[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 118 (Wednesday, July 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4283-S4284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MARTHA CRANLEY

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize my friend 
Martha Cranley, who will retire at the end of the summer after a 
distinguished career in service to children, families, and communities 
throughout Wisconsin.
  After her family moved north from Oklahoma to set roots in Madison 
during her childhood, Martha attended St. Norbert College in De Pere. 
In some ways, this is where she began her career ``serving'' 
Wisconsinites: working at a restaurant where players for the Green Bay 
Packers dined for breakfast during their training camp. Her children 
still remind her that she failed to obtain a Bart Starr autograph 
during this time.
  Following graduation, Martha returned to Madison, where she worked as 
a policy aide in both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature. 
While there, she formed many lasting relationships both professional 
and personal, the most important one being with her husband of more 
than 35 years Larry Martin.
  Martha has spent the more than three decades since her time in State 
government leading community and

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advocacy organizations throughout our great State. Early in her career, 
she served as the founding executive director of the Wisconsin 
Coalition of Independent Living Centers and was instrumental in the 
creation of a nationally recognized peer review model. Martha then led 
efforts to track, analyze, synthesize, and communicate data about the 
health and well-being of children and families in Wisconsin as director 
of the Kids Count project at Kids Forward. From there, Martha spent 
over a decade at United Way of Dane County, leading the agency's work 
to address family homelessness. To that end, she was instrumental in 
the founding of two investment funds designed to increase the creation 
of affordable housing in Dane County. Martha's leadership also 
strengthened the education, income, and health outcomes of families 
within the county.
  Fittingly, Martha chose to sunset her career as an advocate for our 
State's seniors, serving as the Wisconsin State director for AARP. 
Martha's legacy as an advocate for families at every stage of life has 
been solidified through her work to encourage the civic engagement of 
the organization's diverse membership as a means to help Wisconsinites 
age with dignity and purpose.
  Upon her retirement, Martha is looking forward to ``doing whatever 
she wants,'' including traveling, reading even more mystery novels, 
attending the theater, and spending time with her growing extended 
family.
  Martha, thank you for your positive impact on lives all over our 
State. I wish you all the best in your retirement.

                          ____________________