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“RECOGNIZING PETE LYONS UPON RECEIVING A NEW MEXICO DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S5470 on May 22, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING PETE LYONS UPON RECEIVING A NEW MEXICO DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC
SERVICE AWARD
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, every year, New Mexico recognizes some of their own citizens who have contributed to their communities in extraordinary ways. Today, along with the citizens of New Mexico, I am grateful for this opportunity to recognize Dr. Pete Lyons for his civic service. As a Legislative Fellow in my office he serves as my science advisor and during his time with me, I have benefitted from his good advice and diligent work.
Service to one's community can be expressed in many different forms. However, it is rare to find someone as dedicated to so many diverse activities as Pete Lyons. He is a 29-year employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory while serving for 16 years on the Los Alamos School Board. Whether it is his scientific work, his initiative to help rural communities, his dedication to education and young people, or his work to improve policy in the international area, Pete shows the same integrity, insight and old-fashioned hard work.
Pete moved to New Mexico 29 years ago to work for the Laboratory as a technical staff member. He went on to serve in a number of management positions. In his career at the Lab he was the first Director of the Industrial Partnership Office where he expanded and created programs to encourage economic diversity in Northern New Mexico. He continued efforts to improve cooperation with the surrounding community through the Lab's office of Regional Economic Development and Technology Commercialization Office. Through a wide range of critical projects involving issues from telecommunications infrastructure, to telemedicine capability to improve rural health care, to technical assistance for water quality his work has been hallmarked by a dedication to the entire community both related and unrelated to the Laboratory. Since the Lab's beginning during World War II, it has been a stark contrast to the economy and cultures of the surrounding region. Through this work, Pete has helped to bridge that gap to begin a new era of cooperation and interaction for the Laboratory and the nearby communities.
In addition, I believe his service that is the most commendable is his active involvement in education. Pete recognizes that our children's future, our nation's future, is dependent upon the quality of our education system. During his sixteen years on the Los Alamos School board, he was instrumental in helping to create University of New Mexico-Los Alamos Branch College. He represented the Laboratory during negotiations with the local school district to form a foundation to provide financial support from the Lab and the Department of Energy to provide financial support for school districts where lab employees lived. During his time in my office, he has worked to bring attention to our nation's need to improve science and technology education so that America will remain competitive well into the next century.
Pete also knows that personal involvement can mean so much to young people. He has spent several years coaching soccer, sponsoring Boy Scouts, and serving as deacon in his church.
In a sense, Pete continues his civic service as a congressional fellow in my office. Over the months, he has proven to me his immense value to New Mexico and the nation. Whether the issue be rural economic development or nuclear non-proliferation, Pete brings thoughtful knowledge and keen insight to the table. He is willing to tackle controversial issues with a open mind and commitment to truthful dialogue.
I hope my colleagues will join me and my fellow New Mexicans to recognize this remarkable American.
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