[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E117-E118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF NICOLINA (NICKI) R. CARDWELL FOR HER DEDICATED CAREER 
                           OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2016

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of our own. 
On Friday, January 22, 2016, Ms. Nicolina (Nicki) Cardwell retired from 
my office after serving a combined seventeen years for the people of 
Missouri's Fifth Congressional District as a Community Affairs Liaison 
for eleven years in my Independence District Office and six years with 
my predecessor. Overall, Nicki dedicated four decades of public service 
to our community, as a teacher, county employee, and ultimately 
retiring from Congressional service, spending much of her career based 
in Eastern Jackson County, Missouri.
  Born May 7, 1947, to an Italian mother, Silva Piva, and a Kansan 
father, George Morris, Nicolina Rowena Maria Cardwell often reminds 
folks of her proud Italian heritage. After studying at Central Missouri 
State University and taking time to raise a beautiful family, Nicki 
returned to school. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City, she 
earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health, going on 
to teach in public and private schools in Independence, helping to 
shape future generations.
  Nicki has spent much of her adult life as a resident of Independence, 
Missouri, home to Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States. 
She is well known throughout the area, as she has been an active 
volunteer in the community and politically active for causes and 
individuals she supports. In 1988, Nicki joined the Jackson County 
Parks and Recreation Department, holding a variety of positions over 
the next ten years, including in the Speaker's Bureau, where she helped 
introduce thousands of individuals to Jackson County's programs, 
facilities, and parks. Among many other responsibilities, Nicki 
assisted with marketing, group events, and public relations while 
working for the County.
  In 1999, Nicki joined the staff of my predecessor, Congresswoman 
Karen McCarthy. While being considered for the position, some of her 
prior employers called her, ``the best we've ever had dealing with the 
public,'' and ``a hard worker--very good.'' As she assumed her new role 
as a caseworker, Nicki handled passports, immigration, and veterans 
issues among others impacting residents of Missouri's Fifth District. 
She was often the recipient of great praise from constituents she 
helped, including in one letter to the editor in which the constituent 
had faced repeated roadblocks before making his first call to a 
Congressional office. He wrote:
  ``. . . I called [the Congressional] office expecting another 
difficult process. Nicki Cardwell called me back within five minutes. 
She proceeded to treat me as if I were `family.' I know that she is 
very busy, but I felt like I was the only one on her agenda. She went 
beyond the call of duty and even met with me on a Saturday afternoon to 
complete the paperwork I needed . . . She made me feel very comfortable 
throughout the entire process. She took a lot of stress off my 
shoulders, and I would just like others to know how considerate and 
kind a government employee can be.''
  This type of praise was not uncommon for Nicki. Her personnel folder 
is full of thank you notes and emails referring to her as ``jumping 
right into the action'', ``could not have been more helpful'', and 
``beyond the call of duty.'' Her dedication to constituents led one 
individual to even refer to her positively as a ``bulldog'' and went on 
to say ``You're lucky to have such a person on your staff.''
  So it should come as no surprise, Mr. Speaker, that when I was first 
elected to Congress in November, 2004, I knew immediately who my first 
staff hire would be. The list of civic leaders and elected officials 
advocating that I hire Nicki was lengthy, but they did not need to 
convince me. I knew after our conversation that a more passionate and 
caring caseworker did not exist.
  Over the past eleven years, Nicki has helped thousands of 
constituents. She has worked primarily with our veterans and active 
military personnel, but does not hesitate to jump in to help whenever 
needed. She often would spend hours listening to constituents in person 
or on the telephone as they shared their struggles with her, pleased to 
find an empathetic listener. Her compassion for the men and women in 
uniform who have served and continue to serve our nation is 
unparalleled. She regularly attended Stand Downs, Veterans Day, and 
Memorial Day events with me, or on my behalf. She worked to honor 
veterans through helping to arrange special events for Vietnam 
veterans, Korean veterans, World War I veterans, World War II veterans, 
and Tuskegee Airmen, just to name a few. She created a Veterans 
Advisory Committee to help serve as a sounding board when important 
issues arose within the VA system or in proposed legislation. In 
addition, Nicki spent countless hours every year helping our young 
people going through the Academy nomination process, giving counsel and 
advice to those eager to join our prestigious military institutions.
  Given Nicki's background, she often assisted with many of our special 
projects as well. There have been too many projects to name them all, 
but the one that stands out is our annual Congressional Art Contest. 
Nicki's leadership helped shepherd record participation with nearly 200 
pieces of artwork from high school students around the Fifth District 
being submitted for consideration. She worked personally with 
principals and art teachers to encourage submissions to guarantee all 
parts of the District were well represented. She carefully handled and 
displayed each piece as if it were her own. She helped secure some of 
our community's strongest advocates for the arts to judge the students' 
submissions to ensure the winning artwork hanging in the Cannon Tunnel 
represented the best of our District. Students and teachers alike have 
come to rely on Nicki's friendship and expertise and they will surely 
miss her guidance, as will I.
  In addition to Nicki's primary role as a caseworker, she also 
regularly represented the office at meetings and events throughout the 
District. She was a regular at the Independence Chamber of Commerce, 
the Eastern Jackson County Betterment Council, the National World War I 
Museum and Memorial, the Truman Presidential Library and Museum, and 40 
Club to name but a few. She is as well

[[Page E118]]

known in our community as anyone and oftentimes when I would join her 
for an appearance at one of these events, individuals would approach me 
to share how much they appreciated Nicki's active participation and 
unequaled dedication to the people of our District.
  Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues in this Chamber know, we are regularly 
pulled in many directions as we try to represent the nearly 800,000 
constituents in our Districts. Oftentimes, it is our staff, serving 
behind the scenes, helping to ensure those constituents get prompt 
attention as they maneuver through the bureaucratic hurdles that 
regrettably get in the way. There is not a member of this esteemed body 
who wouldn't be proud to have Nicki Cardwell on their team, and her 
service has certainly been a blessing for me. She is a loyal, caring, 
and compassionate individual whose commitment to Missouri's Fifth 
District will be sorely missed. As she retires to spend more time with 
her family and loved ones, I encourage my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing her lifetime of dedication to our community and country and 
wishing her continued success. The people of Missouri's Fifth District, 
including me, are better off because of Ms. Nicolina R. Cardwell.

                          ____________________