The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING JANICE SIEGEL ON HER RETIREMENT
______
HON. JERROLD NADLER
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the work and dedication of my longest-serving congressional staff person--Janice Siegel.
Janice worked with me and a small group of people on the brief but intense campaign to fill the vacancy left by Ted Weiss in 1992. She came with me to Washington, D.C., to set up my office and staff for my first term and stayed with my office for 29 years. As my Director of Operations, Janice provided sound advice on complicated budget, ethics, and personnel matters. Her careful, methodical approach to financial matters has served the office well and has saved us tens of thousands of dollars over the years. Janice also managed my D.C. schedule for more than twenty years, made countless train/plane/and hotel reservations for me, and tracked every penny of our Members' Representational Allowance. Perhaps most importantly she made sure we never overspent our MRA, and, therefore, I was never asked to pay for any office expenses from my own pocket. I thank her for that.
Janice also coordinated numerous office moves over her career in the House and worked on everything from the color of the carpet, walls and drapes, to the purchasing of equipment, and movement of phones and computers throughout the House complex. She was well known throughout the House by the many hundreds of people she worked with on all these matters over the years.
Janice not only served my office well, but she was a real asset to the House of Representatives as a whole and helped with numerous House-
wide initiatives to make the House operate more efficiently and effectively.
Janice founded the Professional Administrative Managers (PAM) organization, and as its leader she organized a number of large meetings which brought staff together with House Administrative officials to discuss the implementation of new policies and procedures related to House operations. In addition, she worked with the Office of the Inspector General to create a ``Financial Administrators Curriculum'' which is now offered by the Congressional Staff Academy. Her organization included offices from both sides of the aisle and its influence was felt by the leaders of House Administration who frequently sought input and advice from the group. She was in regular contact with the various Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) of the House, the C.F.O., and the Directors of Payroll during her time on the Hill. These relationships gave her access to information and resources that were very helpful to our office.
On another note, Janice has always cared about me personally, about my reputation, and especially about my personal safety. Over the years, Janice made sure the Capitol Police were aware of the threats against me and took additional steps to enhance my safety. She has had my interests in mind as she made spending and ethics decisions and was driven by a strong sense or right and wrong that kept me out of trouble for her entire tenure. As she was fond of saying, her job was to keep me OUT of the news. Meaning, she never wanted there to be a news story that we were not running the office ethically or in a financially sound manner.
Finally. Janice is a compassionate, caring person who has a touch for and a real understanding of the importance of nice gestures. She takes the initiative to make suggestions for reaching out to people, especially when they are sick or someone close to them has recently passed away. She is thoughtful and considerate of others when it matters most. I appreciate all she has done over the years to connect with people facing trying times.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Janice's family and her husband, Frank Mumford. Janice is a wonderful daughter, sister, and wife and mentioned her family often while at work. She cared for her father when he became ill and moved into her home, and helped her sister get the help she needed to get treatment for cancer. She and Frank supported each other through tough times and were always there for one another. She is lucky to have Frank by her side.
Janice herself is a breast cancer survivor and she worked in our office all through her own treatment. She faced the diagnosis bravely and unafraid. She has always been a strong supporter of breast cancer research and funding and was always looking for ways for us to get involved and be supportive of the cause. We know that the loss of her mother to the disease when she was just a child affected her deeply. We imagine her mother would be proud to see her daughter working in Congress, supporting efforts to increase funding for breast cancer research, working for a Member from New York City, and doing so with such distinction and for such a long period of time.
I know I am proud of the work she has done for us and want to sincerely thank her for everything she has done for me.
We will miss Janice. We wish her all the best in her retirement.
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 201(1), Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 201(2)
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