[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 1, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF KEITH MOSS FOR HIS SERVICE TO DURYEA, PENNSYLVANIA AS 
                                 MAYOR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 1, 2022

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, today I honor Duryea Mayor Keith Moss 
who retired from mayoral work in January after 20 years in office.
  Keith, the son of the late George and Arlene Moss, was born and 
raised in Duryea, Pennsylvania along with his nine siblings. His 
interest in public service began as a young Boy Scout, and, at the age 
of 20, he joined the Germania Hose Company as a volunteer firefighter. 
He served the organization as president, vice president, and trustee.
  Keith decided to run for Duryea council after his uncle, a councilman 
himself, suggested he would be a good fit for the job. In 1992, Keith 
ran for and was elected to Duryea Borough Council. During his time on 
the council, he worked closely with the Borough's police force, 
fostering a friendship with the late police chief Leonard Ash. It was 
Ash who first proposed the idea of running for mayor to Keith.
  In 2001, a hallmark year for both Keith personally--he married his 
wife, Patricia--and for the Borough--it celebrated its centennial--he 
won the mayoral election. He confidently took on the office's duties of 
overseeing the police department, crafting the Borough budget, breaking 
vote ties at council meetings, and managing the Borough's public 
relations. In September 2011, when rain from Hurricane Irene and 
Tropical Storm Lee flooded areas of Duryea, Keith helped his community 
work through the storm and its aftermath.
  During his tenure as mayor, Keith worked to strengthen the sense of 
community in Duryea, organizing the Borough's involvement in National 
Night Out to foster community-police camaraderie and the Borough's 
Halloween party. He worked diligently to grow the Borough's police 
force to four full-time officers. He also found great joy and 
fulfillment in performing weddings, marrying more than 500 couples 
during his time in office.
  Keith took great pride in his mayoral work and sought to share the 
wisdom he acquired on the job, and also to learn from others. He served 
as the chair of the Pennsylvania State Mayors Association's Mayor of 
the Year Committee. He also regularly worked with mayors from Pittston, 
Hughestown, West Pittston, and Old Forge.
  In addition to his work as mayor, Keith has also been employed by the 
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport as a maintenance 
firefighter. He additionally has served his community as the treasurer 
of the Duryea Lions Club, president of Duryea Borough Sewer Authority, 
vice president of the Greater Pittston Cultural Coalition, and the 
president of the Luzerne County National Recreation Trail, and he 
continues to volunteer with the Germania Hose Company. For his efforts, 
Keith was recognized by the Sunday Dispatch with the Joseph Saporito Jr 
Lifetime of Service Award.
  I am honored to join with the citizens of Duryea in honoring the two-
decade tenure of their beloved mayor. Keith has been a beacon of 
strength and stability for the Borough and has helped the community 
navigate a changing world. I wish Keith all the best as he begins this 
next phase of his life. May he continue to feel inspired to share his 
time and talents with his community.

                          ____________________