[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18295]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO KATIE ILG

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I come to the Senate today with mixed 
emotions. A very important, very trusted member of my staff--Katie 
Ilg--is leaving our office to embark on a host of new adventures in 
Chicago. While I am happy for her and proud of her as she begins this 
new chapter in her life, I am also sad to see her go. Katie has become 
a central figure in our office. As my executive assistant, she has been 
my right hand for the last year and a half. She has been my friend.
  I take a few minutes today to talk about Katie and the impact she has 
had on my office and me and to thank her for all she has done for us.
  Katie first came to us in April 2000, after graduating from John 
Carroll University near Cleveland. Her first job in my office was as a 
staff assistant, where she answered phones, dealt with flag requests, 
and gave tours of the Capitol. The thing that most impressed me about 
Katie was that she would always go the extra mile for Ohio 
constituents--or anyone who wandered into my office, for that matter. 
She would listen to them with great compassion and concern. She was 
patient and understanding and a great ambassador for my office.
  Of course, this is not surprising to anyone who knows Katie. The fact 
is that people are drawn to her. She endears herself to people. She is 
kind to people. She goes out of her way for others. She isn't showy or 
elaborate or judgmental. She just cares about people--constituents, 
colleagues, strangers. She reads people, and she worries about them.
  It is also not surprising that Katie moved up in my office quickly. 
By December 2000, she took a position as my personal assistant. Though, 
after a year and a half, she left our office briefly to work for JP 
Morgan, she came back in February 2003--this time as my executive 
assistant, a management position that put her in charge of my personal 
assistant and scheduler.
  Katie has thrived in this job. She is an excellent manager and role 
model. She works so hard and is so dedicated. She is always looking out 
for me--always taking care of me, always putting up with me--which, 
some would say is certainly not an easy thing to do. I've called her at 
all hours, and she's always there to help--always there with the same 
enthusiasm and good nature. Katie never complains, or makes excuses, or 
passes the buck to someone else. No job is ever too small--or too big.
  Indeed, Katie Ilg is a very special young woman. No one knows that 
better than the people Katie has worked with in my office. I'd like to 
share some of the words that my staff has used to describe Katie. I 
think they paint a very accurate picture of exactly who she is.
  Katie is ``thoughtful and thorough.'' She is ``sweet, bubbly, 
ebullient, compassionate, generous, warm, steady--a calming 
influence.''
  ``She is willing to do anything for others. She is always there for 
you when you need her--whether in a work environment or on a personal 
level. She is the person everyone goes to for support, a good job done, 
a laugh, a joke. . . . She keeps the office alive!''
  ``Katie is cute, perky, friendly, positive, upbeat.''
  And, no matter who you ask, there are four words that everyone uses 
to describe her:
  Katie is caring, selfless, genuine--and short! She makes me look 
tall! Though Katie is a tiny little thing in body, she is a giant in 
spirit. She is a powerful, positive force, who is smart, quick, and 
intuitive. She makes good decisions--good choices. She follows her 
heart and trusts her instincts. Above all else, Katie makes a 
difference each day--not in big splashy ways, necessarily, but in just 
a touch on the shoulder or through a kind word.
  Katie is a good person. And, there is goodness in everything that she 
does.
  As her dear friend Matt said, ``Whether comforting a family member in 
a time of loss or discomfort, counseling a friend through a difficult 
life challenge or affliction, celebrating a success with a co-worker or 
classmate, or orienting an old friend to a new city, Katie is always 
there with genuine and heartfelt words, actions, and deeds no matter 
the occasion and regardless of the other personal commitments she has 
at the time. . . . She has the ability to be a friend and confidant to 
all, whether you have known her for 8 years or 8 days.''
  In conclusion, I'd like to say a word to Katie's parents, Tim and 
Mimi Ilg. Thank you. Katie is solid in her values and beliefs. She is 
grounded. She is ethical. She has a great sense of right and wrong. 
And, she loves her family more than anything else in the world. She is 
a good daughter to you; granddaughter to Lois; sister to Julie; 
companion to that boy in Detroit, we know as Mert; and friend to 
countless others.
  Every once in a while, we are fortunate enough to have a Katie Ilg 
come into our lives. Without question, Katie has been one of the best 
things to happen to my office since I have been here in the Senate. 
While my wife, Fran, and I are sad to see her go, we know it is time 
for her to move on, as she has many more lives to touch and people to 
help.
  We know she will just be a phone call or an e-mail away. And, I'm 
sure we'll see her at a few OSU football games this fall. Nevertheless, 
we're going to miss you, Katie Ilg. God bless you, and thank you for 
everything. You are certainly one of a kind.

                          ____________________