[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THOMAS R. WINTERS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS FIFTIETH 
                                BIRTHDAY

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                          HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2000

  Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to pay special tribute to a truly outstanding individual from the state 
in Ohio. On Sunday, March 12, 2000, Mr. Thomas R. Winters will 
celebrate his fiftieth birthday. I certainly want to extend my warmest 
wishes to him on this event.
  Tom Winters has attained a long and illustrious career working in all 
aspects of government and politics in Ohio. Tom served for more than 
ten years as a top assistant and Chief of Staff to then Speaker of the 
Ohio House of Representatives Vern Riffe. In that time, Tom served as 
Clerk of the House, Executive Secretary of the House, and Majority 
Counsel. During his service, Tom worked very closely with members of 
the Ohio General Assembly and has maintained a strong relationship with 
current and past members of the Ohio House and Senate.
  As President of the Ohio Senate, I had the opportunity to work with 
Tom first-hand and found him to be talented and helpful in my dealings 
with Speaker Riffe and the entire Ohio House. Although we were on 
opposite sides of the political fence, Tom worked aggressively for the 
benefit of all Ohioans, not just a select few. His commitment to sound 
public policy and positive legislative accomplishments is well 
documented and deserves our commendation.
  Currently, Tom is a partner in the Columbus office of Vorys, Sater, 
Seymour, and Pease LLP where he represents governments, businesses, and 
trade associations on legislative matters at the national, state, 
local, and administrative agency levels. As an attorney, Tom works 
diligently on behalf of his clients to ensure that their interests are 
represented with the highest level of character and integrity. While I 
do not have the opportunity to see Tom as often as I did while I served 
in the Ohio Senate, I know that his words are true and his intentions 
honorable.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom Winters has spent more than twenty-five years 
working to improve public policy and build our system. It is often said 
that America prospers due to the unwavering commitment of her sons and 
daughters. Without question, Tom Winters has freely given of his time 
and talents to the betterment of government and politics. For that, we 
all owe him a debt of gratitude.
  Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to stand and join me in 
wishing Thomas R. Winters a very Happy Birthday. We look forward to his 
continued success and we extend our best wishes to him, his wife, Mary, 
and his entire family.

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