[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17699]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO PATRICIA STONESIFER

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, as regents to the Smithsonian, Senator 
Leahy, Senator Cochran, and I would like to pay tribute to an 
individual who has provided exceptional leadership to the Smithsonian 
Institution as a citizen regent, Patricia Stonesifer.
  Ms. Stonesifer was appointed to the Smithsonian Board of Regents on 
December 21, 2001. During her tenure, which included 3 years of service 
as chair of the Board of Regents, Ms. Stonesifer helped lead the 
Smithsonian's governance reform efforts.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, Patty Stonesifer's leadership and 
experience in the corporate sector, coupled with her committed 
philanthropic work, helped the Smithsonian secure major grants from the 
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create an endowment to expand youth 
access to the Smithsonian; to support the construction of the National 
Museum of African American History and Culture; and to support 
interdisciplinary scholarship and projects to address the Smithsonian's 
Four Grand Challenges of ``Understanding the American Experience, 
Valuing World Cultures, Understanding and Sustaining a Bio-diverse 
Planet, and Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe.'' Her service 
helped advance the very mission of the Smithsonian, and her commitment 
to public service continues today through her work at Martha's Table.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, Ms. Stonesifer's service to the 
Smithsonian is just one example of her commitment to the public good. 
She currently serves as president and CEO of Martha's Table, a 
nonprofit organization dedicated to developing sustainable solutions to 
poverty in the Washington, DC community. She was the founding CEO of 
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for 10 years, leading the efforts 
to strengthen public libraries and improve education in the United 
States and to improve world health by mobilizing the fight against 
polio, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other devastating diseases. In 2010, 
she was appointed chair of the White House Council on Community 
Solutions by President Obama.
  In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the institution, 
the Smithsonian Board of Regents conferred the title of regent emeritus 
on her in October. The Smithsonian is a stronger organization because 
of her service.
  Mr. REED. We invite our colleagues to join us in commending Patricia 
Stonesifer for her distinguished service to the Smithsonian Institution 
and the American people. We wish her continued success in her future 
endeavors.

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