Chris Coons: “I rise today to offer a tribute to a friend, a leader, and one-of-a-kind, Rich Heffron. My colleagues in the Delaware…”

“I rise today to offer a tribute to a friend, a leader, and one-of-a-kind, Rich Heffron. My colleagues in the Delaware congressional delegation--Senator Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester--join me in congratulating Rich Heffron on his long record of service to Delaware. Rich will soon be retiring as the president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and I wanted to take the time today to honor his many contributions not just to Delaware's business community but to our legal, educational, and governmental communities, to all of Delaware. Rich moved from Philadelphia to Wilmington back in 1971, attending Delaware Law School and serving as an intern for then-Senator Joe Biden. Rich later functioned as finance director for Joe Biden's 1978 senatorial campaign. Rich's career took off in 1985 when he started as a special assistant and top aide to then-Wilmington mayor Dan Frawley. Mayor Frawley wisely recognized Rich's business acumen and promoted him to director of the Department of Real Estate and Housing in 1987. There, Rich helped establish the Wilmington Housing Partnership and became one of Mayor Frawley's most trusted advisers, a key part of his ``kitchen cabinet.'' Rich later departed Wilmington city government in 1992 to embark on his journey with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, where he would serve for more than a quarter of a century.…”