Celebration of Bert Berkley's 100th Birthday

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor Mr. Bert Berkley for his decades of service to Missouri's Fifth Congressional District and to congratulate him on his most recent milestone: his 100th birthday. A fine example of what it means to dedicate your life to service. Bert spent his career finding ways to improve quality of life within his community and beyond.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Bert grew up surrounded by the entrepreneurial spirit epitomized by his family, which founded Tension Envelope, now known as Tension Corporation. The Kansas City- based company, which initially specialized in advertising novelties and business stationery, was established in 1886 under the direction of William Berkowitz and Maurice Berkowitz--Bert's grandfather and great uncle, respectively.

Bert was passionate about the family-owned business early in his career, preparing himself for future responsibilities by studying economics at Duke University. With World War II underway, Bert was deployed to the Philippines where he worked as a quartermaster, managing valuable equipment and supplies. After three and a half years, he was able to leave a day early if he signed up for the Army Reserves, which he did. On his return home, Bert fell in love and married his life-time partner and mother of his children, Joan, in 1948. Bert went on to obtain a Master's in Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1950 and was starting what would become a successful career when he was sent to active duty once again to serve in the Korean War. During these 17 months of service, Lieutenant Berkley led an infantry platoon and came close to losing his life in combat, an experience that would change his life forever. As a result of the hardships he endured in Korea, Bert made a promise that if he made it out of the war alive, he would dedicate his life to serving others and giving back to the community.

As life would have it, Bert returned to his family untouched and with a desire to transform his community for generations to come. Named the new president and CEO of the Tension Corporation in 1962, Bert helped transform the business into the empire it is today, expanding its horizons across the globe. By evolving along with the industry throughout his 27 years of service as CEO, Tension Corporation continues to be one of the most successful envelope makers in the world. Still, Ben's success and dedication go beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors. Indeed. it is his selflessness in serving the Kansas City community in order to find new ways to create positive change that truly makes Bert so special.

As an avid advocate of mail exchange, Bert served as the immediate past chairman of the Global Exchange Alliance, an international organization that focuses on the quality of global mail exchange. In this role, he visited various countries such as China, Taiwan, and Thailand to speak to postal service leaders to learn more about mail systems around the world and how they could be improved. Thanks to his exceptional leadership skills, Bert was able to lead many Kansas City organizations including the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as chairman, and the Kansas City Civic Council.

Bert recognized the importance of providing equitable access to education and social services to children and families and made it his mission to be involved in whatever capacity to ensure he could help create positive outcomes for families in Kansas City. As a result, to his passion for education and bettering his community, he served as a board member of the Institute for Educational Leadership, based in Washington, D.C., which is a hands-on think-tank on K-12 education. Additionally, Bert was a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a member of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Advisory Council, and a board member of Turn the Page KC, an organization focusing on achieving grade level reading by third grade. Most notably, his creation of the Local Investment Commission (LINC) in Kansas City speared a national movement in social services and public-private partnerships that put children and families at the forefront.

Bert envisioned the impact state localized resources could have on Missouri's families if they could land in right hands. After a roundtable meeting with Gary Strangler, the Department of Social Services director in 1989, Bert sought ways to improve the capacity of state departments while using their resources to fulfill the needs of communities. LINC's innovative ideas helped shape the welfare-to-work programs we see today and provided a breakthrough on how to use grant funds and state resources to invest back into local communities. The program was so successful that President Clinton even pointed to LINC as an inspiration for his efforts toward expanding welfare programs across the nation. The program grew to offer before and after school programming for Kansas City Public Schools and other districts, providing care for children of working families. His positive influence on generations upon generations is a testament to his compassion and desire to help others.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and Missouri's Fifth Congressional District as we forever enshrine our gratitude for the work of Bert Berkley and as we wish him the happiest of birthdays. Bert continues to be a local hero, a symbol of kindness, a considerate friend and companion, and a wonderful father, but most importantly, he is a kindhearted human being. On this special occasion, let us honor the legacy that Bert Berkley has given us throughout his distinguished career.

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