[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 19272]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO KAREN PONZURICK BROWN

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the outstanding 
work of an invaluable member of my staff. Karen Ponzurick Brown, who is 
really quite young, has already reached 25 years of service on Capitol 
Hill, and she has chosen to retire. For 7\1/2\ years, she has worked 
tirelessly in a job that calls for 24/7/365 attention. I cannot thank 
her enough for her dedicated assistance. And I also thank her husband 
Paul who has shared his wife's attention with me for these many years.
  Karen came to work for me at a time when technology was rapidly 
changing for the position that she held. While she had never worked in 
this type of capacity before, her sharp mind and intuitive sense 
quickly assessed how to put together a system that ensured Idahoans 
received priority attention on my schedule. She has been instrumental 
in creating efficiencies and effective processes in our office and in 
my time. Karen is conscientious, structured and hardworking. She was 
accessible to anyone who needed her and was a mentor to many of our 
staff. Her calm demeanor has soothed many agitated callers seeking 
appointments. Her sense of decorum has provided me and my staff with a 
greater sense of professionalism. Her ability to anticipate challenges 
has saved the day many times over. I have great respect for her 
thorough, diligent and well-thought-out approach to tackling any 
problem, and I will truly miss having her input on the many challenges 
that are encountered in our everyday workplace.
  But above all her professional qualities, Karen has been a great 
friend and trusted advisor, and there are no words strong enough to 
express my gratitude for that friendship, which I hope will continue. 
No matter the challenges at hand, she always strives to meet and exceed 
expectations. Karen has been a great asset to me, my staff, Idahoans 
and countless others throughout her two and a half decades of committed 
public service. Thank you, Karen, for your dedication. Your confident 
and strong guidance will truly be missed, and I wish you all the best. 
Retirement has been a tough choice for you, but I know that you are at 
peace with that decision, and you are certainly young enough to enjoy 
it!

                          ____________________