[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 12638-12639] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO THE LATE WALTER HIERSTEINER ______ HON. DENNIS MOORE of kansas in the house of representatives Thursday, May 14, 2009 Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my longtime, good friend, Walter Hiersteiner. He was an outstanding community leader in the Kansas City metropolitan area. A resident of Prairie Village, Kansas, Walt died on May 2nd at the age of 90, having lived a rich, full life that made a positive difference in the lives of his many friends and neighbors. Walt was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and attended the University of Iowa and Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the law review. After serving in the Navy in World War II, he moved to Kansas City to practice law and later joined Tension Envelope, where he became vice chairman of the board of directors. Walt's first love was his family, especially his wife, Jean, and his grandchildren, to whom he was unconditionally devoted. Walt was also devoted to his community. He was elected to the City Council of Fairway, Kansas. He served over 40 years on the Menorah Medical Center Board of Directors and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Truman Medical Center and the Truman Medical Center Foundation. He was active in the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Board of Directors of Move-Up, which was formerly the Kansas City Ad Hoc Group Against Crime. He was a founding member of the Main Street Coalition. His passions, after family and golf, were enhancing public school education for the children of Shawnee Mission and the State of Kansas. He was elected to the Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education. He was appointed by Governor Robert Docking to serve on the Kansas Board of Regents and became chairman of that board. In addition he was co-chairman of the Committee for Excellence of the Shawnee Mission Schools and served on the Board of Governors of Kansas University Law School and the Kansas Higher Education Loan Program. These activities earned him the Kansas City Spirit Award and the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation Patron Award for service and support of Johnson County Schools. He was named Johnson Countian of the Year. Walt and Jean established the Walter and Jean Hiersteiner Early Childhood Development Center at the Johnson County Community College. Walt is survived by Jean, his wife of 65 years; four children, Dick and Erica Hiersteiner of Boston, Massachusetts, Mary and David Ruedig of Concord, New Hampshire, Joe and Cathy Hiersteiner of Kansas City, and Dottie and Peter Oatman of Boulder, Colorado; nine grandchildren and his brother, Stanley of Des Moines, Iowa; his sister Shirley Feldman of Sleepy Hollow, New York, and several nieces and nephews. Madam Speaker, Walt Hiersteiner was a vitally important community leader and activist in the Third Congressional District of Kansas, as well as my personal friend for many years. I include with this tribute two press articles that detail some of his many accomplishments for our community; a 2002 column in the Kansas City Business Journal by former Kansas City Board of Trade President/CEO Michael Braude, and an article that the Kansas City Star carried upon Walt's death. Both detail the impact that Walt Hiersteiner had upon the Kansas City community, and explain why he will be sorely missed by all of us. [From the Kansas City Business Journal, Sept. 27, 2002] Local Executive Leaves His Mark on Health Care, Education (By Michael Braude) I am not bad at hyperbole--but hyperbole is impossible when it comes to the subject of today's column. ``Role model,'' ``pillar of our community,'' ``business leader with a true social conscience'' all fail to do justice to Walter Hiersteiner. His considerable accomplishments in the business world as a top executive at Tension Envelope Corp. are eclipsed only by his pivotal role in making our community a better place. His imprint on health and education in the heartland is indelible. John W. Bluford, CEO at Truman Medical Centers, said: ``Walter Hiersteiner has been a tremendous asset to Truman Medical Centers for a number of years and in a number of ways. In addition to his financial support, which has provided, among other gifts, scholarships for nurses, he has given moral support and advice to TMC through his formal roles as member of the TMC board of directors and TMC Charitable Foundation. But most of all, Walt has acted as conscience, sage, statesman and mentor. He is our 'go to' man, and when we go to him, he always delivers.'' At all levels of education, Walter has left his positive imprint. Marjorie Kaplan, superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District, told me recently: ``Walt is a truly fine person with many talents. He has a passion for learning and is an articulate spokesperson for providing a quality education for all children. He understands the connection between public schooling and quality of life. Ever interested and ever active, Walt has never lost his enthusiasm for supporting just causes and improving our community. ``A longtime supporter of our school district, Walt has served on the Shawnee Mission Board of Education and as chairperson [[Page 12639]] and member of numerous committees. With his sharp mind, his ability to analyze situations and solve problems, Walt has been an asset to Shawnee Mission for over 3o years.'' It was on school issues that I first met Walter, and I now have been privileged to call him friend for more than 3o years. Before unification, when I ran for the old Westwood View School Board, it was his sage counsel that enabled me to win the election. Now, more than three