[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13696]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO PATRICE BOLLING AND MELISSA MOODY

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I rise today with some sadness, but also 
with great pride, to announce that two of my most trusted Senate aides 
will be leaving my staff. Both have been faithful and selfless in their 
service to the State of Arkansas, and their contributions will be 
sorely missed by me, my staff, and the many Arkansans who have had the 
great fortune of working with these two wonderful public servants.
  Patrice Bolling first came to my office before I had even been 
officially sworn in as Senator. However, she has known the importance 
of public service much longer. While still in college, Patrice came to 
Washington for a summer internship in the White House Scheduling Office 
during the Clinton Administration. She also had the opportunity to work 
on the staff of my good friend, Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas. Not 
long after receiving her diploma from the University of Arkansas at 
Fayetteville, she worked for the Democratic Party of Arkansas and soon 
found herself serving as executive director of the State party. Patrice 
then returned to Washington to serve as the scheduler, executive 
assistant and legislative assistant on the staff of Congressman Marion 
Berry of Arkansas. I personally came to know Patrice's hard work and 
dedication when she took time from her duties on Congressman Berry's 
staff to work on my campaign for Senate in 2002. Soon after my 
election, Patrice came to my staff as the scheduler--and I am not sure 
that my good friend, Congressman Berry, has ever forgiven me. Since 
that time, I have found Patrice to be an invaluable asset to my staff; 
so much so that earlier this year she became our office's operations 
director. Patrice's leadership in helping establish my Washington, DC 
office was instrumental. While I am sad to see Patrice leave my staff, 
I am proud of what she has helped our office accomplish in the past 
2\1/2\ years. I am confident she will prove as valuable in her new 
position with a top advertising firm in Austin, TX, and I wish her 
nothing but the best of luck.
  Melissa Moody has been involved in public service to the State of 
Arkansas since her graduation from the University of Arkansas. She too 
worked for Senator Bumpers as an intern and as a staff member before 
returning to Arkansas to pursue a law degree. Although she had not yet 
finished her studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law 
School, Melissa accepted my invitation to join my staff in the Arkansas 
attorney general's office during my term there. It was there that I saw 
what an outstanding attitude and work ethic she possesses. She later 
became my scheduler during my Senate campaign and later returned to 
Washington as my executive assistant. From the time I met Melissa 6 
years ago, she has proven herself to be a dedicated, organized, 
hardworking, and caring employee. While the demands of her 
responsibilities would be overwhelming to some, she has always remained 
levelheaded. Her concern for others, her sense of humor, and her 
consistent optimism have made her a favorite of her coworkers and a 
good friend to me. She has been an integral part of our office's 
success. Melissa is moving home to Arkansas to practice law, where I am 
certain that the traits that allowed her to become one of my most 
indispensable staffers will allow her to be a successful and 
compassionate advocate for her clients. I wish her every success.
  Both Patrice and Melissa will be missed by my staff and me. We all 
wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors and look forward 
to the day our paths will cross again.

                          ____________________