[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2056-2057]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO IRENE GAINER

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to congratulate Irene Gainer on her 
upcoming retirement from Federal service. Most of my colleagues know 
Irene through her husband, Senate Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer, but 
today Irene gets the spotlight as I take a few minutes to recognize her 
impressive career.
  Many great things come from Chicago, including Irene, who was born 
and raised in Chicago. Chicago is also where she met her husband Terry 
and started her first career as a nurse. She attended the College of 
St. Francis and St. Bernard's School of Nursing. During the early years 
of their marriage, Irene joined Terry as the Navy moved them around the 
country from Rhode Island to Virginia and then to California. In each 
State Irene worked as a nurse, and to this day she maintains her 
licenses and professional credentials in all three States.
  Irene also worked in Illinois hospitals, including St. Bernard's 
Hospital, Christ Hospital, Central Community Hospital, and for 14 years 
at the Little Company of Mary Hospital.
  In 1988, Irene started her second career--she began law school at 
John Marshall. Irene attended law school during the day, continued 
working nights as a nurse at Little Company of Mary Hospital, and--did 
I mention?--she and her husband were raising their six children.
  After law school graduation in 1990, Irene accepted a job as Clerk in 
the Circuit Court of Cook County. She also worked for the State of 
Illinois as Assistant Director of Health and Energy Policy, served as 
General Counsel and Executive Director of the Illinois Alcoholism and 
Drug Dependence Association, and as an associate in a law firm.
  Irene and Terry moved to Washington, DC in 1998. While living here in 
DC, Irene has worked for the National Treatment Accountability for 
Safer Communities, Sibley Memorial Hospital, and the Peace Corps. And 
for the past 5 years, she has been Director of the Hearing Office for 
the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Medicare 
Hearings and Appeals.
  If Irene's busy career is any indication, there is little chance she 
will spend much idle time in retirement. Between volunteering with her 
local Catholic church and staying in touch with her six children spread 
around the world, she is sure to stay active.
  I thank Irene for her many years of Federal service and wish her all 
the

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best in retirement. And I especially hope that she and Terry find lots 
of time to spend with their 14 grandchildren.

                          ____________________