[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 173 (Monday, October 5, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO MEL THOMPSON, GILDA LINTZ, KAY SHARP, AND CHAD TENPENNY

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President; I was first elected to the House of 
Representatives in 1980 and then the Senate in 1996. I have enjoyed the 
privilege of becoming the longest serving member of Congress in the 
history of the Sunflower State and representing Kansans in Washington, 
DC, for 40 years.
  It has been an amazing ride, a great partnership in government and 
many people have been a tremendous help to Franki and me. We want to 
say a heartfelt thank you to all the friends we have made along the 
way.
  My first boss in public service was a true gentleman from Concordia 
named Frank Carlson. Senator Carlson was the first person to hit the 
political trifecta and serve our State as Senator, Congressman, and 
Governor. The always modest Senator Carlson routinely said, ``There are 
no self-made men or women in public service; it is your friends, family 
and staff who make you what you are.''
  Through the years I have repeated Senator Carlson's words on many 
occasions, and I truly believe that Members of Congress are only as 
good as their staff. Well, I have been blessed because, for four 
decades, I believe that I have had the best staff both in Kansas and on 
Capitol Hill.
  While I could offer a long list of current and former aides who have 
truly made a difference for Kansas and America, there are three unique, 
humble, and accomplished individuals who deserve special recognition. 
Mel Thompson, Gilda Lintz, and Kay Sharp have all served quietly and 
effectively behind the scenes on my Kansas staff for nearly a quarter 
century.
  First, there is Mel Thompson who serves as my State agriculture 
representative. Actually, Mel and I first worked together on the 
Washington staff of First District Congressman Keith Sebelius in the 
late 1960s and early 1970s. Mel has taught me a lot about agriculture 
and even more about people. Nobody is better at listening to frustrated 
farmers and ranchers and few know more about the complex and often 
burdensome regulations offered by USDA and EPA. This incredible 
knowledge and Mel's neighborly presence led to well-deserved 
recognition by the Kansas Farm Bureau who honored Mel with a 
Distinguished Service to Agriculture award. Mel has been a strong 
advocate for me and, in fact, a brother.
  Next, there is Gilda Lintz who serves as the district director in my 
Topeka office. Gilda is what we call a casework specialist, serving as 
the court of last resort when communication has broken down between a 
Kansan and a government agency. Gilda has invested her heart and soul 
into assisting veterans to obtain service awards or unrealized 
benefits. Additionally, Gilda has led my service academy nomination 
board that meets each October to identify the best and brightest 
Kansans capable of graduating from our Nation's military academies and 
defending our Nation. I call her ``golden.'' Thank you, Gilda, for 
nurturing America's heroes. You are a true ``Kansas treasure.
  I also want to recognize Kay Sharp who serves as my State casework 
and outreach director. Kay joined my staff after a stint with Senator 
Nancy Kassebaum and has been a steady and dependable rock in the 
Overland Park office since 1997. Like Mel and Gilda, Kay is the 
foundation of Team Roberts. Kay leads my state casework effort and has 
helped countless Kansans obtain last minute passports, crucial IRS 
refund checks, and meaningful social security disability payments. More 
recently, like she did after 9-11, Kay worked after hours and late into 
the morning on weekends to ensure Americans were able to re-enter the 
country during COVID-related travel interruptions. Most of all, Kay is 
someone who I could count on for frank advice and counsel. She always 
gives you the unvarnished truth, and for that, I am grateful.
  Finally, I want to say a word about my longtime State director and 
now chief of staff, Chad Tenpenny. Chad has been out there riding 
shotgun, covering all 105 counties, with me since my early days in the 
Senate. We have covered almost every inch of the State, from the 
Cimarron National Grasslands in Morton County to the eastern border in 
Wyandotte County. The people of Kansas know and respect Chad and depend 
on him as a direct link to the Federal Government. His steady 
dependable leadership in the State has been a gift to me and to all 
Kansans over the years.
  As a proud U.S. Marine, where I learned that I could achieve more 
than I ever thought I really could, I am constantly urging my staff to 
``sprint to the finish line'' and ``take the Hill.'' Mel, Gilda, and 
Kay have done a lot of sprinting and climbing through the years. 
Together, we have made Kansas a better place, and for that, I am proud.
  Semper Fi.

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