[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 23105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO MARY DAY

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today, I rise to thank a longtime member 
of my staff who is retiring from the Senate. Mary Day began working in 
my Cedar Rapids office in 1987 as a constituent services specialist, 
and in 1996 rose to become the regional director based in the same 
office.
  You would be hard pressed to find somebody in the region who doesn't 
know Mary. It is no wonder. She is a tireless worker for the 14-county 
area in eastern Iowa, and her infectious sense of humor, genuine 
demeanor, and kindness was sought by those she came across in her daily 
travels around the region.
  There isn't anybody who knows the pulse of the community like Mary. 
She has been through the good, the bad, and the ugly. She has seen 
historic floods and business downturns. Through it all, Mary has 
remained a good-hearted, conscientious and effective staff member.
  We spent many hours over the years traveling from county to county in 
her region. Mary wasn't always the most spirited or active person in 
the early hours of the day, but she was forever reliable and dependable 
no matter what hour of the day.
  Not only has Mary been dedicated to the people of Iowa, but she also 
served as a mentor, confidant, and friend to others on my staff. Her 
colleagues say that Mary was their ``go-to'' person. She knew the 
bureaucracy inside and out and had sound advice on how to handle just 
about any situation.
  The people of Iowa have been fortunate to have somebody like Mary Day 
working on their behalf for the last 23 years. I have been privileged 
to have her represent me in such a well-respected and honest manner.
  Thank you, Mary, for everything you have done for me and the people 
of Iowa.

                          ____________________