[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S3948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MELISSA BONINE

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to recognize an excellent 
member of my staff, Melissa Bonine, who is moving on to a new 
challenge. For the past year, Melissa has coordinated daily operations 
in my office, helping to create order out of the chaos of my schedules.
  Having worked for Congressman Rick Boucher, Senator Jim Webb, and 
Secretary Castro at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
Melissa has many friends on Capitol Hill, and she was an immediate 
asset to my office. With a cool head under pressure and excellent 
diplomatic skills, Melissa has kept the trains running on time and put 
out the occasional fire. She has worked with the rest of my staff to 
manage priorities and coordinate each day efficiently while assisting 
in long-term planning.
  Our entire team will miss her counsel and sense of humor. I am sure 
she will make a tremendous impact on her next project, an exciting new 
advocacy group where she will continue to fight for progressive values. 
I hope her new job will also give her some more time with her husband, 
David, daughter, Penny, and cats, Rex and Willie Nelson, and I look 
forward to hearing about the extraordinary work she does next.

                          ____________________