[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 165 (Friday, November 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF RICHARD E. SCHUMACHER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
      RETIREMENT FROM THE OHIO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 1999

  Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to one 
of the truly outstanding individuals from the state of Ohio, Mr. 
Richard E. Schumacher. On December 31, 1999, Richard Schumacher will 
retire from his position as Executive Director of the Ohio Public 
Employees Retirement System (PERS).
  For thirty-nine years, Richard Schumacher has been a valuable asset 
to Ohio's retirees and his colleagues at PERS. He joined the staff at 
PERS in 1960, and since then has worked diligently to serve the state 
of Ohio and ensure that PERS remains strong far into the future. 
Beginning his tenure with PERS as an accountant, he steadily advanced 
through various positions including assistant director, controller, and 
deputy director. Finally, in 1991, Richard Schumacher was appointed as 
the Executive Director of the system.
  Throughout his career, Richard Schumacher has upheld the high 
standards of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. In performing 
the duties of Executive Director, he has demonstrated the kind of 
integrity that Ohioans expect from our government leaders. His hard 
work for nearly four decades has helped PERS flourish into one of the 
premier public employee retirement systems in the country. Under his 
strong leadership, PERS assets have grown from $440 million to $53 
billion. In the thirty-nine years Richard Schumacher has worked for 
PERS, he has watched the system grow to more than 350 employees, 
125,000 beneficiaries, and 371,000 contributing public employees. 
Clearly, Richard Schumacher has undertaken successfully the task of 
building and growing PERS for Ohio's public employees.
  Richard Schumacher is an outstanding public servant and a standard 
bearer in his profession. He has served on numerous boards and 
associations including terms as president and vice president of the 
National Association of State Retirement Administrators, the Board of 
Trustees of the Ohio Government Finance Officers Association, and the 
Government Accounting Standards Advisory Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, it is often said that America succeeds due to the 
remarkable accomplishments and contributions of her citizens. It is 
evident that Richard Schumacher has given of his time and energy to 
assist Ohio's public retirees. For his efforts, we certainly owe him a 
debt of gratitude that mere words cannot sufficiently express. At this 
time, I would ask my colleagues of the 106th Congress to stand and join 
me in paying special tribute to Richard E. Schumacher. On the occasion 
of his retirement as Executive Director of the Ohio Public Employees 
Retirement System, we thank him for his dedicated service and we wish 
him all the best in the future.

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