[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H3390-H3391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO GAIL DOBERT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF BUSINESS LIAISON, 
                AND LONGTIME AIDE TO SECRETARY RON BROWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Forbes] is recognized during 
morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity. I take the 
floor today to pay tribute to a young woman, a young woman by the name 
of Gail Dobert. Gail Dobert was lost by us on April 3 in the tragic 
airplane crash in Croatia that took the life of Secretary Ron Brown and 
33 others. This morning I take the floor to talk about Gail and the 
promise that Gail represented.
  Mr. Speaker, literally tens of thousands of young people come to 
Washington, DC, every year, with the hope of promise for the excitement 
and the opportunity to be part of this Government. Whether it is the 
government of Ronald Reagan or George Bush or Jimmy Carter or Bill 
Clinton, they come to this town because they are caught up in the 
excitement of a living and vibrant democracy and wanting very much to 
be a part of that democracy.
  I rise today to pay tribute to Gail. Gail Dobert was a Department of 
Commerce official. Her family of Moriches, Long Island, a very 
wonderful family, who described themselves as Kennedy Democrats and 
said that they are thrilled by Gail's participation in the political 
process. Along with many of my neighbors on Long Island, I was deeply 
saddened when we learned of the loss of Gail and Secretary Brown and so 
many others on that tragic day.
  But today we are here to celebrate the life of Gail and what she 
meant. So many individuals search their whole lives through to try to 
make a lasting contribution to the world, to their communities, to 
their Nation. I think it is fair to say that Gail Dobert, in her very 
short 34 years, made a tremendous contribution, not only to the 
political process, but enhancing our own democracy and to working for 
the concerns that brought her to Washington.
  Gail was born in Oneonta, NY, on April 12, 1961, the same day that 
headlines were made when the Russians had somebody orbiting the Earth. 
She grew up in St. Johns Street in Sayville, Long Island, and, 
ironically, she died on St. Johns Hill in Croatia. As a Long Islander, 
she loved the ocean, the warm breezes and the beaches that she came to 
love after her experiences every summer on Fire Island with her family. 
Rehoboth Beach, of course, became her favorite getaway beach from the 
rigors of Washington.
  In 1979 she graduated from Connetquot High School in Long Island and 
left to attend Bucknell University. She was the beloved daughter, a I 
said, of Ken and Maureen Dobert, two individuals who describe 
themselves as Kennedy Democrats. She is the devoted sister of Ray and 
Darla, granddaughter of Helen, and I might add that this family's 
tragedy has only been enhanced because Gail lost both her grandmother 
and her grandfather, Maureen's parents, earlier in the year.
  She is the adored niece of Regina and James and Elizabeth and cousin 
to Michael, Jennifer, Christopher, and Janice.
  Prior to coming to Washington, Gail worked for Philip Morris and the 
New

[[Page H3391]]

York Daily News to help those two organizations with their summer jobs 
program that aided economically disadvantaged young people to find 
employment opportunities during the summer in New York City. Her first 
job out of Bucknell was as assistant director of public relations here 
in Washington for the Sheration Hotel chain. She did press, marketing, 
and events planning. But she could not fight that desire to come up 
here on Capitol Hill, and finally she landed a job as a senior 
legislative assistant to Pennsylvania Congressman Gus Yatron, a 
Democrat of Pennsylvania.
  Following President Clinton's election in 1992, the road led Gail to 
four intense months as deputy director of operations for the 
inauguration. This appointment came as a result of her diligent and 
enthusiastic work under Ron Brown during his leadership as head of the 
Democratic National Committee. She served as budget manager for the 
Victory '92 Campaign, convention coordinator for all operational 
events, and corporate fundraiser at the DNC from 1990 to 1992.
  After a 5-month recreational hiatus at various beaches in the 
Caribbean, Gail was persuaded to join Secretary Brown and did so in the 
Office of Business Liaison at the U.S. Department of Commerce as a 
confidential aide, deputy director, and, at the time of her unfortunate 
death, as acting director.
  Under Secretary Brown's leadership and working closely with him, Gail 
helped to develop U.S. business interests abroad, and in fact she was 
able to organize and coordinate Presidential business development 
missions to Russia, South America, China, Ireland, India, Turkey, the 
Middle East, Africa, Bosnia and Croatia. These trade missions promoted 
export-related activities for specific business ventures by American 
companies. They developed over $44 billion in American opportunities 
abroad for businesses.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the memory of Gail Dobert be recognized by 
this House and by the Nation at large.

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