Basilian Sisters present award to Melanne Verveer in Washington

WASHINGTON - The Sisters of St. Basil the Great based in Fox Chase Manor, Pa., presented Melanne Starinshak Verveer, assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady, the Basilian Humanitarian Award at a private reception in December 1997 in the Office of the First Lady.

Ms. Verveer, who is the highest ranking Ukrainian American in the Clinton Administration, was presented the award for her distinguished service in politics. The Sisters of St. Basil established the award to honor people in politics, business, religion, media, sports, education and volunteer service who through their distinguished careers have been influential and instrumental in bringing hope to the future life of the Church, family and society.

Ms. Verveer accompanied First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on her recent visit to Ukraine, as well as on good will missions around the world, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Central Europe, Bosnia and Africa. She also accompanied President Bill Clinton on his state visit to Ukraine in 1995.

From January 1993 to January 1997, Ms. Verveer held the position of deputy assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff to the first lady. She previously held the position of executive vice-president and public policy director for People for the American Way.

Working in a variety of positions on Capitol Hill and in the public interest community, she is a founding member of the Coalition on Human Needs and served on the board of directors of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Advocacy Institute, Public Allies and NETWORK, among others. In 1989 she was named to "Beachman's Guide to Key Lobbyists."

Her maternal and paternal grandparents were born in Ukraine, emigrated to the U.S. at the turn of the century and settled in Pennsylvania. Ms. Verveer was raised in Shamokin, Pa., where she attended Transfiguration Ukrainian School. She received her high school diploma from St. Mary's Villa Academy in Sloatsburg, N.Y. Both institutions are run by the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 1, 1998, No. 5, Vol. LXVI

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