[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15883]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MARSHA KREUCHER

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, tomorrow night will be bittersweet in 
Jackson, MI; it is the night the Community Action Agency will bid a 
formal farewell to its leader and CEO, Marsha Kreucher. For nearly a 
quarter century, the Community Action Agency has been guided by a 
leader with vision and compassion. Her work has been squarely focused 
on making the lives of those in need better. She has gone about this 
work with humility and tenacity, ensuring that her work and the work of 
the agency she leads does its part to improve the lives of the 
countless people served by the Community Action Agency.
  The roots of poverty are complex and deep. Marsha's work, which takes 
a holistic and innovative approach to promoting self-sufficiency among 
at-risk and low-income residents, has sought to identify the issues 
associated with poverty and develop programs to alleviate them. Her 
efforts have reaped many rewards for the residents of Jackson, Lenawee, 
and Hillsdale counties and have improved their economic, social, and 
health conditions as a consequence.
  In the late 1980s, when she began working at the Community Action 
Agency, the agency administered about two dozen programs and had a 
budget of roughly $4 million. Nearly a quarter century later, the 
agency serves more than 27,000 residents annually through more than 80 
programs with a budget that averages around $20 million. This is 
impressive growth and a testament to the quality of service the agency 
provides and the talent of those leading the way.
  It doesn't take very long to observe the profound impact the 
Community Action Agency has had on this region in the last two decades. 
The Center for Healthy Beginnings was established and currently 
provides full health care services to more than 27,000 residents 
annually. The Partnership Park Downtown Neighborhood Project was formed 
to help revitalize and redevelop a 23-block area in Jackson, MI, 
through $15 million in investments. More than 1,000 children a year 
receive early childhood education opportunities through agency 
activities. And thousands of families receive free assistance filing 
their income tax returns each year. These are but a few examples of the 
good work of this impressive agency and a glimpse of the range of 
services they provide with Marsha Kreucher as a driving force.
  Marsha is not just an accomplished leader; she is also a willing 
mentor and tireless community servant. She sits on a number of 
nonprofit boards and works to bring various stakeholders together to 
seek out fresh ways to combat the issues related to poverty. She is 
always willing to lend an ear or to provide insight to others. Her 
vision and her ideas have helped spark innovation and creativity, 
planting the seeds for a brighter future.
  Marsha recently said to a local paper about her life after 
retirement, ``It's almost hard to comprehend the difference my life 
will have without it.'' I say to her today that it is hard to imagine 
how different the Jackson community would be without her vision, 
leadership, and hard work over the last two decades. She has worked 
tirelessly and fiercely to make a positive impact on the lives of those 
in need, and she has done so with grace and determination. I 
congratulate her on a job well done and wish her the best as she begins 
her next, exciting journey.

                          ____________________