[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         TRIBUTE TO JACI HOLMES

 Mr. KING. Madam President, today I wish to recognize the 
outstanding career of Jaci Holmes and congratulate her on a well-
deserved retirement from the Maine Department of Education. For nearly 
35 years, Jaci dedicated herself to advocating for Maine children and 
ensuring that their educational needs are not only met, but surpassed.
  Jaci started her career in education as a kindergarten and first 
grade teacher where she quickly saw the importance of providing strong 
educations from the beginning of childhood. This passion and 
understanding brought her to Westbrook College in Portland, ME, where 
she chaired the early childhood education department for 7 years and 
used her experience in the classroom to help others to become educators 
themselves. Her passion for education, particularly early childhood 
education, only grew as she joined the Maine Department of Education--
DOE--in 1989.
  At the DOE, Jaci has served under five Governors and 13 Maine DOE 
commissioners--a remarkable feat that is a testament to her dedication 
to education and Maine's children. Her time at the department included 
tenures in several senior roles, including 12 years as the director of 
the child development services system and most recently as the Federal 
and State legislative liaison since 2000.
  In these positions, Jaci played an instrumental role in shaping two 
decades of State and Federal education legislation. Her guiding hand 
can be seen throughout many of the most meaningful modernizations of 
the way students learn and are supported. This legacy of extraordinary 
impact was epitomized by the key testimony she provided Congress on the 
reauthorization of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act--IDEA. Thanks to her feedback, the IDEA was able to better meet the 
needs of Maine's children with disabilities.
  During the pandemic, Jaci did what she has done throughout her entire 
career and stepped up to serve Maine's children. In the height of the 
COVID-19 crisis, she served on the elementary and secondary school 
emergency relief team and helped to oversee the distribution of the 
CARES Act funding to Maine schools.
  Jaci's lifetime of public service is truly admirable, and I know that 
others will be inspired to carry on her work supporting Maine's next 
generation.
  Jaci, your dedication and presence at the Maine DOE will be dearly 
missed and not soon forgotten. Thank you for all that you have done, 
and I hope that you will enjoy your retirement and some more time out 
on Casco Bay.

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