[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 158 (Thursday, October 20, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6867-S6868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TERRY BRACY

    Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I rise today to pay 
tribute to an outstanding public servant, Terrence L. Bracy, who has 
chaired the Udall Foundation board of trustees for 17 years.
  In 1 week, Terry, as his friends call him, will step down from his 
longtime role as chair of the board.
  In light of his impending retirement from the Udall Foundation board, 
it is fitting that we commemorate Terry's groundbreaking work on behalf 
of the foundation.
  For those of my colleagues who may not be familiar with the Udall 
Foundation, Congress created the foundation as an independent Federal 
agency in 1992, in honor of my late father, former Arizona Congressman 
Morris K. ``Mo'' Udall. The foundation, in fact, is headquartered in 
Tucson, AZ, in the congressional district that Mo Udall proudly served 
for 30 years.
  In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to honor Stewart L. Udall, Mo's 
older brother, by adding his name to the foundation. It is now known as 
the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation. My uncle Stewart 
was a congressman and also served for 8 years as U.S. Secretary of the 
Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Uncle Stewart's son 
is none other than Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, with whom I am 
proud to serve in this Chamber.

[[Page S6868]]

  The foundation was conceived as one way to carry on what has been 
described as the ``Udall ethic''--a reverence for the natural world, a 
deep commitment to public service, and a respect and admiration for 
Native American communities.
  With this ethic as his lodestar, Terry has led the board of the 
foundation, whose members are appointed by the President and confirmed 
by the Senate, from its inception. And over the past two decades, Terry 
has helped define and hone the foundation's mission, enabled it to grow 
and flourish, and ensured that it had the necessary resources to do its 
work.
  As set forth in its founding legislation, the purposes of the 
foundation are many: to increase the awareness of, the importance of, 
and promote the benefit and enjoyment of, the Nation's natural 
resources; to foster a greater recognition and understanding of the 
role of the environment, public lands, and resources in the development 
of the United States; to identify critical environmental issues; to 
develop resources to train professionals properly in environmental and 
related fields; to provide educational outreach regarding environmental 
policy; to develop resources to train Native American and Alaska Native 
professionals in health care and public policy; and through the U.S. 
Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, provide assessment, 
mediation, and other related services to resolve environmental disputes 
involving Federal agencies.
  In pursuit of these purposes, under Terry's leadership, the 
foundation has instituted several programs, including the following: 
annual scholarships and fellowships to outstanding students who intend 
to pursue careers related to the environment; annual scholarships and 
internships to outstanding Native American and Alaska Native college 
students who intend to pursue careers in health care and tribal public 
policy; Parks in Focus, which takes young people into national and 
State parks to expose them to the grandeur of the Nation's natural 
resources and instill a sustainable appreciation for the environment; 
and the Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and 
Policy, NNI, which focuses on leadership education for tribal leaders 
and on policy research. The Udall Foundation and the University of 
Arizona cofounded NNI, building on the research programs of the Harvard 
Project on American Indian Economic Development.
  Moreover, the foundation works in cooperation with the Udall Center 
for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona on various 
activities, including environmental research and conflict resolution.
  One of the foundation's most outstanding initiatives is the Native 
American Internship Program. This program provides Native American and 
Alaska Native students with an opportunity to learn about Congress, 
Cabinet departments, and the White House. I am always proud to host 
these students in my Senate office as interns, where they put their 
considerable talents to work. Getting to know those outstanding young 
people is a highlight of every year for me, and that is thanks to 
Terry's hard work.
  Terry is a one-of-a-kind leader, and he has nurtured and grown the 
foundation from a mere idea into a respected and established 
independent institution.
  Terry's retirement means that a new leader will take the helm of the 
foundation's board. We all know that change is never easy, but I am 
confident the foundation will thrive for many years to come because 
Terry laid such solid ground on which to continue to build. And the 
top-rate staff Terry helped assemble will ensure a continuity that will 
keep the foundation on mission.
  On a more personal level, I observe that Terry is the consummate 
competitor--whether on the golf course or in the legislative arena--and 
he has never shied away from a fight if it was necessary to get the 
right things done.
  I also note that during the time that he led the foundation's board 
of trustees, Terry also ran his own successful firm and played an 
active role in his community. His commitment to public service meant 
that he took time away from his own business--and more importantly, his 
family--to oversee the foundation's work. Those are the sacrifices of a 
true public servant.
  My father had that same core--he passionately believed that public 
service was an honorable calling. It is little wonder that Mo Udall 
hired Terry as his chief of staff many years ago in the U.S. House. 
Hand in hand with Representative Mo Udall, Terry worked on historic 
pieces of legislation that have protected our Nation's public lands and 
ensured that our government lived up to its obligations to Native 
Americans.
  As my dad used to say, ``If the good guys don't get involved, the 
scoundrels will.'' I know my dad would say that Terry Bracy's support 
and loyalty were invaluable to his own career. And Mo would be the 
first in line to heartily congratulate Terry on his successful tenure 
heading the foundation's board and creating a lasting public service 
legacy.
  Terry wasn't just important to my dad, he was important to my Uncle 
Stewart. And I want to mention that it was Terry who suggested changing 
the official name of the Udall Foundation to recognize my uncle, the 
late Stewart L. Udall as well.
  My dad and my uncle were extremely close, and Terry believed that 
naming the foundation for both Udalls, on one level, brought them 
together again. The christening of the foundation's building in Tucson, 
AZ, 2 years ago was the last significant public appearance that Stewart 
made before he died, and it was a proud and moving day for all of us. I 
treasure the photos that were taken that day of the Udall family, and I 
will always cherish the memories. I credit Terry with making that day 
possible.
  The Udall Foundation will recognize Terry Bracy's contributions at a 
dinner in Tucson on October 27. I am sorry that I won't be able to 
attend the function, as I will be on international travel. But while I 
can't be there in person, I will be there in spirit, applauding Terry 
for everything that he has done for the foundation and its important 
mission.
  In the meantime, I urge everyone in this body to join me in 
recognizing Terry Bracy for his many significant contributions. Terry, 
thank you.

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