[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23801]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO GILBERT LESSENCO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the distinguished 
career of Mr. Gilbert Lessenco and to congratulate him on his 
retirement. Mr. Lessenco has dedicated his half century of legal 
practice to not only his clients, but his community and his country.
  Mr. Lessenco's superior performance as a lawyer was recognized early 
in his career when he received the ``Outstanding Young Lawyer of the 
Year'' from the District of Columbia Bar in 1965. Mr. Lessenco has been 
in private practice for 50 years, but prior to that he served in the 
United States Air Force as chief, legal officer at Hanscom Air Force 
Base in Lexington, MA. He continues to serve his community to this day 
as a member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of 
Professional Studies in Business and Education, teaching marketing and 
business law. His commitment to his students was honored publicly when 
he received the ``Above and Beyond'' faculty award from the Department 
of Marketing. Mr. Lessenco earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 
1953 and his B.S. from the Johns Hopkins University in 1950.
  Mr. Lessenco has also had an active civic and political career. He 
has been an active supporter of the Democratic Party since 1958. From 
1970-74, Mr. Lessenco was a member of the Montgomery County Democratic 
Central Committee and has been engaged in Democratic Party politics 
ever since. He served as a commissioner of the Washington Suburban 
Sanitary Commission from 1987-92 and as its chairman from 1989-90. He 
has also served as chairman of the International Visitors Service 
Council, 1962, trustee for the Meridian House Foundation, 1970-80, 
president of the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County, 1980-
82, and president of the Jewish Social Service Agency of Greater 
Washington, 1984-86, and currently serves as the co-chairman for St. 
Luke's House Building Fund.
  Mr. Lessenco is also a dedicated husband, father and treasured 
mentor.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend my sincere congratulations to Gil Lessenco as 
he celebrates a distinguished career and lifetime of learning and 
serving our community. I ask my colleagues of the U.S. House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing the many accomplishments of 
this extraordinary man.

                          ____________________