Orrin Hatch: “I appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute today to a wonderful staff member who is a true example of a dedicated…”

“I appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute today to a wonderful staff member who is a true example of a dedicated public servant. Pat recently retired after 27 years of wonderful service to my office and the people of Utah. Pat was the public face and voice of my office. She managed the front office and phones with kindness as she greeted literally thousands of people each year. No matter the issue or the anger, Pat would answer each constituent with grace and compassion. She loved people, and it showed in her every day interactions. She always made the time to listen to visitors to our office, and she truly cared about the problems they were facing. She became the first-line advocate for many, many Utahns who were having problems with the Federal Government, and she would make sure that their calls were returned and their issues addressed. At times the front desk phones would get extremely busy and many of the calls were from angry constituents. Yet you could always find Pat with a smile on her face and a calm demeanor. She was a strong advocate for the policies and issues I was fighting for on behalf of Utah in our Nation's Capital and always conveyed this in a down-to earth manner. No matter the disagreement, most callers left a conversation with Pat feeling better about why they called. Pat made friends with everyone and was well known throughout the Federal Building.…”