[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 169 (Thursday, October 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MARGARET BALLARD

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a dedicated and 
treasured member of my staff, Margaret Ballard, and thank her for her 
more than 21 years of congressional service.
  Margaret joined my congressional staff as an intern in 1997 when I 
served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as she was studying for 
her master's degree at Boise State University. She quickly proved 
herself to be bright, adept, and dependable, traits that have made her 
an integral member of my staff. She currently serves as administrative 
director and has served in this position since late 2001, but she has 
carried out many different tasks and filled in for various State 
positions as we developed as an organization. Her experience, 
knowledge, and skill from working in so many areas enable her to 
understand the roles of fellow staff and effectively connect office 
functions.
  Margaret is the glue that holds my office together. As administrative 
director, she oversees the day-to-day administrative work that is so 
critical to office functions and responsiveness to the people of Idaho. 
Margaret keeps track of the intricate details and requirements of 
operating a Senate office, including the Senate rules. Margaret also 
recognizes staff achievements and finds opportunities to provide levity 
and boost morale. She has carried out meticulous work to enhance office 
operations and coordinate the efforts of the staff. Her long-term 
dedication to this effort has been vital to ensuring office efficiency. 
Every organization needs Margaret's kind of continuity and know-how.
  To put the many changes Margaret has been a part of over the past 20 
years into perspective, she recalls that, when she started back in 
1997, all State offices had to share a dial-up internet connection and 
she had to coordinate when each office could call in and connect for 
internet service. With the technological advances since, those 
connection phases are a dim memory. Margaret has handled each new phase 
with tact and proficiency as she helped build our office 
administratively.
  Prior to joining my staff, Margaret was the State emergency response 
commission chief of staff for 9 and a half years. Before that position, 
she was an administrative assistant for the mayor and city council of 
Glendale, CO, for 2 and a half years. She has worked in all three 
levels of government, local, State, and Federal Service. On a personal 
note, Margaret and her husband Troy Gugel have a son and daughter. They 
are grandparents to a grandson and have a granddaughter on the way.
  Margaret, thank you for your steady, committed, and skilled work all 
these years. The adjectives I could list to describe you could go on 
and on: well-organized, resourceful, professional. Above all, I know 
that I have always been able to count on you to get the job done well 
for the people of Idaho. This is the core of what it means to be an 
outstanding member of the staff and, more importantly, a friend. 
Congratulations on the work milestone you have surpassed, and thank for 
lending your talents to working on behalf of Idahoans all these years.

                          ____________________