[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S5950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. SUSAN S. KELLY

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, today I wish to pay special tribute to an 
exceptional Federal civil servant of the United States of America, Dr. 
Susan S. Kelly, the director of the Transition to Veterans Program 
Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness. Dr. Kelly is retiring from the Federal Government on 
September 30, 2016, after 33 years of distinguished service to our 
Nation. Many of us on Capitol Hill have enjoyed the opportunity to work 
with Dr. Kelly on a wide variety of defense issues and programs, and it 
is my privilege and honor to recognize her many accomplishments.
  Dr. Kelly has an extensive history of helping organizations 
successfully transform, and I want to focus on her exceptional work 
since she took over as the director of the Transition to Veterans 
Program Office in June 2012. She has been instrumental in the ambitious 
effort to revitalize the Department of Defense Transition Assistance 
Program, which ensures that servicemembers transitioning to civilian 
life are provided with the information and training needed to 
effectively pursue their civilian career goals. In implementing the 
sweeping redesign of the Transition Assistance Program, she has helped 
the military move away from viewing transition as an end-of-career 
activity, instead making postmilitary preparation a careerlong process 
that servicemembers plan for throughout their military life cycle. She 
has also helped to transform the Department's views on transition, 
emphasized the essential skills that make the all-volunteer force an 
attractive pathway to employment, and strengthened a talent pipeline 
that returns career-ready servicemembers to communities across America. 
It was the first redesign and comprehensive review of the Transition 
Assistance Program in the 20-plus years since it became law.
  At every turn, Dr. Kelly sought to ensure that the Transition 
Assistance Program is not only effective but also efficient. Dr. Kelly 
implemented a stronger oversight of program budgetary processes and 
sought to use smarter, more efficient processes in redesigning the 
Transition Assistance Program. Dr. Kelly has also led several changes 
to prevent unnecessary redundancy within the Department, including 
relying on existing assets for certified financial planners, 
educational counselors, and resiliency trainers. In addition to 
eliminating redundancies, this has fostered collaboration with other 
Department of Defense agencies and, for this work, was recognized in 
2015 as a finalist in the management excellence category for the Samuel 
J. Heyman Service to America Medal, which honors stars of the Federal 
Government's workforce.
  Dr. Kelly's work on behalf of the Transition to Veterans Program 
Office, the Department of Defense, and, most importantly, our Nation's 
servicemembers demonstrates her dedication to the cause of changing the 
culture within the Department to better help our Nation's veterans 
succeed. With Dr. Kelly's guidance, this dramatic and sweeping 
transformation of the Transition Assistance Program has been 
implemented throughout the Department of Defense, enabling the 
Department to ensure that today's veterans are better equipped than 
ever to handle an ever-changing labor market every bit as well as they 
were able to handle the ever-changing challenges of the battlefield.
  As Dr. Kelly concludes her 33-year career as a public servant and 
leader in a highly demanding department, she is to be recognized this 
day as a most distinguished American for her exemplary leadership, 
commitment, managerial talent, and vision.
  On behalf of the Congress and the United States of America, I thank 
Dr. Susan S. Kelly and her entire family for the commitment, 
sacrifices, and contributions they have made throughout her honorable 
service. Congratulations on completing an outstanding and successful 
career.

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