[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 153 (Thursday, September 22, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E972-E973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING STEPHANIE BAPTIST

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DARIN LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2022

  Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Stephanie Baptist, a 
district staff member of mine who runs and manages the Jacksonville 
office for the 18th District of Illinois.
  Since coming to Congress, my office has prided itself on providing 
top-notch constituent services with four offices in our 19-county 
district. We all know this would not be possible without great staff in 
our districts, helping constituents with casework and being the front 
line of communication with our communities while we are here in 
Washington, D.C.
  For the 18th District of Illinois, which includes many rural areas in 
central and west central Illinois, this is extremely important with 
long distances between towns and cities. In Stephanie's case, she 
manages our Jacksonville office by herself. Stephanie joined the office 
several years back, replacing Barb Baker, a longtime community advocate 
and a staff member who sadly passed away. To say Stephanie had big 
shoes to fill after Barb would be an understatement; however, she 
filled them incredibly well.
  Stephanie served with professionalism and an unmatched dedication to 
the community, particularly during the extraordinary times that we have 
faced over the past two and a half years during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Stephanie served as the point person for our office on IRS casework and 
SBA issues over the last several years, which was not easy given the 
challenges our communities faced. Throughout it all, Stephanie handled 
her work with grace, compassion, and resilience.
  Sadly, because of our redistricting in Illinois, our Congressional 
District will no longer have Jacksonville and our office downtown.

[[Page E973]]

  While we could not be happier for Stephanie as she embarks on a new 
and exciting opportunity, she will be missed dearly by our office. I 
want to thank Stephanie for all the hard work on behalf of constituents 
in 18th Congressional District. It has been greatly appreciated. 
Stephanie will always be a part of Team LaHood, and most importantly, a 
friend.

                          ____________________