March 30, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E463 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS TRIBUTE TO GERASIMOS C. VANS ning, personnel, procurement, information A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF ON HIS RETIREMENT technology, printing, oversight of vacant con- ROOSEVELT EARLY gressional offices, and event planning. HON. VERNON J. EHLERS There is no doubt that the House as an in- OF MICHIGAN stitution is losing one of its hardest working HON. MIKE ROSS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES public servants. Gerry’s dedication and profes- OF ARKANSAS Thursday, March 30, 2006 sionalism has spanned both Democratic and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Republican majorities, during which time his Thursday, March 30, 2006 pay tribute to Gerasimos (Gerry) Vans, who is mission has always been to complete any task, big or small, with the same tenacity and retiring after more than 25 years of distin- Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thoroughness. Gerry will be dearly missed by guished service to this institution. Throughout honor the life of Roosevelt Early, a veteran his years of service to the House, Gerry has the House of Representatives and by all those high school educator from Crossett, AR, who tackled a wide range of institutional chal- among us who have had the pleasure of work- died at the age of 72 on February 26, 2006. lenges. In every aspect of his service to the ing with him during his more than 25 years of I wish to recognize his lifetime of dedication to House, Gerry has demonstrated his char- service. public education and the city of Crossett. acteristic professionalism, knowledge, and cre- Mr. Speaker, on behalf of this institution, I ativity, and has without exception conducted A native of West Helena, AR, Mr. Early wish to extend to Gerry Vans our heartfelt earned a bachelor’s degree at Arkansas Agri- himself with the utmost integrity. gratitude for his tireless service to the House, Gerry, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin cultural, Mechanical, and Normal College, now and wish him the very best as he embarks began his career with summer intern positions the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, upon his new career. in the House and Senate while attending col- UAPB, where he played football and sang in lege. Following his graduation from Marquette the choir. Mr. Early also attended the Univer- University, Gerry pursued a masters degree at f sity of Central Arkansas where he received a master’s degree. The George Washington University while em- RECOGNIZING ROBERT R. RUBANO, Moving to Crossett in 1958, Mr. Early spent ployed in the House mail room. Gerry began JR. his congressional career in earnest following nearly a half century as a public school educa- his appointment to the U.S. Capitol Police tor at T.W. Daniel and Crossett School Dis- force where he remained for two years. His HON. MELISSA A. HART trict. He began as a shop teacher at T.W. next appointment was as the Executive Assist- Daniel High School in 1958 and rose to the ant to the House Sergeant at Arms, where he OF PENNSYLVANIA post of assistant principal of T.W. Daniel Mid- dle School in 1973, and principal 2 short years served as secretary to the U.S. Capitol Police IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Board and primary Capitol Police liaison for later of T.W. Daniel High School. Following his the Sergeant at Arms. Gerry had primary Thursday, March 30, 2006 tenure at T.W. Daniel, Mr. Early served as operational responsibilities for major House principal at Norman Junior High School begin- events and congressional funeral delegations, Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take ning in 1980 and Crossett High School in and was a key staffer in Capitol security plan- this opportunity to recognize the super- 1985. ning. intendent of Farrell Schools, Robert R. Mr. Early was active throughout the Ashley Since joining the Office of the Clerk’s front Rubano, Jr., and the school board members County community. He served as director of office staff in 1991, he has served under four who have served for over 9 years. the E.C. Crossett Community Center, presi- Clerks, first in a support capacity to senior Mr. Rubano not only serves as the super- dent of the UAPB Ashley County Alumni Asso- management, and since 1995 as a senior intendent of the schools in Farrell, but also ciation, and was a member of the Ashley manager—as Special Assistant, Assistant to teaches a leadership class to juniors and sen- County Medical Center Board of Directors, the Clerk, 1999, and Deputy Clerk, 2003. Be- iors in the school district 1 day a week. The Ashley County Martin Luther King Planning cause of his fluency with congressional oper- subjects taught in the class vary from speech Commission, Phi Delta Kappa Educational So- ations and practice, he is frequently called preparation to key decision making to job and ciety, Georgia-Pacific Planning Commission, upon to brief visiting foreign parliamentarians college outlook. This leadership class has be- the Arkansas Association of Educational Ad- and senior officials, and has participated in ministrators, the Arkansas Association of Sec- various legislative-related conferences. come very popular among students in the Farrell School District. ondary Principals, Crossett Classroom Teach- Gerry has also been instrumental in the de- ers Association, Arkansas Education Associa- velopment and implementation of the Lobbying Mr. Rubano has been the superintendent of tion and the National Education Association. Disclosure Act; the five-year project to move the Farrell School District since 1997. Before As a man of faith, Mr. Early served as chair- the Legislative Information Management Sys- committing to be the superintendent, Mr. man of the Deacon Board at New Bethel Mis- tem, LIMS, from a mainframe to a client-server Rubano spent many years as a teacher, then sionary Baptist Church and chairman of the platform; the Document Management Initiative: principal. Mr. Rubano served as a team conversion of all legislative documents to a Trustee Board. The Roosevelt Early Memorial facilitator for a group of 10 who designed new Scholarship was started shortly after his death common Extensible Markup Language (XML) math curriculum for grades K–6. He also as- standard; Continuity of Operations: develop- to commemorate and honor the impact he sisted in writing the district’s Act 178 Profes- made as an educator at Crossett High School. ment and planning leading to the first com- sional Development Plan. Mr. Rubano has prehensive House-wide continuity of oper- dedicated his career to bettering the education As the son of public school educators, I be- ations apparatus; and the development of the of young minds. lieve there are few jobs more noble than that History and Preservation Office. of educating our Nation’s children. Mr. Early Over the years, Gerry’s responsibilities have I ask my colleagues in the United States spent a lifetime dedicated to this end. I extend grown to include the day-to-day oversight and House of Representatives to join me in recog- my deepest condolences to his wife of 48 operations of the Clerk’s 9 departments and nizing all of the hard work and time Robert R. years, Lendora; his daughters, Cassandra and 270 employees, which provide legislative and Rubano, Jr. has put in to making the school Patricia; his brother, David; his sisters, Thel- information services to the House and the district better. It is an honor to represent the ma, lola, and Alma, and his grandchildren, general public. He is involved daily and di- Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania Kenyellshia and Chase. Though Mr. Early may rectly with such issues as Member of Con- and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated in- no longer be with us, his spirit and legacy will gress relations, House floor operations, plan- dividual like Robert R. Rubano, Jr. live on for generations to come. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:05 Mar 31, 2006 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A30MR8.001 E30MRPT1 ycherry on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS E464 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 30, 2006 CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF vision for a brighter tomorrow for every one of ing practices. They are the only school district CHARLES AURELIO HUDSON us along Ohio’s north shores. to ever receive this award. EYNON f The Highland School District will receive the ‘‘Rising Star’’ Award on April 5, 2006 at a din- IN HONOR OF THE LIFE OF ner at the Rivers Club in Pittsburgh. HON. JOE WILSON GORDON PARKS OF SOUTH CAROLINA I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Representatives to join me in congratulating HON. BETTY McCOLLUM the Highland School District for receiving the Thursday, March 30, 2006 OF MINNESOTA Rising Star Award. It is an honor to represent Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speak- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsyl- er, today, I am happy to congratulate Eliza- Thursday, March 30, 2006 vania and a pleasure to salute such a dedi- beth and Teddy Eynon of Washington, DC, on cated school district as the Highland School the birth of their new baby boy. Charles Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speak- District. Aurelio Hudson Eynon was born on March 17, er, as St.