[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING KRISTIN WELSH-SIMPSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 28, 2015

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of this great 
institution and those who serve and work here to acknowledge and 
express appreciation to one of our long-tenured House employees, 
Kristin Welsh-Simpson--a Senior Employee Assistance Counselor with the 
Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)--who is departing the 
House following her fifteen years of service in the Office of Employee 
Assistance (OEA).
  Kristin first came to the House in 1996 as a graduate student intern 
in the Office of Employee Assistance as part of her graduate studies at 
the National Catholic School of Social Services, at The Catholic 
University of America. Following the awarding of her Master's Degree in 
Social Work, she took a position in the private sector as an Employee 
Assistance Account Manager for an international EAP provider, and 
oversaw the employee assistance service contract for a large global 
health products company. Fortunately for the House, the CAO and OEA 
were able to permanently hire her in 2000 when she joined the Office of 
Employee Assistance as an Employee Assistance Counselor.
  Almost immediately, Kristin began applying her special case 
management and organizational skills in service to the Members and 
employees of the House, the Congressional Budget Office and the United 
States Capitol Police. She has worked diligently and tirelessly to 
assist managers and employees in addressing the myriad of personal 
challenges, mental health and addiction problems, and other behavioral 
and work-life balance issues that potentially impact the performance 
and productivity of our workforce. With barely a year of service under 
her belt, Kristin and her 0EA colleagues found themselves in the 
uncharted territory of assisting House Leadership, Members, Officers, 
and employees through the emotional turmoil and psychological recovery 
following September 11th and the anthrax crisis in October 2001. 
Specifically, she was part of both the OEA team's response to the 
emotional and psychological support needs of individual employees and 
work groups, and the CAO's larger communications effort managed by the 
(OEA. She served with the OEA as the critical informational link to the 
House workforce throughout the six weeks in which sections of the House 
campus were closed--keeping employees and families informed of the 
status of the remediation efforts and the staggered opening of offices 
as well as the availability of House services as sections of the House 
buildings were cleared for occupancy and resumption of operations. 
Unfortunately, with the realities of our world, these were not to be 
the only crises that Kristin and the employee assistance team would be 
called upon to assist us with and support us through. Kristin's skills 
and capabilities would be particularly helpful following the tragic 
shootings in Tucson in January 2011, beginning with her on-site support 
and assistance within hours of the incident.
  In addition to being on the front lines in providing the support and 
services of the Office of Employee Assistance team to the House, CBO 
and Capitol Police communities in the aftermath of some of the most 
troubling events of the past fifteen years, Kristin has established a 
reputation as a go-to person. Kristin has been sought out for her day-
to-day work in consulting with and coaching Members, managers and 
employees to assist them with the challenges presented when an 
employee's personal issues impact their performance or the 
effectiveness of the office. It is on this level that I personally 
became familiar with Kristin and her tremendous work ethic, insights 
and capabilities. She has worked with me and my staff for several 
years, helping to plan and facilitate our annual staff retreat and to 
incorporate some critical staff development into the process.
  Whether providing the OEA's critical assessment, referral and follow-
up services to an employee in crisis, consulting with a Member or Chief 
of Staff on strategies to effectively integrate communications and team 
development into an annual staff retreat, or conducting a training 
session for the general House workforce, Kristin has consistently 
brought compassion, competence, organizational insight, institutional 
sensitivity, and practical solutions to her work. It seems fitting that 
one of Kristin's major responsibilities in the Office of Employee 
Assistance this past year was serving as the office's Intern Field 
Placement Instructor for a graduate student from Catholic University--
somewhat bringing her career with the House full circle.
  As Kristin departs the House to assume the position of Employee 
Assistance Director for the United States Senate, I regret the House's 
loss but take comfort in knowing that the Congress will continue to 
benefit from her knowledge and experience. I join the Chief 
Administrative Officer, Ed Cassidy; the CAO's Acting Chief Human 
Resource Officer, Darnell Lee; and the entire OEA team--Bernard Beidel, 
Liz McBride-Chambers, Margot Hawkins-Green, and Paul Tewksbury--in 
thanking Kristin for her service to the Office of Employee Assistance 
and the House, and in wishing her well and much success as her employee 
assistance career takes her to new challenges and opportunities. As 
someone who has personally benefited from the assistance and support 
she has provided my staff and office, I am confident I speak for the 
many Members, employees and family members she has helped, assisted and 
supported over the past fifteen years. Well done and Godspeed, Kristin.

                          ____________________