[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 152 (Friday, November 19, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S8113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ANDREW B. WILLISON

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary 
work of Andrew B. ``Drew'' Willison who has served with great 
distinction since 2007 as U.S. Senate Deputy Sergeant at Arms. Mr. 
Willison, who is leaving his position to pursue new adventures in the 
private sector, has lead a distinguished career in the U.S. Senate that 
elevated him to the highest levels of decisionmaking. His work greatly 
enhanced the safety and security of the U.S. Senate, staff, and 
visitors.
  Mr. Willison was born in Mount Vernon, OH, and was raised in Ohio, 
Missouri, Alabama, Connecticut, and Virginia. He earned a B.A. with 
Honors in government from the College of William and Mary in 1988. He 
also holds a masters' degree in public administration from the Ohio 
State University, 1990, and a law degree from the George Washington 
University, 2001.
  Mr. Willison started his government career as a presidential 
management intern at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
NASA, and later worked for the Environmental Protection Agency's acid 
rain division.
  In 1997 he joined my staff to work on the Environment and Public 
Works Committee, including the $200 billion 1998 highway bill. In 1999, 
I selected Mr. Willison to become his Appropriations Committee staff 
director for the Energy and Water Subcommittee. In this capacity, Drew 
represented the minority leader and the other Senate Democratic member 
interests on the $35 billion per year bill that funds the U.S. 
Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau 
of Reclamation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, and other smaller agencies.
  In 2007, Mr. Willison was appointed Deputy Senate Sergeant at Arms 
where he served as the chief operating officer of the Senate's largest 
organization, with over 850 employees and an annual budget exceeding 
$200 million. Mr. Willison directly supervised senior managers 
responsible for all operations, including the chief information 
officer, the chief financial officer, security and emergency 
preparedness, police operations, general counsel, human resources, the 
media and public galleries, the Employee Assistance Program, the 
Protocol Office, the Doorkeepers, the Page Program, printing, the photo 
studio, the Senate Post Office, parking, and education and training.
  Around the Office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms, Mr. Willison was 
best known not just for his accomplished and distinguished work in the 
Senate but for his love of animals, music, the latest technology and 
his extensive Amazon on-line gift list.
  Congratulations! We wish Mr. Willison all the best in his future 
endeavors.

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