decades later, when I want to know what is really going on at any level of education in our area, I call Walt. Walt also calls me. Since I've been writing for The Business Journal, he never hesitates to call when he either agrees or disagrees with my point of view. Frankly, when the latter is the case, I always pause and ask myself: ``Was I wrong?'' This is simply because I have so much respect for his judgment and opinions. Walt's position on issues or candidates is never based on ideology or party affiliation but rather on what he believes is best for the people of Kansas City. That is precisely how it should be. Walter's longtime friend Paul Uhlmann Jr. captured the essence of the man when he said: ``Walter has had a major effect on life in greater Kansas City. His high offices held, in many diverse organizations, are proof of his ability and of his stature. However, his real work is, in my opinion, his ability to give moral leadership to the not-for-profit marketplace world and intellectual force to problem-solving. ``All the above with a soft voice, a mild and pleasant manner, a bow tie, a firm jaw and an unshakeable faith in our country and its ability to solve its, and maybe the world's, problems.'' A lengthy editorial in a recent edition of the Sunday New York Times decried the fact that the national mood of ``wanting to make the world a better place'' that was so pervasive after Sept. 11, 2001, has largely evaporated. Walter personified and daily lived that credo long before 9/11, and he will continue to do so for the rest of his life. It did not take a monumental national tragedy to light the spark of true community service in this extraordinary human being. As John Bluford, Marjorie Kaplan, Paul Uhlmann and I look objectively at Walter Hiersteiner, almost any adjective we use is not hyperbole; it is understatement. We are so fortunate to have him in our community. ____ [From the Kansas City Star, May 8, 2009] ``Mr. Shawnee Mission,'' Walter Hiersteiner, was ``voice of reason'' (By Jim Sullinger) The late 1960s could arguably be called the most challenging period in the history of the Shawnee Mission School District. The northeast Johnson County community faced a decision that was hotly debated at the time--school consolidation. The area's elementary schools were divided among 12 small school districts, and the Kansas Legislature was demanding that they consolidate with the Shawnee Mission district's high schools and junior highs. In the mid-1960s, voters defeated a consolidation effort by a large margin. That didn't stop the Legislature, however, from passing Senate Bill 58 in 1969 that required consolidation that year. Emotions were running high on the part of parents who faced the loss of their elementary districts. Into the fray stepped Walter Hiersteiner, elected to an at- large position on the Shawnee Mission School Board in April 1969. He worked tirelessly that year to convince skeptical parents that this was the right move and smoothed the way for the transition. Arzell Ball was school superintendent at the time and remembered Hiersteiner's contributions. ``He was a consensus builder,'' Ball said, ``He could motivate and direct others, and his communication skills were just excellent. And he had the respect of the community because he gave back to the community all the time.'' He was a calming presence during that difficult period and later when the district began closing schools. David Westbrook, the district's first communications director, said Hiersteiner was dedicated to public education and his voice will be missed. Hiersteiner, 90, died last weekend. ``He was critically important to the school district at a time the district was going through some trying times right after unification,'' Westbrook said. He said there was friction on the school board between moderates and newly elected conservatives. ``He was a voice of reason and stood for principle and was firm in his convictions, but that firmness was balanced by a humble open-mindedness,'' he said. Friends remembered that when a school was scheduled to be closed, Hiersteiner would consult influential contacts to come up with another use for the property that would make the closing a little more palatable for the surrounding neighborhoods. He served on the school board until 1973 and as president during his last two years on the board. During the 1980s, Hiersteiner was a founder and co-chairman of the Committee for Excellence in Shawnee Mission Schools, which is still operating today as the Committee for Excellence. He was a leader in efforts to pass several school bond issues and an advocate for more school dollars. He was appointed by former Gov. Robert F. Bennett to the Kansas Board of Regents and became chairman of that board. He also served on the Board of Governors of the Kansas University Law School and the Kansas Higher Education Loan Program. If anyone deserved the title ``Mr. Shawnee Mission,'' it was Hiersteiner, who was an executive at Tension Envelope Corporation for more than 60 years and a Harvard Law School graduate. ``He was without a doubt the finest advocate for public schools that we ever saw previously and maybe we ever will,'' said Larry Winn III, a current board member. ``He inspired a lot of people who came after him.'' Annabeth Surbaugh, chairwoman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, said she will remember Hiersteiner as ``Mr. Education.'' ``It's true that his primary focus was the Shawnee Mission School District, but his strong commitment to top-quality education wasn't limited by boundaries,'' she said. ``He truly believed it was our responsibility--as a community--to ensure that our children had the very best education possible, and he was a staunch advocate for that cause.'' ____________________