[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2689]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 2689]]

                 A TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF ROBERT G. MILES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2000

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Robert G. 
Miles on his appointment as the new president and chief executive 
officer of Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan, a statewide 
social service organization. Bob is a public servant in the truest 
sense of the term. As anyone who has ever met Bob knows, he is a man 
who has devoted his life to helping Michigan's children and families to 
improve their own lives.
  Since completing his distinguished academic career with an 
undergraduate degree from Concordia University and a Master of Science 
Degree in Exceptional Education from the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee, Bob has been integrally involved in the community around 
him. He is a peer reviewer and team leader for the National Council on 
Accreditation of Services to Children and Families, the largest 
accrediting body for this work in North America. He is chairman of the 
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's National Task Force on Children at 
Risk and Welfare Reform. He works closely with Bay City Public Schools, 
the Michigan Federation of Private Child and Family Agencies, and the 
Bay County Red Cross. In 1990, Bob was named Concordia University 
Alumnus of the Year. Additionally, he was appointed to the Michigan 
International Year of the Family Council by Governor Engler in 1994.
  Now, Bob has the opportunity to bring his enormous talents to lead an 
organization he has been with for nearly 15 years, one that has a 
history deserving of such an impressive leader. Last year, Lutheran 
Child and Family Service of Michigan celebrated its 100th year, and the 
organization is stronger than ever, employing more than 250 people, 
caring for more than 500 children each day, and providing innumerable 
additional services to families and individuals through its 18 service 
sites. In 1999 alone, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Michigan 
impacted more than 9,000 lives through counseling, foster care 
placements, and adoption, among its many other programs.
  Mr. Speaker, with countless statistics showing that Americans today 
are less involved in their communities than they once were, people like 
Bob Miles are among the most valuable resources our nation has to 
preserve the sanctity of our towns and neighborhoods. His contributions 
and efforts on behalf of Michigan's children and families are both 
legendary and tangible. They reflect the years of tireless commitment 
to preserving the vitality of the American family, and helping those 
who need it the most. Bob Miles has given selflessly of himself to 
better the lives of the people around him, and for that he deserves the 
highest of praise.
  Bob has given so much to his community through the years, but it 
could not have been possible without the love and support of his 
family--including his wife Mary and their three children, Stephanie, 
Paul, and Nathan. As he undertakes his new position, I ask all my 
colleagues to join me in offering congratulations to Robert Miles, and 
extending our best wishes for continued success.

                          ____________________