Volume 148, No. 84 covering the 2nd Session of the 107th Congress (2001 - 2002) was published by the Congressional Record.
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.
“GRACE OMEGA GARCES, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2002 REGION IX ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1130-E1131 on June 21, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
GRACE OMEGA GARCES, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2002 REGION IX
ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER
______
HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD
of guam
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 21, 2002
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this occasion to congratulate Grace Omega Garces for having been selected for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2002 Environmental Achievement Award. This award recognizes individuals who have done exceptional work and have shown commitment to the environment. Grace is the public information and education officer for the Guam Environmental Protection Agency.
Under this capacity, Grace has directed and implemented the Guam EPA's public information, community outreach and environmental education programs through the use of strategic planning to create an educated and informed citizenry. She has also been in charge of enhancing the agency's public profile and credibility through media releases and updates. She has made determinations on the forms, messages, audiences and desired impacts of high-quality communications products regarding the Guam EPA and Guam's natural resources. Part of her responsibilities included serving as adjunct risk communications officer for contingencies such as the Supertyphoon Paka Disaster, the Ordot Landfill Fire, the Orote Landfill Seafood Warning, the Installation Restoration Project, the Agana Swamp PCB Warnings, the Agana Power Plant and the Base Realignment and Closure Project. She has also produced and conceptually developed the Guam EPA website.
The youngest of Joe and Nieves Garces' five children, Grace was born and raised on the island of Guam, graduating from Oceanview High School in Agat, Guam. While in high school, she was inducted into the national honor society and was elected student body president. She received the Soroptimist International of the Mariana Youth Citizenship Award and was selected as youth ambassador to Japan for the Blue Sea and Green Land Foundation Guam/Japan Youth Exchange in the summer of 1996. She was also a co-captain of the cheerleading squad.
Dedicated to the pursuit of higher education, Grace earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. She majored in both Political Science and History with minors in Economics and Advanced Calculus. In June of this year, a Master of Public Administration degree was conferred upon her by the University of Guam. While at the University of Guam, she was the recipient of the Dr. Pedro C. Sanchez Professional Scholarship.
Grace's work experience include a wide variety of posts in both the private and public sector. Prior to her employment with the Guam EPA, she worked, on several occasions, as an aide and a consultant to local senators. She has both been a freelance writer and a copy editor for the local daily newspaper. She has also been a volunteer broadcaster and radio program host for Guam Public Radio. While in college, she was the executive director of the university's Associated Students Internship Office and later became a Research Assistant and Fellow.
In addition to this recent award, Grace has also been the recipient of a number of local, regional and national honors and awards. The Government of Guam Bureau of Women's Affairs named her the Outstanding Woman of the Year for Local/Federal Government in 2002. She has received a number of awards and nominations for the Governor of Guam's Employee Recognition Program. For several years running, she has also been given the honor of making presentations in regional and national EPA conferences.
The hard work and dedication of Grace Garces brings much welcomed recognition, focus and attention to the island of Guam. I applaud her efforts and urge her to keep up the good work.
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