The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE STERLING CAREER AND SERVICE OF CATHY IINO
______
HON. JOE COURTNEY
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Friday, January 28, 2022
Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the tenure of a distinguished public servant in my district, Cathy Iino, of Killingworth, Connecticut. As First Selectwoman for the Town of Killingworth, Cathy chose to not seek re-election in 2021, marking a capstone to almost 20 years in service to her local community. Leading a tight-knit community of more than 6,300 residents, Cathy has consistently gone above and beyond in working with her constituency to promote the advancement of Killingworth while preserving its small-town charm. Her approach to leadership--a prime representation of eastern Connecticut values--stressed the importance of cooperation, respect, and humility.
Cathy studied Humanities at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1973. After having already moved to the nearby city of New Haven, Cathy and her husband, Paul, were in search of a place to call home, moving to Killingworth in 1996. While working as both a writer and editor, Cathy continually came across new opportunities for her community to grow, prompting her to depart from her line of work and enter the world of politics. First serving on the Board of Finance, then she found success in 2007 winning her bid to serve on the Board of Selectman--the first woman since 1993 to sit on the Board. In 2009, she elevated her leadership in the town when she was elected First Selectwoman.
During her tenure as First Selectwoman, Cathy prioritized being present and available for her residents. In 2015, for example, Cathy implemented ``Coffee with the First Selectwoman,'' to increase transparency and citizen participation in their town government. She would make herself routinely available for residents to talk to, whether it was outside town hall or at a local business. Though there are countless examples that demonstrate Cathy's guiding philosophy of bottom-up governing, perhaps the most successful was her ability to seek out and nurture volunteers to push forward the issues that mattered to them.
Cathy truly appreciated the difference that volunteers make in small-
town communities, embodying the spirit of volunteerism through her unwavering support of resident leaders. Being a smaller town, Killingworth has always had to put its resources to good use and has been best suited to rely on the voices of many rather than one. Frequently, Cathy encouraged residents to advocate for projects that they were passionate about, at which point she would lend her support and experience. This style of leadership is one of many traits that defined her time as First Selectwoman, and it reaped great rewards. One notable result of her support of volunteers is the restoration of Parmelee Farm, a historical site in Killingworth which had long been in a state of disrepair. Purely through volunteer efforts aided by Cathy's guiding hand, the farm has since become a vibrant area that connects the community together by way of recreation, education, preservation, and the arts.
During her time in office, Cathy was paramount to addressing the quality of Killingworth's capital assets--most notably of which would be the town's surface infrastructure. Under her leadership, a two-year study was conducted on Killingworth's roads, and the most deficient in town have since been rehabilitated.
Madam Speaker, as the congressman who represents Killingworth, I had a chance to observe up close Cathy's fine work, whether it was dealing with natural disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy or the Covid pandemic and she always performed superbly. She was extremely knowledgeable about the interaction of local, state, and federal programs which was invaluable to her town.
Madam Speaker, it is an incredible honor to represent and work with constituents as industrious and progress-oriented as Cathy Iino. Throughout her 12 years in service, Cathy has capably understood that leadership is about visualizing the connections that may exist within one's own community and then uplifting those connections in order to amplify the heartbeat of the town. Cathy is dedicating her well-
deserved retirement to her family--her husband, two daughters, and one granddaughter. Even upon entering retirement, Cathy has remained civically minded, thinking about those issues which both our nation and the State of Connecticut face. Her diligent professionalism, caring nature, and honest, down-to-earth style of leadership will be impossible to replace, so we must find gratitude in that her impact on Killingworth will certainly last for generations to come. To these ends, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring Cathy Iino, a steward to her community and model citizen.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 18
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