[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 103 (Monday, June 14, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E635-E636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MS. MELA LOUISE NORMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 14, 2021

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my staff to 
recognize an essential, founding member of my team, Ms. Mela Louise 
Norman.

[[Page E636]]

  In her time serving as my chief of staff, Mela has been an invaluable 
partner. No matter the situation, my office has been able to rely on 
her strong leadership and fierce advocacy for getting the job done. She 
has been a consummate professional, ably navigating the various issues 
we've faced with grace and dignity.
  It's no exaggeration to say that our success over the past three 
years can be directly attributed to Mela's knack for finding talent. In 
fact, every single member that currently works on Team Slotkin in our 
D.C. office was interviewed and hired by Mela.
  Now, as Mela gets ready to embark on her next chapter as Secretary 
Lloyd Austin's deputy chief of staff, I wanted to take a moment to 
recognize her on the floor of the People's House with tributes from the 
team that she has led for the past three years.
  When asked to sum up the essence of Mela, most of my staff pointed to 
her strong work ethic and her ability to stay calm, cool and collected 
under pressure. They talked about her leading by example and seeing no 
job too large or too small. They also mention her deep compassion 
toward the people we serve and her thoughtful and skillful 
communication.
  Those who were with us at the very beginning remember the chaos of 
setting up our freshman congressional office. They recall a moment of 
endless opportunities and seemingly endless challenges, requiring 
patience, discipline, and immense attention to detail.
  As my staff will tell you, Mela dove into the role of chief--adding 
additional team members, implementing processes, and getting our office 
up and running in order to serve the folks who call Michigan's 8th 
district home.
  When staff needed decisive action without a moment's hesitation, they 
attest that Mela was always there to execute. When staff in the 
district office and the D.C. office needed to circle up and hash out a 
way forward, Mela was instrumental in facilitating the conversation. 
And when our partners back home needed a reliable partner in dealing 
with the office, they praised Mela for building relationships that 
still bear fruit to this day.
  For the younger members of my staff, particularly the younger women, 
they've learned from Mela by seeing her operate up close. On too many 
occasions to count, they saw her think, both on her feet and outside 
the box, in order to make the impossible seem possible. They mention 
her mentorship and professional development as instrumental in giving 
them the confidence to assert themselves in the workplace.
  My staff also appreciated Mela's unique ability to jump in--at any 
level--to help the team. In three years, she guided our team through an 
impeachment inquiry, public town halls to explain the decision, a war 
powers resolution drafted in the wee hours of the night, an 
insurrection and a second impeachment. Every member of the staff 
remembers how Mela was in the trenches with them during every one of 
these key events.
  When the COVID-19 pandemic turned congressional offices upside down 
last March, our office was able to nimbly adapt, thanks to Mela. One of 
our congressional fellows at the time appreciated how she spearheaded 
the transition from in-person work to telework in the span of a week, 
making sure that folks had the tools to do their jobs in order to avoid 
any drop-off in service to our constituents.
  Lastly, my team has appreciated the culture of respect and 
cooperation that is instilled in every new addition to the team. More 
than one staffer talked about her metaphor of our office being in a 
boat--with each member rowing as hard as they can in the same 
direction. With Mela at the helm, we've been able to accomplish this in 
spades.
  No tribute to Mela would be complete without mentioning her husband, 
Kurt. In the military, there is a tradition of honoring a retiring 
member's service as well as their family's sacrifice. To Kurt, who well 
understands this sentiment as an active duty service member in the U.S. 
Navy himself, I want to extend my deepest gratitude for his willingness 
to support Mela when we had an early morning prep session or a late 
night mark-up.
  Madam Speaker, to say that Mela Louise Norman will be missed is an 
enormous understatement. Her record speaks for itself.
  In the days and weeks ahead, I have no doubt that our team will be 
putting out the latest fire or handling the next crisis with the 
question: ``What would Mela do?''
  In the meantime, we wish her all the best as she returns to her old 
stomping grounds at the Pentagon. On behalf of a grateful district and 
a grateful team, I thank Mela.

                          ____________________