[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 183 (Wednesday, December 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S8724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JEFF SAYER

 Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, my colleague Senator Jim Risch joins 
me today in expressing our gratitude to Jeff Sayer, a great Idahoan and 
public servant. We honor Jeff's contributions over the past few years 
as he transitions from State service.
  Jeff Sayer has served honorably as the State of Idaho director of the 
Department of Commerce since October 2011. During his 4 years of 
service at the Department of Commerce, Jeff accomplished many important 
objectives. They include the reorganization of the department, making 
it leaner and more responsive to business. Jeff likes to say that he 
wants a department that ``moves at the speed of business,'' and he was 
successful in meeting that goal. Jeff launched the Idaho Global 
Entrepreneurial Mission and established the Idaho Opportunity Fund, as 
well as Idaho's Tax Reimbursement Incentive that resulted in 4,047 new 
jobs, $496 million in new capital investments, $1.65 billion in total 
wages, and $288 million in new State revenue. These are just some of 
the impressive accomplishments of the Department of Commerce under the 
direction of Jeff Sayer.
  Jeff's leadership of the Governor's Leadership in Nuclear Energy, or 
LINE, Commission is equally important. Jeff started this commission, 
led it through a complete review of the State's role in supporting 
nuclear energy and Idaho National Laboratory, and oversaw the 
completion of a final report that is still helping guide policymakers 
in Idaho and Washington, DC.
  While we congratulate Jeff on being presented with an outstanding 
opportunity to return to the private sector, we are saddened to be 
losing his leadership and talents in State government. We wish Jeff and 
his wife, Laurel, well in their new endeavor and look forward to still 
leaning on Jeff for guidance and wisdom on a frequent basis.

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