[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22961]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING 30 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE BY KENT KEYSER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2007

  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to 
recognize 30 years of public service by my Chief of Staff, Kent Keyser. 
Kent started as one of my first 2 summer interns in 1977. He then 
volunteered in my Huntington office for several weeks before I offered 
him a part time position, while he was attending Marshall University. 
He worked in Huntington doing constituent services, before becoming my 
District Representative and eventually my Federal Programs Coordinator. 
In December 1988 he came to Washington as my Chief of Staff. He 
continues to assist my constituents of the Third Congressional District 
with the highest caliber of service. His trustworthiness and 
dependability over the years have guided me and my staff through many 
challenges. Kent is well known for greeting members of my Washington 
staff with the question ``What have you done for West Virginia today?'' 
His loyalty to our State and my staff and me is obvious to everyone who 
knows him. One of the historical figures he most admires is Thomas 
Jefferson, whom he likes to quote, ``All things are changeable except 
the inalienable rights of man.'' And truly he is helping me work to 
change the Third District of West Virginia for the better. Kent is an 
asset to my staff, and also a personal friend. I want to publicly thank 
him for his service and tireless efforts on behalf of West Virginians. 
From Kenova, WV to the Nation's Capitol, while a long distance, he has 
never journeyed far from his upbringing near the banks of the Big Sandy 
and Ohio rivers. On behalf of the people in the great State of West 
Virginia we thank you for 3 decades of giving of your self to our State 
and Nation.

                          ____________________