Angie Craig: “let me take a few additional moments to speak to the Senate about a friend of ours who has worked with us in the Senate…”

“let me take a few additional moments to speak to the Senate about a friend of ours who has worked with us in the Senate for a good number of years. This week marks the last week of work for the Senate in the career of Loretta Symms. Loretta, as I mentioned, has become a friend of all of us while she has worked n the Senate. Loretta, who is originally from Coeur d'Alene, IO, moved to Washington in the midseventies and began her career working for then- Congressman Steve Symms as executive assistant and office manager. In 1981, after Congressman Symms was elected to the Senate, Loretta became his executive secretary and then office manager. Most in the Senate got to know Loretta in 1987 when Senator Bob Dole appointed her as the Republican representative to the Sergeant at Arms Office. Between 1987 and 1996, Loretta filled a number of positions within that organization. As its director, she restructured the Capitol Facilities Department, providing career ladders, formal position descriptions, instituting reading programs, basic computer classes for employees, and other training programs--clearly, an effort to build a more professional staff within the Sergeant at Arms Office.”