[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12207-12208]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         RECOGNIZING BOB WILLIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2000

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a dear 
friend and public servant who is stepping down after nearly thirty 
years with the U.S. Forest Service. Bob Willis has spent his life 
dedicated to the protection and conservation of several of our 
country's national forests.
  Bob Willis began his career with the Forest Service in 1971 in the 
beautiful White River National Forest in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and 
in Monte Vista, Colorado in the magnificent Rio Grande National Forest. 
From there, Bill moved on to the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. Bob 
went on to ``Big Sky'' Country in 1976, with service in the Bitterroot 
and Lolo National Forests in Montana, and finally found a resting place 
in Rolla, Missouri in 1980 serving the Mark Twain National Forest.
  Bob is the longest serving Staff Officer that Mark Twain has ever 
had, serving 19 years.

[[Page 12208]]

Bob is married to Kris Swanson, also a Staff Officer on the Mark Twain 
National Forest. He has two daughters, Erin Willis, 22, Robin Wilson, 
24, and a son-in-law, Tommy Wilson. In addition, Bob has two step-sons, 
Thomas England, 16, and Daniel England, 13. When he is not caring for 
the Mark Twain, he and his daughters show, breed, and raise Tennessee 
Walking Horses. Bob's responsibilities with the Mark Twain included 
managing the technical services within the forest, including computer 
systems, telecommunications, minerals and geology, special uses, land 
acquisitions, and real estate management.
  In his retirement, Bob will remain committed to the outdoors with his 
favorite hobbies such as raising and caring for his horses, landscaping 
his new home, and playing tennis. He is moving on to serve as a 
consultant in Government Relations and Environmental Management.
  Bob's tenure with the Mark Twain covered the same amount of time that 
an Emerson has been in Congress and both Bill and I benefited by his 
work there. He helped us cut through the red-tape of government over 
the over again. Because of that help, we have been able to move 
projects forward that were, and are, beneficial to the people who live 
in the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri.
  His pleasant personality often made it possible for people with very 
different opinions to get together and work toward common goals. That 
consensus building helped to make sure that the multiple-use concept 
for our national forests prevailed in the Mark Twain. He clearly 
understands that the wise use of our natural resources is not only good 
for local economies and jobs, but also is necessary for the health of a 
vibrant, growing forest.
  We will miss Bob Willis. If more government employees were like him 
then the label ``bureaucrats'' would not fit! My office and I 
appreciate his years of service.

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