[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S5968]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO TOM SULLIVAN

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
exceptional leadership and dedication of my deputy chief of staff Tom 
Sullivan, who has been with me since my first days in the Senate and 
will soon be leaving to accept a senior adviser role at the U.S. State 
Department.
  To say that Tom will be missed would be an understatement. Over the 
last 6 years, he has distinguished himself as an invaluable member of 
my staff, rising through the ranks and filling many key roles along the 
way. He started out as a legislative assistant, but it wasn't long 
before he was serving as my deputy legislative director and, 
eventually, my deputy chief of staff.
  In many ways you could call Tom the nerve center of my office--the 
utility player who can step in and perform virtually any task that is 
asked of him, regardless of whether it is press strategy or scheduling 
or legislative analysis. No policy was ever too complex for him, no 
assignment too daunting, no challenge too thorny.
  Tom's versatility is especially apparent in his knowledge of policy, 
which spans the full spectrum of State and Federal issues. He came to 
my office with a background in foreign relations but quickly became an 
expert in everything from energy to technology to health care, 
mastering and remembering even the most minute of details without 
losing sight of the forest for the trees. That is a rare talent, and 
Tom has it in spades.
  Mr. President, as you know, Senate offices often become like their 
own little family units. In the last 6 years, Tom Sullivan has become 
an esteemed member of the Klobuchar family, and he will be sorely 
missed--not just for his skill and expertise but for his composure, 
kindness, and unflappable good nature. We wish Tom well in his new 
position at the State Department and know that we can expect to see 
great things from him as he begins a new and exciting journey in public 
service.

                          ____________________