[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11820-11821]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   A TRIBUTE TO THOMAS L. CONLAN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 7, 1999

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the achievements of a 
distinguished constituent and friend, Thomas L. Conlan, Jr. Tom is 
retiring as co-founder, President and CEO of Student Loan Funding 
Resources, Inc., which is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tom has 
helped to open the doors of college opportunity to hundreds of 
thousands of young people throughout Ohio and the nation during his 
nearly two decades of dedicated service in education.
  In so many areas of his life, Tom's commitment has been to access and 
opportunity. He has played an important role in the development of the 
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. A newly-
created Ohio foundation, named for his father, Thomas L. Conlan, made a 
leadership gift to support and advance the Freedom Center's educational 
programs for both students and educators. The grant funds will be used 
to help develop a curriculum for school children focusing on the 
Underground Railroad, as well as highlighting struggles for freedom 
across the globe.
  In the 1970s, prior to founding SLFR, Tom was Executive Director of 
the Ohio Energy Advisory Committee, where he led the development of the 
Ohio winter heating assistance program. He also authored the Federal 
Home Assistance Program Plan for Ohio, In this work Tom testified 
before Congress and the Ohio General Assembly on energy assistance for 
low-income citizens.
  His civic involvement over the years includes a founding membership 
in Ohio Concerned Citizens for the Arts; service on the City of 
Cincinnati's Energy Conservation Committee; the Ohio Department of 
Natural Resources Advisory Council to the Little Miami River; and co-
chairmanship of the first Little Miami River (Cleanup involving 4,000 
volunteers. In 1997, he chaired the Education Visioning Committee of 
the Greater Cincinnati Olympic Commission.
  Tom is Vice President of the Hamilton County Alcohol and Drug 
Addiction Services Board. He is a former trustee of the Queen City 
Foundation; the Greater Cincinnati Tall Stacks Commission; and the 
Catholic Big Brothers Association of Cincinnati.
  Tom is also devoted to his family--his wife and partner, Nan; his 
stepchildren, Kate and Matt; his granddaughter, Morgan Ann; his 
brother, John, John; five sisters, Gretta, Maureen, Mary Carol, Ginny 
and Chris; and his nieces and nephews. He also carries dear the memory 
of his parents.
  Nowhere has Tom been more directly responsible for improving the 
lives of people in need than in this stewardship of the education loan 
financing company, SLFR, that he co-founded. During his tenure, SLFR 
has provided funds and support services to more than 600,000 students. 
Tom has been a national leader in fashioning education loan policy to 
benefit America's students and their families.
  In 1993, he helped establish the Coalition for Student Loan Reform 
that has been a beacon for industry self-reform nationwide. He 
advocated the superiority of the Federal Family Education Loan Program 
(FFELP), a longstanding public-private partnership involving private 
funds, localized administration and loan guarantees from Washington.
  Under Tom's leadership, SLFR developed innovative education loan 
credit products in Ohio that represent affordable education financing 
options. The Supplemental Student Loan Program of Ohio, which provides 
low-cost loans for students and families whose financing needs exceed 
the amount of assistance available through federal and state financial 
aid programs, and the Jump Start Loan, which rewards borrowers with a 
sharply reduced interest rate, are examples of these options.

[[Page 11821]]

  Perhaps Tom's most important legacy will be the Thomas L. Conlan 
Education Foundation. The Foundation was established in June of 1998 
from the re-organization of the original Student Loan Funding 
Corporation, which was co-founded by Tom and his father in 1981. The 
Foundation helps many Ohioans obtain an affordable, high quality 
education.
  All of us in Cincinnati wish Tom well in his retirement. We expect 
his retirement years will reflect the same civic spirit that he has 
carried throughout his life.

                          ____________________