[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11567]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ROBERT J. SEMLER

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I rise today joined by my New 
England colleagues Senators Jeffords, Kerry, Snowe, Reed, Dodd, Gregg, 
Lieberman, Chafee, Collins, and Leahy to congratulate Robert J. Semler 
as he ends an impressive career as the Regional Administrator for the 
Department of Labor. Since 1985, Bob has been responsible for the 
administration of the Federal employment and training programs 
throughout New England. He has ensured that workers and employers in 
New England understood and took advantage of the opportunities in the 
Job Training Partnership Act, the School-to-Work Act, the Welfare-to-
Work Act, and most recently in the Workforce Investment Act. He has 
taken federal programs from print to the people and made every program 
work for the particular needs of New England.
  During his 33-year career with the Department of Labor Bob has 
actively tried to meet the needs of employers and employees, 
understanding that economic development means investing in people. He 
has made the six New England States operate as a region, and with that 
collaboration has come a renewed commitment to the cross-State 
initiatives that have allowed our region to remain competitive in 
attracting new industries.
  Bob's commitment to people began with his time with the Peace Corps. 
From 1964 to 1970 he served as the Western Venezuela Regional Director 
overseeing Peace Corps volunteers and programs that worked with 
community development, health initiatives and agricultural 
cooperatives. He took the lessons learned in community building and 
imbedded those beliefs in the implementation of job training policy 
over the next 27 years.
  Countless New England workers have raised their skills and found 
better jobs because of the work of Bob Semler, and it is with great 
pride and genuine affection that we recognize his impressive 
contributions to our region and wish him all our best as he begins the 
next phase in his impressive career.

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