[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1881-E1882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THOMAS M. BARRY ACCEPTING NEW POSITION AND CHALLENGE

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                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 1998

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend, 
Thomas M. Barry, on his promotion to President of the SBC 
International's Telkom South Africa.
  When Tom arrived in this town just a few short years ago to take the 
helm of SBC Communication's Inc. Washington office his assignment was a 
modest one: to work to modernize the rules by which the United States 
telecommunications industry was governed.
  Now, Tom Barry was not your ordinary Washington lobbyist. Having 
spent some 30 years with the telephone company and most recently having 
come to the world of strategic planning, he knew a whole lot more about 
the true impact of our telecommunications rules governing universal 
service and competition in local and long distance than many who had

[[Page E1882]]

worked on them. His knowledge and experience were important to those of 
us who had been working ardently to modernize the telecommunications 
industry so that American companies could compete in a global arena. 
The result of our work, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, was 
landmark legislation in which we can all take pride. Tom Barry was 
vital to our efforts.
  It is in this light that I would like to join my dear friend and 
former colleague, Jack Brooks, and submit his remarks for the Record.

Former Congressman Jack Brooks Sends Congratulations to Thomas M. Barry 
  Upon His Appointment as President, SBC International's Telkom South 
                            Africa Operation

       Sometimes, due to circumstances surrounding the nature of 
     one's position, an individual shows up briefly in your life 
     but his contributions, even if for no longer than a year or 
     so, make him unforgettable. Such an individual is Thomas M. 
     Barry of SBCI.
       As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, I had been 
     involved for several years in an effort to rationalize 
     existing laws and to develop new legislation to provide for 
     more open competition in the telecommunications industry. It 
     was not surprising that with all the competing and diverse 
     interests involved, we were having considerable difficulty 
     and receiving widely conflicting advise. One significant 
     difficulty was that there was no one in a leadership role for 
     the regional Bell companies to present all of their various 
     concerns to me and to John Dingell, who as Chairman of the 
     House Energy and Commerce Committee was key to the passage of 
     any telecommunications legislation.
       In 1992, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company selected a 
     seasoned telecommunications veteran, Tom Barry, as its Senior 
     Vice President for Federal Relations. When Tom arrived on the 
     Washington scene, it became readily apparent that we had met 
     a knowledgeable, experienced expert in all aspects of the 
     industry. Not only did he have an encyclopedic knowledge of 
     the industry and its issues, but also he brought a 
     reasonable, enlightened approach to the legislative dialogue.
       While he was an extremely effective advocate for his 
     company, he recognized the need to be reasonable and with his 
     long experience was able to place into perspective the 
     varying participating and often conflicting interests. He was 
     strongly committed to his company and to his industry but he 
     never lost sight of the need to resolve matters equitably if 
     any consensus was to be reached.
       When we finally put together a bill with the leadership of 
     my esteemed former colleague, John Dingell, although it was 
     not perfect, it was workable and fair. That we were able to 
     do so was aided greatly by the hard work and solid efforts of 
     many individuals, but particularly Tom Barry.
       Although our association in retrospect was fleeting, I 
     believe I came to know him quite well during our strenuous 
     meetings. He is a man of integrity. He is an affable, highly 
     intelligent individual. We were able to conduct our work with 
     good humor and respect for one another's sincere beliefs. 
     Tom's superior intellect and ability to manage situations and 
     people should serve him well as he travels to South Africa to 
     begin his tenure as President of SBC International's Telkom 
     South Africa operations.
       Tom Barry has my warmest congratulations upon his latest 
     appointment within SBC International. It will be most likely 
     not be an easy assignment, however, there is no question in 
     my mind but that he will do an outstanding job there, as he 
     has with everything else he has undertaken. I wish him and 
     his family all my best as they begin a new journey in life. 
     Although South Africa is quite a long way from the United 
     States, at least now--through state of the art improvements 
     in telecommunications--it won't seem to be that far. I hope 
     that Tom will take some time to thoroughly enjoy this new 
     challenging opportunity. Certainly SBC made a wise decision 
     in the selection of this fine man to head up their operation.

     

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