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“IN RECOGNITION OF KEN FISCHER FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E627 on May 11, 2017.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF KEN FISCHER FOR 30 YEARS OF SERVICE ON BEHALF OF THE
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
______
HON. DEBBIE DINGELL
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ken Fischer for his 30 years as President of the University of Michigan's University Musical Society. Under Mr. Fischer's leadership, UMS has become one of the leading performing arts organizations in the country, brought some of the world's top performers and artists to the University of Michigan, and provided unparalleled cultural and artistic opportunities at the University and to the southeast Michigan community.
Mr. Fischer has been the President of UMS since 1987. During these years, Mr. Fischer has helped the UMS grow and expand its artistic offerings to the wider southeast Michigan community by attracting world-class performers to UMS, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, UMS has partnered with local communities to expand access to the arts. He has done extensive work with metro Detroit's Arab American community, which launched a multiyear program to showcase art from different regions and cultures. Under Mr. Fischer's direction, UMS has also commissioned many new works, sponsored artist residences, and organized collaborative performances with local, national and international artists.
Mr. Fischer's outstanding tenure has positioned UMS for success in the coming years. In addition to introducing new programs and expanding the organization's outreach to students and new members of the southeast Michigan community, Mr. Fischer has also grown the organization's development efforts to support these new initiatives. Since appointing Mr. Fischer as President, UMS's budget has increased fourfold, allowing it to reach new audiences. Mr. Fischer has also worked to further intercultural understanding by serving as a speaker and cultural ambassador to Brazil, China, Lithuania and Mexico under the direction of the U.S. State Department. Because of Mr. Fischer's outstanding leadership for three decades, UMS was chosen as a 2014 recipient of the National Medal of the Arts, which is awarded by the President of the United States to organizations that have demonstrated artistic excellence.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Ken Fischer for his 30 years of success as President of the University of Michigan's University Musical Society. Mr. Fischer talent and passion for the arts has built a world-class organization that offers access to artistic performances to a variety of audiences.
