[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15758]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              LEAH VARNELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED PERLMUTTER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 28, 2012

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud 
Leah Varnell for her outstanding service to our community.
  In 2000, Leah Varnell was a leader in the creation of the Court 
Appointed Special Advocates of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties (CASA 
Jeffco/Gilpin). Its mission is to recruit, train and manage community 
advocates who act as officers of the court for the best interest of 
children that are abuse and neglect victims.
  Since its inception, Leah's success with CASA Jeffco/Gilpin has led 
to a 110% increase in revenue and 60% increase in staffing, which 
enables the program to serve more children. In addition, Leah's has 
been successful creating numerous partnerships with courts and human 
services to better utilize CASA volunteers.
  In 2010, Leah was selected as the Staff Person of the Year by the 
State Association of CASA programs in Colorado. She also serves on 
numerous boards including Rewired, Inc., Leadership Jefferson County 
Alumni Association, Jefferson County Good News Coalition, Jefferson 
County Best Practice Court Team, and the Emancipation Court Steering 
Committee.
  I extend my deepest congratulations to Leah Varnell for her well 
deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no 
doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her 
future accomplishments.

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