March 6, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 40 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E256-E257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING PAUL RECKLAU ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE 
                    GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 6, 2019

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Paul Recklau on the 
occasion of his retirement from the General Services Administration 
following a 40-year career in the federal government. I thank him for 
his life-long dedication to public service and to our country.
  Paul Recklau was born and raised in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. He 
graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1978 with a degree in 
Accounting. He began his career in civil service in January of 1979 in 
a 16-month training program at the Savannah Army Depot in Illinois. 
Paul trained to be a QUASAS, a Quality Assurance Specialist, Ammunition 
Surveillance, which is the oldest career program in the Department of 
Army. Paul then got his

[[Page E257]]

first duty assignment at the Pueblo Army Depot in Colorado continuing 
to gain experience as an ammunition inspector and an explosives safety 
expert. After serving a couple of years there, he received his second 
assignment at the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant in Texas. He was then 
transferred to Longhorn Ammunition Plant in Karnack, Texas to act as a 
GS-11 level QUASAS.
  Paul then spent 6 years at the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in 
Kansas, south of De Soto. In 1988, only 9 years into his career, he was 
promoted to a GS-12 and acted as Chief of Quality Assurance at the 
plant. In 1990, he moved into a new role as an Industrial Specialist 
for the Defense Logistics Agency in Columbus, Ohio. For 9 months, Paul 
commuted to Dayton, Ohio and performed his duties at the Defense 
Electronic Supply Center. Upon returning to Columbus he became a 
Contract Specialist. In 1999, he was promoted to a GS-13 as an 
Acquisition Specialist for the Military Traffic Management Command in 
Northern Virginia. Then, Paul started at the General Services 
Administration in 2002 working for the Federal Systems Integration and 
Management Center (FEDSIM) as an IT Specialist. Approximately 2 years 
later he was promoted to a GS-14 Senior Project Manager. After 10 years 
at FEDSIM, Paul moved to the Office of Strategy Management within GSA 
and finally in 2014, ended up in the Office of General Supplies and 
Services as a Program Analyst where he ended his career on March 1, 
2019. Throughout his career, Paul successfully worked with other 
federal employees as well as outside contractors to complete projects 
and keep day to day processes running smoothly. Civil servants like 
Paul are vital to the continuous operation of the government and I am 
grateful to Paul for spending the entirety of his career in service to 
our country.
  Paul resides in Woodbridge, Virginia with his wife, Maureen, who has 
been a reading tutor at a local Prince William County public elementary 
school for 15 years. Their daughter, Jean Recklau, is a junior at the 
University of Virginia studying Public Policy. In retirement, Paul 
plans to travel and complete home improvement projects around the 
house. In addition, he will continue to serve on his local homeowner's 
association board of which he has been a member for 18 years, including 
4 years as president.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating my 
constituent, Paul Recklau on his retirement and in wishing him all the 
best in the future.

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