[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 111 (Thursday, July 12, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S9127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO BOB VAN HEUVELEN

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my chief of 
staff upon his retirement from the U.S. Senate. Robert Van Heuvelen is 
recognized not only by me, but also by his colleagues and other 
Members, as a highly respected, effective, and engaging public servant.
  Mr. Van Heuvelen has had a remarkable career in the Federal 
Government, spanning over 32 years. Bob first came to Capitol Hill in 
1975 to work as a legislative assistant for the Honorable Quentin 
Burdick in the Senate. Following that, he served as assistant counsel 
for the Environment and Public Works Committee for the Honorable Edmund 
Muskie. He remained in Washington and went on to work as a Federal 
prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice, rising to the position of 
deputy and acting chief of the Department of Justice's environmental 
enforcement section, and eventually to director of the Office of 
Regulatory Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency.
  For the past 10 years, I have been privileged to have Bob serve on my 
staff, first as policy director and then as chief of staff. He brought 
with him extensive experience in Government and his lifelong dedication 
to our home State of North Dakota.
  During his tenure in my office, some of his most notable 
accomplishments include coordinating disaster relief for the 
devastating 1997 flood of Grand Forks, spearheading the work of a 
tobacco task force to formulate a strong public health response to the 
tobacco settlements, fighting for a fair Medicare distribution formula 
and estate tax reform. He also made great strides in developing strong 
working relations with both his Democratic and Republican colleagues. 
Bob has helped organize monthly breakfasts, dinners, and policy 
meetings for chiefs of staff of both parties, fostering a sense of 
bipartisanship, an accomplishment which is truly praiseworthy.
  Bob is a native of Bismarck, ND. He earned his bachelor's degree at 
Macalester College in Minnesota. Following that, he attended the 
University of Minnesota, where he received his master's degree in 
public policy, and George Washington University, where he received his 
juris doctor. Today, Bob and his wife of 30 years, Jane Sherburne, live 
in Bethesda, MD. They have three wonderful children--Ben, Elizabeth, 
and Will.
  As Bob goes forward in his life and on to other endeavors, I hope 
that he proudly looks back at his time here on Capitol Hill and 
realizes the tremendous difference he has made for North Dakota, our 
Nation, and in the lives of so many people. I am honored to have had 
the pleasure to work with him and look forward to our ongoing 
friendship. We have had great fun doing the Nation's business, and I 
will miss him. I commend Bob for his many achievements and superior 
service and wish him the very best.

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