[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO KELLY ERIN DECKER--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE 
                                  YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional 
District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Kelly Erin 
Decker of Kagel Canyon, a unique neighborhood of Los Angeles, 
California.
   After graduating from Princeton University with Bachelors of Arts 
degrees in Politics and in Visual Arts and Art History, Kelly pursued 
her love for the arts as a regional theater performer on the East 
Coast. With several years of theater experience under her belt, Kelly 
took a chance on herself for a future in film and television and 
embarked on a cross country journey that brought her to Los Angeles, 
where she enrolled at the Playhouse West School and Repertory Theater 
in North Hollywood. Ms. Decker has appeared in many stage performances, 
short films and movies, such as the Ghost of Christmas Past at the 
Sierra Madre Playhouse and as Michael Madsen's girlfriend in the movie 
Devil's Domain.
   In 2009, Ms. Decker and her husband, Jeffrey Leeson, became Kagel 
Canyon residents and quickly became involved in their community by 
joining the Kagel Canyon Civic Association. For the last several years, 
Kelly has served on the Kagel Canyon Civic Association Board, first as 
Vice President and since 2015 as its President. Her chief mission is to 
expand community involvement in the association and community 
engagement in issues affecting the foothills area at large. She works 
closely with local, county, state and federal offices to advance the 
concerns of Kagel Canyon residents. Kelly is an ardent preservationist 
of the last remaining rural and equestrian communities in Los Angeles 
and serves on the board of Save Angeles Forest for Everyone.
   A compassionate advocate for her Kagel Canyon community, Kelly's 
dedication to the residents is nothing short of extraordinary. As 
editor of The Hot Sheet, the Kagel Canyon monthly newsletter that is 
hand delivered to every home, she keeps residents informed about local 
issues. During the December 2017 Creek Fire, she quickly responded by 
serving as Kagel Canyon's unofficial community information officer, 
working day and night to provide residents with up-to-date information 
on the status of evacuations, organizations to reach out to for help 
and generally assisting with whatever was needed at the time. Ms. 
Decker's efforts did not cease after the fire was extinguished; and to 
this day, she continues to support and be an exceptional resource for 
all the residents of Kagel Canyon, but in particular for the sixteen 
Kagel Canyon families who lost their homes in the fire by organizing 
numerous fundraisers, coordinating efforts to collect food and clothing 
donations and providing resources to assist with the rebuilding 
process.
   I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well-
respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Kelly Erin 
Decker.

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