and community stakeholders, 
which helped to successfully grow the event. In 2012 and 2013, Mrs. 
McKellar worked closely with staff from Congresswoman Jackie Speier's 
office to host the Veterans' Fix-It Event, an event to address the 
backlog in veterans' claims and cases with the Oakland VA Regional 
Office.
  Elaine is an exemplary example of a public servant. She demonstrates 
the highest ethical standards and truly embodies the social work codes 
of ethics in all aspects of her life.
  On behalf of California's 13th Congressional District, Elaine Pomeroy 
McKellar, I salute you. Your more than 40 years of experience committed 
to serving others has been unparalleled. We thank you for your service, 
and best wishes to you and your loved ones in the years to come.