[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 112 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5303-H5304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING RON AND DIANE WITHEM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two lifelong servants 
from the State of Nebraska, former Speaker of Legislature Ron Withem 
and his wife, Diane.
  Speaker Withem is retiring this month from 2 decades with the 
University of Nebraska, where he has served as the associate vice 
president for university affairs and the director of governmental 
relations.
  As we see the end of one's historic career, we are reminded of the 
positive impact one person can have on so many. Ron and Diane Withem 
have selflessly dedicated their lives to the State of Nebraska both in 
educating our youth as well as through the legislative process. The 
impact they have made on the entire State of Nebraska is evident all 
around us in Nebraska.
  The story of the Withems is one full of many accomplishments. After 
moving to Papillion, Ron and Diane both became respected teachers in 
our local school district. Prior to entering politics, Ron was a 
teacher of history. Diane spent nearly 4 decades teaching in the 
Papillion-LaVista schools and prepared many students for college and 
success, including my own chief of staff, Mark Dreiling.
  As leaders in our Democratic Party, Diane and Ron's political journey 
began in 1976, when they campaigned for Hess Dyas during the U.S. 
Senate primary. Later that year, they both worked for another former 
Second District Congressman, John Cavanagh, in the general election. 
Following Congressman Cavanagh's victory, Ron served as a congressional 
aide in his local office.
  By the 1980s, Ron was a member of the Papillion-LaVista School Board 
and was a member of the Papillion Planning Commission. When the 
legislative seat in District 14 became vacant in 1983, Ron was tapped 
by Governor Bob Kerry to serve out the term. And serve he did.
  Ron Withem dedicated 14 years of his life in our legislature, serving 
as the chairperson of the Urban Affairs Committee, the chairperson of 
the Education Committee, and the high mark being his election as the 
first Democratic speaker since 1970, which happened in a Republican-
majority body of our officially nonpartisan legislature.
  During that time, he rose to become one of the most well-respected 
voices in our unicameral, proudly working on issues that he was 
passionate about and that would have had a profound impact on our 
State.

  Some of his accomplishments are easily visible, such as the Harrison 
Street Interstate Exchange. Working alongside local elected officials 
and business leaders, Ron's strong advocacy paved the way for what is 
now one of our most vibrant areas in the district.
  A leader among leaders, Ron was instrumental in sponsoring and 
guiding many other important pieces of legislation into law. He 
negotiated the State's first major reform in K-12 educational funding, 
sponsored legislation granting tuition waivers for veterans' 
dependents, led efforts to improve accessibility and the transparency 
of our elections, and he worked to create Nebraska's first bone marrow 
drive system.
  Through his years in public office, he was well-respected by both his 
colleagues as well as his constituents. Ron was known for his uncanny 
ability to remember bill numbers, the year a bill was discussed, and 
even the most

[[Page H5304]]

minute details surrounding the debate. As his former aide, Michelle 
Waite, said: ``He might be a donkey, but Ron had the memory of an 
elephant for sure.'' He was considered a master legislative strategist 
who knew how to pull together a coalition from both parties to get the 
people's business done.
  After 14 years of serving in the legislature, Ron went to work for 
the University of Nebraska. During his tenure, he made a tremendous 
impact on our State by leading the university's legislative relations 
strategy. He also was the force behind the Building a Healthier 
Nebraska legislative initiative. The result of this initiative was a 
new cancer center, veterinary diagnostic center, and a health sciences 
center facility.
  Ron was one of the architects behind the compromise that transferred 
the Nebraska State fairgrounds to the University of Nebraska for the 
development of the Nebraska Innovation Campus. This public-private 
partnership leverages university research for economic benefit, all the 
while preserving some of the history of our State fairgrounds.
  His colleagues at the university talk about their tremendous respect 
for Ron. He was known for building quality relationships with others 
and his ability to meet daily challenges with positivity. Ron once 
said: ``My goal is to communicate to policymakers the enormous value 
the University of Nebraska brings to the State and its people.''
  His passion for the university and the success of Nebraska's youth 
motivated him to work in higher education State relations. His 
achievements in higher education State relations did not go unnoticed. 
At the Higher Education Government Relations Conference in 2013, Ron 
was awarded the Marvin D. ``Swede'' Johnson Achievement Award, a very 
prestigious national level award.
  As a fellow citizen of Papillion, I want to thank both Ron and Diane 
Withem for their positive impact that they have made serving our 
community and our State.

                          ____________________