[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 78 (Monday, June 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S6497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    TRIBUTE TO ROBERT CLIFFORD UERZ

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to Robert 
Clifford Uerz, an outstanding Vermonter and a national leader in the 
not-for-profit sector. As he prepares to retire from his position as 
president and CEO of the American Lung Association of Vermont, it is 
important to reflect on how much one person can accomplish in serving 
others.
  Robert ``Bob'' Uerz has had a distinguished career with the American 
Lung Association. He has served the organization for a quarter of a 
century working in various chapters in the States of New York, 
Connecticut, and most recently serving in Vermont.
  Bob has been on the forefront of the association's efforts in Vermont 
to carry forward its worthy goals of reducing the presence of lung 
disease and improving lung health in our communities through preventive 
measures.
  He was the primary force in establishing the American Lung 
Association's Asthma Clinical Research Center at the University of 
Vermont, an institution that has served Vermonters and others by 
advancing medical knowledge through research. I was indeed impressed 
with the national implications of this study and responded by securing 
$500,000 in Federal funds to further our understanding of ways to 
prevent and treat asthma.
  Bob has proven himself to be an effective educator and advocate in 
Vermont by striving to protect and improve the quality of indoor and 
outdoor air and by expanding services to residents with lung disease or 
those at risk of developing lung disease. His leadership was key to the 
establishment of the Better Breathers Support Group Network in Vermont.
  Bob has always brought a high level of integrity and dignity to every 
task. It has become impossible to separate the identity and good name 
of the American Lung Association of Vermont from the name of Robert 
Clifford Uerz.
  Bob's unwavering commitment toward improving the quality of life of 
Vermonters of all ages is a model for all who aspire to lead in the 
not-for-profit sector. The people of our Green Mountain State are truly 
indebted to him. He has our best wishes for the future.

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