[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 144 (Tuesday, August 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5988-S5989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO FRED SCHUSTER

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am writing to recognize a longtime 
member of my staff, who will shortly retire from public service, after 
honorably serving me and the people of Iowa for over 35 years.
  Fred Schuster joined my staff in 1984 as my regional director in Des 
Moines, IA. He had been president of the Iowa State University student 
body and a member of ISU's Cardinal Key Honor Society. He had also been 
president of the College Republicans of Iowa.
  In 1987, I asked Fred to move to Waterloo and become the regional 
director. During this time, Fred was elected president of the largest 
Kiwanis club in North East Iowa and served as its lieutenant governor, 
covering seven other clubs. He was appointed to the Cedar Falls Library 
Board and was elected an officer each year he served. He was also 
selected to be on the North East Iowa regional library board. In 1999, 
there was a devastating flood in northeast Iowa, the recovery from 
which resulted in a significant shortage of drywall in the region. Fred 
worked to get suppliers to provide extra drywall to the Waterloo area 
stores. One of the companies instead provided two semi loads for free, 
which was distributed by the Area Agency on Aging to those in greatest 
need.
  In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Fred to be the Region 7 
Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services covering 
the States of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and

[[Page S5989]]

Kansas. At its peak, there were over 600 employees at HHS in that 
region. Fred traveled extensively, visiting with the Governors and 
State and Federal officials and testified before congressional 
committees. Fred was ranked overall the best regional director in each 
of the last 3 years he served.
  Following Fred's service in the Bush administration, he returned to 
work as my State business and economic liaison. Part of his 
responsibilities was to raise funds and plan an ambassadors tour I had 
been hosting every other year at that time to foster and facilitate 
greater awareness of Iowa's workforce and exports with those assigned 
to the U.S. Embassy in Washington from nationals around the world. 
Iowa's an exporting State with outstanding manufacturing and leading in 
agriculture commodities. Even though 2009 was a challenging economic 
time, Fred raised more than enough to cover the cost of the 
ambassadors' airfare to and from Washington, DC, renting three 
commercial tour buses, and organized lodging for the diplomats, 
security detail, and staff. He organized the cultural, educational, 
manufacturing, and agricultural sites for the ambassadors to visit.
  In January 2011, I asked Fred to become the regional director in my 
Cedar Rapids office, the role he presently holds. Fred again took an 
active role in the recovery from the flood of 2016, visiting the 
numerous communities and businesses damaged by the floodwaters.
  Fred Schuster will retire from my office after more than 35 years of 
service to me and my office, the U.S. Senate, and the people of Iowa, 
effective September 11, 2018. His honest, thoughtful, helpful, and 
insightful wisdom and advice have been valuable to me and to everyone 
with whom he connected. His absence will be a loss to my office, but I 
am glad that he will have more time to spend with his daughters, 
granddaughter, and friends, as well as to visit the remaining of the 50 
State capitols and Presidential historical sites. I greatly value 
Fred's friendship and his commitment to public service, and I wish him 
well.

                          ____________________