[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL S. McGILL

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
my long-time friend and Chief of Staff, Michael S. McGill. I have known 
Mike for nearly two decades and have had the privilege of working with 
him when I was Mayor of San Francisco and during my tenure in the U.S. 
Senate. I have a great respect and appreciation for Mike, who has 
devoted his life to public service and served the state of California 
with excellence and honor.
  Mike earned a B.S. in business administration at the University of 
Kansas, and is still an avid Jayhawks fan. He earned his Master's in 
political science at the University of Texas, which prepared him for a 
long and distinguished career in public service. In 1967, Mike joined 
the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer and was 
assigned to the Model Cities Program in Fort Worth, Texas. There he 
committed his time and energy to issues affecting urban communities.
  After moving to San Francisco in 1972, Mike developed a passion for 
water policy, the issue area in which he has provided me with 
indispensable knowledge and advice. He served for three years as 
executive director of the Bay Area Economic Forum, and for seven years 
as executive director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research 
Association (SPUR). As head of SPUR, he faced competing agricultural, 
urban, and environmental interests, but he was able to mediate these 
differences to the benefit of California.
  Since 1993, Mike has served as my Chief of Staff. He has done an 
outstanding job. He has managed my five Senate offices, which serve 
more than 32 million constituents. This in itself is a tremendous 
undertaking, and I am proud to say that Mike has succeeded in ensuring 
that the people of California are served with care, compassion, and 
efficiency.
  As the cornerstone of my staff for the past seven years, Mike's 
dedication and integrity have earned him the respect of everyone he has 
worked with and advised. His door is always open, because no issue is 
too big or too small for Mike's attention and guidance.
  In particular, Mike's advice in approaching and solving the water 
issues that impact California has been invaluable. In my state, water 
is our lifeblood, and this has made it a contentious issue. I have been 
thankful to have Mike's experience and insight on an issue that is by 
no means an easy one.
  In my office, we can count on Mike and his wealth of knowledge that 
ranges from politics to baseball to American history. He and his wife 
Mary enjoy traveling throughout the country, visiting presidential 
homes and Civil War battlefields. He is also a dedicated father to two 
wonderful daughters, Deidre and Erin, who are proud of his 
accomplishments.
  Mike will be leaving my office to return to one of his passions, 
urban planning, this time at the General Services Administration. There 
he will work in the Public Buildings Service, managing and preserving 
historic buildings and landmarks. I have no doubt that Mike will be an 
asset to the GSA, just as he has been to my office.
  It is with sadness, but also great pride, that we bid farewell to 
Mike McGill. He has been a true friend and a valued advisor throughout 
the years. Mike is one of California's treasures, and he will be sorely 
missed.

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