The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRIBUTE TO NANCY J. SPIKER'S RETIREMENT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E53 on Jan. 30, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO NANCY J. SPIKER'S RETIREMENT
______
HON. TIM HOLDEN
of pennsylvania
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, January 30, 2001
Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to Nancy J. Spiker, who recently retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ms. Spiker is the State Director for USDA's Rural Development Mission Area in Pennsylvania. That appointment by President Clinton caps a nearly 40-year career of service dedicated to improving the quality of life in rural America.
While most of Ms. Spiker's career in USDA was spent in her native Maryland, I have had the good fortune to work with her since she came to the Pennsylvania state office in February 1993. She arrived as the Chief of Community and Business Programs, and among her accomplishments is the complete turnaround of the state's performance in the programs under her leadership. These programs were critical to rural Pennsylvanians, especially in my district. Yet, before he arrived, Pennsylvania had been regularly turning back much of its funding allocations for programs that provided clean water and safe waste disposal and rural communities, created and saved rural jobs, and financed essential community facilities, such as hospitals, schools, and emergency services. As a direct result of Ms. Spiker's leadership, Pennsylvanians now receive the full benefit of funding available, plus additional funds derived from national reserves. Many rural communities, including my district, have benefitted from her resolve and her hard work.
Nancy Spiker has exemplified ``public service'' in the finest sense of the term. She has vigorously protected taxpayers' interests. At the same time, she ensured that those who most needed financial assistance learned of USDA's programs and got whatever help they needed to navigate the application process. Whether it was starting the first minority-owned steel business in Pennsylvania, opening a shelter for battered women in a rural community, or helping the residents of a small town ravaged by acid mine drainage get clean drinking water for the first time in decades, Ms. Spiker has consistently gone the extra mile. She didn't just spend taxpayers' money, she invested it wisely in projects that have touched thousands of lives over her career.
As Assistant State Director, Ms. Spiker helped the Pennsylvania Rural Development staff successfully implement a major reorganization, and was instrumental in retraining staff to maintain service to the public. As State Director, she led what has become one of the most robust state operations in Rural Development, and completed a personal journey that began in 1961 as a file clerk.
Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues will join me in congratulating Nancy for her exemplary career in civil service, and a lifetime of lasting achievements in rural America.
____________________
