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“COMMENDING KATE MEHR--WHITE HOUSE FELLOW” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E985 on May 17, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
COMMENDING KATE MEHR--WHITE HOUSE FELLOW
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HON. JOHN W. OLVER
of massachusetts
in the house of representatives
Monday, May 17, 1999
Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend a public servant of the highest caliber--Kate Mehr of Amherst, Massachusetts, who currently serves as a White House Fellow.
Since 1965, the White House Fellowship Program has called upon outstanding citizens, like Ms. Mehr, who have demonstrated excellence in community service, leadership, and professional achievement. It is the country's most prestigious fellowship for public service and leadership development. The selection process for White House Fellows is very competitive and is conducted by a Commission appointed by the President. Every year, there are 500 to 800 applicants nationwide for 11 to 19 fellowships. Ms. Mehr has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to public service through her involvement with many community-based organizations. Her service and commitment on behalf of the people of Massachusetts have earned her the honor of participating in this prestigious fellowship.
Ms. Mehr earned her BA in political science from Amherst College and an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She is the executive director of the Massachusetts Service Alliance in Boston, a statewide non-profit group. Its mission is to strengthen Massachusetts's communities through service and volunteerism, running over 200 service programs including AmeriCorps and after-school programs. During her tenure, the Alliance has increased state support for services by 750 percent. Her involvement with youth causes in Massachusetts is extensive and impressive. For example, the Governor appointed her coordinator of The Massachusetts Summit: The Promise of Our Youth, the follow up to the President's Summit, and served as a founding member of the Massachusetts, Legislative Children's Caucus. Ms. Mehr was also a victim-witness advocate, tutored a young Cambodian immigrant and was a volunteer basketball coach at a local YMCA. She taught government and history, and coached basketball and golf at the high school level.
As a White House Fellow, Ms. Mehr has been assigned to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where she has been involved in several important hunger initiatives. She is responsible for developing and implementing the Initiative on Community Food Security, which will coordinate the resources of the USDA to assist communities in developing an infrastructure to fight hunger. Additionally, Ms. Mehr serves as a policy advisor to Secretary Dan Glickman on hunger policy and international food assistance programs. She also is planning a USDA Summit on Hunger for the fall of 1999.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Kate Mehr's remarkable record of professional excellence and community service, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting her hard work and good citizenship.
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