[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9292-9293]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNITION OF MARLENE ISBELL DEVINE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ERIK PAULSEN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 10, 2015

  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Marlene Isbell 
Devine who retired from Allianz of America on April 10, 2015 after 
working for over 38 years at the firm and its antecedent companies, 
most notably Allianz Life, which is headquartered in my district in 
Golden Valley.

[[Page 9293]]

  Marlene began her career in the typing and steno pool of North 
American Life Insurance and Casualty Company on August 16, 1976 and 
moved up in fast order to become the Executive Assistant to CEO Howard 
Barnhill. Her tenure with the company coincided with its purchase by 
the German Insurance giant Allianz AG in 1979. Marlene served four 
other company CEOs and at the time of her retirement she was the 
Personal Assistant to Allianz of America Chairman and Member of the 
Allianz SE Board of Management, Gary Bhojwani.
  Office technology, fashion styles and even eating habits have changed 
dramatically since Marlene started in the mid-1970s, sometimes for the 
better and sometimes not. However, one thing that is constant is that 
every CEO and organization needs a person like Marlene Devine who can 
be counted on to keep things organized, communicate information, and 
serve as a friend and counsel to everyone around them. As we all know, 
today's work life can at times be all-consuming, and Marlene's greatest 
strength was her ability to make everyone feel special and appreciated. 
In doing so, she was mentor to hundreds of people within the company, 
many of whom rose to the highest executive positions within Allianz. 
Marlene's personal warmth, integrity, good judgment, dedication, and 
humor made her very valued and beloved.
  Marlene is married to Dan Devine, and they reside in Savage, 
Minnesota. They have three grown children, Stephanie, Kyle, and 
Whitney; and two grandsons, Joshua Stewart and Hunter Johnson, who are 
all a source of pride and happiness. Marlene is an avid gardener, 
enjoys her cats and reading, and loves a good day on the river fishing 
with Dan. She and her twin sister Marilyn Wille are known for their 
long ``Thelma and Louise'' automobile excursions that have taken them 
all across the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, we live in a period of time of fast movement where 
people change jobs and companies regularly during the course of their 
careers. However, as we all know from our own offices, institutional 
knowledge is essential, and those dedicated people who have it are the 
key to our success. Marlene Devine deserves our praise for an exemplary 
life that touched so many people. I offer my best wishes to her and Dan 
on the next chapter of their lives, and for many years of good health 
and happiness.

                          ____________________