[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO PAUL A. DRAZEK

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Paul 
Drazek, a distinguished public servant, who is retiring from the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture. Paul has served as the Special Assistant for 
International Affairs to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman for the 
past three and one-half years. Spending the past twenty-five years in 
international trade, both in government and the private sector, Paul 
has advanced agricultural trade policy and opened important and 
essential new markets to America's farmers and ranchers.
  Paul Drazek came by his love for agriculture naturally, with both of 
his grandparents running farms in upstate New York. At an early age he 
chose to use his intellect and energies to help one of our most export 
dependant industries find and expand market opportunities. To prepare 
him for his life's mission, Paul furthered his knowledge in agriculture 
by receiving a degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the 
University of Maryland.
  Mr. Drazek began his career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
Foreign Agricultural Service, serving fourteen years as a trade policy 
and marketing specialist. During that time he served four years as an 
agricultural negotiator for the U.S. delegation to the Tokyo Round of 
multilateral trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, and as the 
Agricultural Attache in our Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
  Prior to joining the Department of Agriculture as Special Assistant 
to the Secretary, Mr. Drazek served as Director of Government Relations 
for the American Farm Bureau Federation for ten years. He specialized 
in international affairs and legislative issues affecting U.S. 
agricultural trade. In that capacity, Mr. Drazek gained a familiarity 
with the political and economic sensitivities that shape farm and trade 
policies around the world. He also provided essential private sector 
input to the Uruguay Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 
the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
  Paul has spent the last three years at the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture representing American agricultural interests overseas 
opening and expanding new markets for our farmers and ranchers. Making 
progress in international trade policy is a formidable challenge in 
this dynamic global economy. Paul's unwavering dedication and 
commitment to bringing prosperity to the world through trade and 
economic interdependence will pay dividends for our nation well into 
the future.
  Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to pay tribute and say thank 
you to Paul Drazek, and I wish him, his wife Sue and their two sons, 
Keith and Greg, the best in all of their future endeavors.

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