[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 18 (Friday, January 28, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E70]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE STERLING CAREER AND SERVICE OF CATHY IINO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 28, 2022

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the tenure of a 
distinguished public servant in my district, Cathy Iino, of 
Killingworth, Connecticut. As First Selectwoman for the Town of 
Killingworth, Cathy chose to not seek re-election in 2021, marking a 
capstone to almost 20 years in service to her local community. Leading 
a tight-knit community of more than 6,300 residents, Cathy has 
consistently gone above and beyond in working with her constituency to 
promote the advancement of Killingworth while preserving its small-town 
charm. Her approach to leadership--a prime representation of eastern 
Connecticut values--stressed the importance of cooperation, respect, 
and humility.
  Cathy studied Humanities at the University of Chicago, graduating in 
1973. After having already moved to the nearby city of New Haven, Cathy 
and her husband, Paul, were in search of a place to call home, moving 
to Killingworth in 1996. While working as both a writer and editor, 
Cathy continually came across new opportunities for her community to 
grow, prompting her to depart from her line of work and enter the world 
of politics. First serving on the Board of Finance, then she found 
success in 2007 winning her bid to serve on the Board of Selectman--the 
first woman since 1993 to sit on the Board. In 2009, she elevated her 
leadership in the town when she was elected First Selectwoman.
  During her tenure as First Selectwoman, Cathy prioritized being 
present and available for her residents. In 2015, for example, Cathy 
implemented ``Coffee with the First Selectwoman,'' to increase 
transparency and citizen participation in their town government. She 
would make herself routinely available for residents to talk to, 
whether it was outside town hall or at a local business. Though there 
are countless examples that demonstrate Cathy's guiding philosophy of 
bottom-up governing, perhaps the most successful was her ability to 
seek out and nurture volunteers to push forward the issues that 
mattered to them.
  Cathy truly appreciated the difference that volunteers make in small-
town communities, embodying the spirit of volunteerism through her 
unwavering support of resident leaders. Being a smaller town, 
Killingworth has always had to put its resources to good use and has 
been best suited to rely on the voices of many rather than one. 
Frequently, Cathy encouraged residents to advocate for projects that 
they were passionate about, at which point she would lend her support 
and experience. This style of leadership is one of many traits that 
defined her time as First Selectwoman, and it reaped great rewards. One 
notable result of her support of volunteers is the restoration of 
Parmelee Farm, a historical site in Killingworth which had long been in 
a state of disrepair. Purely through volunteer efforts aided by Cathy's 
guiding hand, the farm has since become a vibrant area that connects 
the community together by way of recreation, education, preservation, 
and the arts.
  During her time in office, Cathy was paramount to addressing the 
quality of Killingworth's capital assets--most notably of which would 
be the town's surface infrastructure. Under her leadership, a two-year 
study was conducted on Killingworth's roads, and the most deficient in 
town have since been rehabilitated.
  Madam Speaker, as the congressman who represents Killingworth, I had 
a chance to observe up close Cathy's fine work, whether it was dealing 
with natural disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy or the Covid pandemic 
and she always performed superbly. She was extremely knowledgeable 
about the interaction of local, state, and federal programs which was 
invaluable to her town.
  Madam Speaker, it is an incredible honor to represent and work with 
constituents as industrious and progress-oriented as Cathy Iino. 
Throughout her 12 years in service, Cathy has capably understood that 
leadership is about visualizing the connections that may exist within 
one's own community and then uplifting those connections in order to 
amplify the heartbeat of the town. Cathy is dedicating her well-
deserved retirement to her family--her husband, two daughters, and one 
granddaughter. Even upon entering retirement, Cathy has remained 
civically minded, thinking about those issues which both our nation and 
the State of Connecticut face. Her diligent professionalism, caring 
nature, and honest, down-to-earth style of leadership will be 
impossible to replace, so we must find gratitude in that her impact on 
Killingworth will certainly last for generations to come. To these 
ends, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring Cathy 
Iino, a steward to her community and model citizen.

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