[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17861]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DENISE NOOE

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today, I wish to honor my long-time 
staff member, Denise Nooe, on the occasion of her retirement.
  Denise has been a part of my team for 30 years. She began working for 
me in 1983 as a constituent services representative when I was 
representing Maryland's Third District in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and she was a key part of my team when I transitioned 
from the House to the Senate. Denise has been the outstanding director 
of my Annapolis office since 1987.
  Denise and I have similar backgrounds. We both believe in the power 
of community organizing to make a difference. We believe the best ideas 
come from the people. We both have master's degrees in social work, and 
believe in the importance of helping individuals and serving our 
communities. We believe that the people have a right to know, to be 
heard and to be represented.
  Throughout her career, Denise has strived to make a difference in 
people's lives. She has utilized her social work skills every day in 
understanding how she can best serve the people of Maryland, and help 
them to the best of her ability. As a caseworker, she has helped 
thousands of veterans and military personnel negotiate the labyrinth of 
the Federal bureaucracy. She has brought solace to families when their 
loved one has died in the line of duty. She has made sure that the 
brave soldier who died for his Nation could be buried at Arlington. She 
was vigilant in getting the widow and children the benefits that the 
servicemember earned for them.
  Our wounded warriors could always come to her with a problem and be 
confident that it would be managed for them. She has represented me on 
hundreds of occasions on Veterans Day and Memorial Day and any day that 
veterans and our brave military needed me. She has also been the link 
to my Veterans Advisory Board and the Governor's Commission on 
Veterans.
  Denise also represents me throughout Maryland, most especially in 
Anne Arundel County. She was instrumental in the creation of the BWI 
partnership and the Fort Meade Alliance. State and local officials in 
Anne Arundel County know she is my catcher's mitt. Actually they think 
she is the Senator, because we are both short in height. But Denise is 
also tall in stature among her colleagues, for certainly she has no 
peer.
  Denise has recently been in a key advocacy role assisting me in my 
efforts to reduce the horrific backlog of Veteran's disability claims 
in Baltimore. She has been my boots on the ground in Baltimore and 
played an important role in rallying and assisting the Veterans Service 
Organizations during this difficult time.
  Throughout these wonderful 30 years, Denise has been an invaluable 
member of my staff. Not only has she helped me immensely in my work as 
a U.S. Senator, but she has also stood sentry with me and served the 
people of Maryland with distinction for three decades. Today I want to 
recognize her for all of the important work she has done, tell the 
world that I hold her in the highest regard and wish her the very best 
on her retirement.

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