Max Baucus: “I rise to pay tribute and express my deepest appreciation for a member of my staff who has served the U.S. Senate, me…”

“I rise to pay tribute and express my deepest appreciation for a member of my staff who has served the U.S. Senate, me personally, and the State of Montana admirably. Today is my State director Sharon Peterson's last day. She retires today after more than 22 year of service in the Senate. Sharon's career in public service is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work. Sharon became interested in public service after seeing the late Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield speak in Lewistown. He inspired her to give back to Montana. Which she's been doing ever since. As a Fergus County rancher, along with her husband Garde, she has always been interested in the policies that affect Montana agriculture. And she's considered an expert in the field. Sharon helped organize Montana Women Involved in Farm Economics--or WIFE--in 1975. This led to an appointment from President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Commission on Alcohol Fuels, where she served from 1979 to 1981. I remember vividly Sharon bending my ear on ethanol. She once traveled to Washington--before she was on my staff--to advocate for increased ethanol production. I remember being late for a Capitol Hill press conference and Sharon literally dragging me by my shirtsleeves to make it on time. She was just like that--always on the move, always aggressive. A former State Chair for the Montana Democratic Party, Sharon was very politically active.”