[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 99 (Monday, June 12, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING BARRY COOPER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 12, 2017

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Barry Cooper, 
who has dedicated 41 years to federal service. His work in the Federal 
Aviation Administration has ensured safer, more efficient travel for 
all Americans; and he is worthy of every recognition he has received.
  Barry is retiring as the Regional Administrator of the Great Lakes 
Region in Region and Property Operations in Des Plaines, Illinois. He 
began his career in federal service in 1976, working for 12 years as a 
civil engineer. Barry then became an Associate Program Manager in 1988 
of Airway Facilities, now Technical Operations. He continued to move up 
in the FAA; and with each position he took on, the word ``manager'' was 
a recurrence in his title. This is indicative of Barry's incredible 
leadership skills, showing a clear trust from his peers to grant Barry 
greater responsibility.
  Barry spearheaded the establishment of the Chicago Area Modernization 
Program Office in 2003. Nearly 15 years later, the office is still 
active. He created a team of people, each with diverse goals, and 
united them to build a coalition with the City of Chicago as operator 
of O'Hare International Airport. Through this office, Barry facilitated 
a process in which the City of Chicago, through a reimbursement 
process, paid salaries for the extra employees needed to meet a 
shortened deadline for the Environmental Impact Statement.
  It has been a pleasure to work with Barry for the last 10 plus years. 
My office and I have worked closely with the FAA on many issues 
regarding O'Hare Airport, mainly as it relates to the O'Hare 
Modernization Program. Barry was our ``go to'' expert with any 
questions we had and he was always responsive and easy to reach. Even 
if he was travelling, he would call me or my staff back as soon as he 
landed. Over the years, my office has requested several meetings or 
briefings on different matters and it was very easy to set up a meeting 
with Barry or his staff.
  Barry also had a way of taking complex technical matters and making 
them easy to understand. I recall attending the FAA workshops at 
William Howard Taft High School in 2015 regarding the 2015 Re-
Evaluation of the O'Hare Modernization Environmental Impact Statement. 
Barry walked around the auditorium with me explaining the different 
poster boards displayed around the room. Barry's knowledge was so vast 
and he was always so kind, with that infectious smile on his face. I 
will miss working with him.
  Please join me in recognizing all the contributions Barry Cooper has 
made over the last 41 years. I extend my best wishes to Barry as he 
enters this new stage in life and makes many more wonderful memories 
with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

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