[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 7, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         TRIBUTE TO LORIE TUDOR

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize Lorie 
Tudor who is retiring from the Arkansas Department of Transportation 
(ARDOT) after an accomplished career, including the last 4 years as its 
director.
  Tudor started at ARDOT in 1981 as a clerk typist and served the 
agency for 14 years before departing to obtain an engineering degree. 
She then returned after graduating from the University of Memphis in 
1997 to begin working as a civil engineer.
  In March of 2020, she became ARDOT's first female director. Facing 
the COVID-19 pandemic and an emergency closing of the Hernando de Soto 
I-40 Mississippi River Bridge in 2021, as well as other major 
endeavors, her steady hand and trusted leadership made the 
transformation of our State's transportation network possible.
  Tudor embodies the Arkansas spirit of service. Her commitment to the 
organization, its staff, and its role within communities across the 
Natural State has been essential.
  During her 41-year tenure at ARDOT, she helped secure a stable and 
reliable funding stream; guided the completion of the Connecting 
Arkansas Program, which modernized our State's transportation systems; 
played an important role in several interstate designations; oversaw 
the final stages of construction of the Bella Vista Bypass; and ensured 
progress on key projects including I-30 and I-69, as well as the Thomas 
B. Schueck Highway.
  She is a dedicated public servant who has spent her career striving 
to make Arkansas better. Tudor's expertise has been widely recognized, 
including her selection as president of the Southern Association of 
State Highway and Transportation Officials and appointment to the State 
Board for Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional 
Surveyors in October 2020, on which she served as president in 2023.
  Director Lorie Tudor has served ARDOT and our State with incredible 
devotion and skill. I am grateful for all she has contributed to 
improve our State's transportation infrastructure and appreciate our 
valuable partnership. I know her impact will continue to be felt for 
generations to come and wish her the best of luck in 
retirement.

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