[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12232]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF MS. MELBA CURLS FOR HER DEDICATED CAREER TO THE 
                         KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 22, 2015

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
dedicated employee of the Kansas City community. On July 31, 2015, Ms. 
Melba J. Curls will officially retire as the councilwoman of Kansas 
City's 3rd District-at-large, having served the last eight years on the 
Kansas City Council. Her commitment to shaping and improving the Kansas 
City, Missouri community is unparalleled. She is a trailblazer, civil 
rights activist, a devoted family woman, and a community leader who has 
dedicated her life to serving others.
  Born on October 3, 1941, Melba Curls is a lifelong resident of Kansas 
City. She graduated from Central High School where she was one of the 
first classes in an integrated school. She later went on to attend the 
University of Missouri-Columbia. At an early age, Melba was active in 
politics and the civil rights movement. She was active in the NAACP's 
Youth, and actually met her future husband, the late Missouri Senator 
Phil B. Curls, on a civil rights trip with the organization. The Curls 
were married for 43 years before his untimely passing in 2007. She is 
the proud mother of four amazing children: Phil Jr., Michael, Monica 
and Louis.
  Melba has been involved in public service most of her career. She 
spent several years working for the City of Kansas City where she 
served the citizens in the Personnel and Legal Departments and as a 
Staff Assistant to then Mayor Charles B. Wheeler. She also worked on 
the staff of U.S. Senator Tom Eagleton. Melba spent almost 15 years 
working at the KCMC Child Development Corporation in support of the 
Head Start Program and early childhood education in Kansas City.
  In 1999, Melba was elected by the citizens of the 41st District to 
represent them in the Missouri House of Representatives, where she 
served for seven years. During her tenure in the State Legislature, she 
was able to work with colleagues, government officials from all 
branches, and community leaders, regardless of their political 
affiliation, race, gender or socio-economic background, to help find 
solutions to the problems plaguing the community. Melba also served as 
the Chairperson of the Committee on Urban Affairs, from 2000 to 2002, 
and as the Vice-Chair of the Ethics committee, from 2004 to 2006. She 
then successfully ran for City Council in 2007.
  Councilwoman Curls' interests in helping better the lives of others 
through various organizations in our community include her involvement 
with: The De La Salle Education Center, the Jackson County Board of 
Domestic Violence Shelters, and the American Jazz Museum, just to name 
a few. She also currently serves as an Executive Board Member to the 
longest-serving civil rights organization dedicated to serving the 
needs of Kansas City's African-American community--Freedom, 
Incorporated. Kansas City Mayor Sly James selected Councilwoman Curls 
to serve on the Neighborhoods, Housing and Healthy Communities and 
Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
  Over the years, Melba has been able to earn the respect of her 
colleagues by working hard to be a bridge-builder between individuals 
and organizations. She is an active member of the City Council, and is 
very focused on participating in community activities and being 
involved in the community that she serves.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me and our colleagues in recognizing and 
honoring Ms. Melba Curls for a lifetime of devoted commitment to the 
Kansas City community. While she embraces this next phase of life in 
retirement, I wish to thank her for her tireless service to the Kansas 
City Community for the past three decades. Demonstrating unparalleled 
dedication, Melba serves as an inspiration and role model for our 
community.

                          ____________________