[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23552]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ROBERT SNYDER

 Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to a singularly 
worthy public servant, Mr. Robert Snyder, Senior Executive Service, who 
has served our country and the American people with great distinction 
for over 35 years. I make this statement to recognize his retirement 
from his current position as Executive Director and senior civilian of 
the Missile Defense Agency.
  Rob Snyder has been uniquely qualified to discharge his 
responsibilities at MDA. A graduate of Temple University in business 
administration, he went on to earn two masters degrees, one in business 
and another in public administration. He is a graduate of executive 
programs at American University, the Federal Executive Institute, and 
Harvard. And he served with honor in Vietnam with the U.S. Army.
  After working for almost two decades elsewhere in the Defense 
Department--most of that time involved in trench warfare over budgets--
in 1988, he came to the missile defense business. That year, he was 
promoted to the Senior Executive Service as the Deputy Comptroller of 
SDIO, the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. His maturity of 
judgment, breadth of experience, and absolute integrity quickly made 
him a driving force for getting things done, and done the right way. 
Five years ago, after earning several promotions, he was made the first 
Executive Director of what was then BMDO, the Ballistic Missile Defense 
Organization, and is now MDA.
  His responsibilities increased, but he never lost his focus on 
programmatic issues. When we, here on the Hill, needed accurate and 
timely responses to our detailed questions on what has always been a 
politically contentious program, more often than not, it was Rob Snyder 
who came over to brief us. We always came away from those meetings 
better informed of the specifics and purposes behind the issues at 
hand, and with a clearer understanding of the rationale for Agency 
decisions and recommendations.
  We came to rely on him the same way that multiple Directors have, 
first, of SDIO, then, of BMDO, and now, of MDA. He has been, almost 
single-handedly, the missile defense program's institutional memory.
  His work on various Agency efforts has been largely out of public 
view. But that's not to say he didn't have an impact. Program audits, 
financial controls, budgetary accuracy, facility relocation, personnel 
management--all must be managed efficiently, effectively, and with 
absolute integrity. Any shortcomings here can lead to chaos in an 
organization. Yet as the Agency's first Executive Director, Rob Snyder 
maintained the highest standards, held himself accountable, and kept 
this infrastructure in solid shape so that senior program managers 
could focus on making the missile defense program a successful one.
  He has been a hero behind the scenes, and because of his enduring 
contributions to the missile defense program, we stand on the threshold 
of eliminating long-standing vulnerabilities to the very real threat of 
ballistic missile attack to our homeland, our deployed troops, and our 
allies and friends.
  Among other recognitions, he has received the Department of Defense's 
highest award for civilians. With over 16 years in the SES--almost half 
of his Federal service--he has had an extraordinarily productive career 
and one we in this Chamber are right to honor.
  We will miss his wise counsel as he moves on to a well-earned 
retirement. We owe him a profound debt of gratitude for the 
contributions he has made to our Nation and our security over a 
lifetime of service. I am sure I speak for all of us in this body in 
saying that we wish him and his family many years of health and 
happiness.

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