[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 77 (Friday, May 5, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CELEBRATION OF BERT BERKLEY'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

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                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 5, 2023

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor Mr. 
Bert Berkley for his decades of service to Missouri's Fifth 
Congressional District and to congratulate him on his most recent 
milestone: his 100th birthday. A fine example of what it means to 
dedicate your life to service. Bert spent his career finding ways to 
improve quality of life within his community and beyond.
  Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Bert grew up surrounded by 
the entrepreneurial spirit epitomized by his family, which founded 
Tension Envelope, now known as Tension Corporation. The Kansas City-
based company, which initially specialized in advertising novelties and 
business stationery, was established in 1886 under the direction of 
William Berkowitz and Maurice Berkowitz--Bert's grandfather and great 
uncle, respectively.
  Bert was passionate about the family-owned business early in his 
career, preparing himself for future responsibilities by studying 
economics at Duke University. With World War II underway, Bert was 
deployed to the Philippines where he worked as a quartermaster, 
managing valuable equipment and supplies. After three and a half years, 
he was able to leave a day early if he signed up for the Army Reserves, 
which he did. On his return home, Bert fell in love and married his 
life-time partner and mother of his children, Joan, in 1948. Bert went 
on to obtain a Master's in Business Administration from Harvard 
Business School in 1950 and was starting what would become a successful 
career when he was sent to active duty once again to serve in the 
Korean War. During these 17 months of service, Lieutenant Berkley led 
an infantry platoon and came close to losing his life in combat, an 
experience that would change his life forever. As a result of the 
hardships he endured in Korea, Bert made a promise that if he made it 
out of the war alive, he would dedicate his life to serving others and 
giving back to the community.
  As life would have it, Bert returned to his family untouched and with 
a desire to transform his community for generations to come. Named the 
new president and CEO of the Tension Corporation in 1962, Bert helped 
transform the business into the empire it is today, expanding its 
horizons across the globe. By evolving along with the industry 
throughout his 27 years of service as CEO, Tension Corporation 
continues to be one of the most successful envelope makers in the 
world. Still, Ben's success and dedication go beyond his 
entrepreneurial endeavors. Indeed. it is his selflessness in serving 
the Kansas City community in order to find new ways to create positive 
change that truly makes Bert so special.
  As an avid advocate of mail exchange, Bert served as the immediate 
past chairman of the Global Exchange Alliance, an international 
organization that focuses on the quality of global mail exchange. In 
this role, he visited various countries such as China, Taiwan, and 
Thailand to speak to postal service leaders to learn more about mail 
systems around the world and how they could be improved. Thanks to his 
exceptional leadership skills, Bert was able to lead many Kansas City 
organizations including the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as 
chairman, and the Kansas City Civic Council.
  Bert recognized the importance of providing equitable access to 
education and social services to children and families and made it his 
mission to be involved in whatever capacity to ensure he could help 
create positive outcomes for families in Kansas City. As a result, to 
his passion for education and bettering his community, he served as a 
board member of the Institute for Educational Leadership, based in 
Washington, D.C., which is a hands-on think-tank on K-12 education. 
Additionally, Bert was a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the 
Harvard Graduate School of Education, a member of the Smithsonian 
National Postal Museum Advisory Council, and a board member of Turn the 
Page KC, an organization focusing on achieving grade level reading by 
third grade. Most notably, his creation of the Local Investment 
Commission (LINC) in Kansas City speared a national movement in social 
services and public-private partnerships that put children and families 
at the forefront.
  Bert envisioned the impact state localized resources could have on 
Missouri's families if they could land in right hands. After a 
roundtable meeting with Gary Strangler, the Department of Social 
Services director in 1989, Bert sought ways to improve the capacity of 
state departments while using their resources to fulfill the needs of 
communities. LINC's innovative ideas helped shape the welfare-to-work 
programs we see today and provided a breakthrough on how to use grant 
funds and state resources to invest back into local communities. The 
program was so successful that President Clinton even pointed to LINC 
as an inspiration for his efforts toward expanding welfare programs 
across the nation. The program grew to offer before and after school 
programming for Kansas City Public Schools and other districts, 
providing care for children of working families. His positive influence 
on generations upon generations is a testament to his compassion and 
desire to help others.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me and Missouri's Fifth Congressional 
District as we forever enshrine our gratitude for the work of Bert 
Berkley and as we wish him the happiest of birthdays. Bert continues to 
be a local hero, a symbol of kindness, a considerate friend and 
companion, and a wonderful father, but most importantly, he is a 
kindhearted human being. On this special occasion, let us honor the 
legacy that Bert Berkley has given us throughout his distinguished 
career.

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