[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 350]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE SERVICE AND RETIREMENT OF CHARLES E. COOKE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 4, 2007

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
service of a valued staff member--Charles E. Cooke--who retired this 
month from the House Science Committee. As a professional staffer on 
the Energy Subcommittee, Charlie's expertise on the issues of energy 
production, energy research and development, and energy conservation 
have been unmatched.
  Charlie has been working on energy issues since the 1960s, when he 
was a staffer for the Texas State Legislature. In the 1970s he moved to 
Washington to work with the Federal Power Commission. He represented 
Southern California Edison in its Washington office in the late 
seventies. From 1979 to 1985 he was a principal in a consulting firm 
that represented Texas interests in Washington and Austin.
  Charlie came to Capitol Hill in 1985, first as a legislative 
assistant to Rep. Ralph Hall (TX) and then as staff of the Committee on 
Science. In 1990, Charlie went back to work for Southern California 
Edison on energy restructuring, telecommunications, electric 
transportation, and tax issues. After leaving Edison, he joined the EOP 
Group, an energy and environmental consulting firm, and then returned 
to the Hill in 1998 to serve as Special Assistant to Congressman Hall, 
working on utility restructuring. Finally, in 2000 Charlie returned to 
the Science Committee as a professional staff member with 
responsibility for energy issues.
  Before switching to the political science field, Charlie began his 
early studies in electrical engineering, and his engineering training 
comes through, both in his approach to problems and in his passions: 
home improvement and landscape architecture. He has been an active 
volunteer in planning the House botanical gardens and on the Advisory 
Board of the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of 
Texas.
  Charlie's easygoing personality, issue expertise, and his talent for 
making great barbeque will be long remembered on this Committee. The 
Science Committee's Members and staff wish him well as he moves on to 
new endeavors and a relaxing retirement. Thank you, Charlie, for your 
many years of dedicated and loyal service.

                          ____________________