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Floor Speech

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Mr. BROWN. I thank the Presiding Officer from the State just north of mine.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor a longtime member of my staff, Diana Baron, as she celebrates her 25th year serving the people of Ohio.

Diana is a dedicated public servant, a caring colleague, and an effective and indispensable member of my staff. She is on the floor right now wondering why we got her in here. I see the surprise on her face, but the camera will not show that.

Despite growing up in Oklahoma City, graduating from Tufts University in Boston--a school she still dearly loves--Diana found her way to this Ohio office 25 years ago. We are lucky that she stayed.

Today, new staff are always surprised to hear that Diana isn't from Ohio. She knows more about our State than almost anybody I know. Over the years, we have given her the title of ``Honorary Ohioan.''

She joined our team serving Ohioans back when I worked down the hall, when I represented the people of Lorian, Elyria, Medina, and Wadsworth, in that part of northeast Ohio. She worked her way up. After a few years serving as a legislative assistant, Diana was ready for something new.

As we moved to the Senate, Diana led the way. With her command of logistics, her efficiency, and her work ethic, she found a role that suited her perfectly and suited us perfectly: director of scheduling-- one of the most important offices, as all of my colleagues know, in the U.S. Senate. She has been leading the way ever since. From making sure I can meet with every Ohioan possible to making it all over the State to roundtables and plant tours and picket lines and speeches and events, Diana is behind the scenes making it happen. Surely--pardon the cliche--she keeps the trains running every day, every hour. She navigates ever-changing vote schedules in this body, getting staff the information they need to do their jobs. You always rely on her to get it done.

We don't always make it easy. My staff, I--none of us makes it easy. There is always another event to schedule, something to change, a meeting with an Ohioan who drops by at the last minute, or a different corner of the State to visit when I am home every weekend. Day to day, messages go long, traffic slows us down, but Diana keeps at it. She is always thinking three steps ahead of each of us. She comes ready, if plan A doesn't work, to do plan B; if plan B doesn't work, to do plan C.

We ask Diana to fit more in 1 day than 24 hours should allow. She not only makes the most of every minute, she makes an exceptionally challenging job look oh so easy. She makes it look easy on the hardest days, on the days when the stress has to be pretty overwhelming. She juggles a million different responsibilities. That doesn't go unnoticed. That is why I am here.

Ohioans, on their way in and out of meetings, express their gratitude to Diana for making it happen. They thank her for fitting them in. They thank her for making them feel welcome. They thank her for sometimes rearranging the day to do so. She goes above and beyond to carve out the time they need to share their priorities or concerns or ideas. She makes sure they know their advocacy is important and a priority for this office. This office is known for reaching out and listening to people because the best ideas don't come from me; they come from Ohioans.

Ohioans are lucky to have Diana on their side, and so am I. Diana is an invaluable resource to every department. Her work supports every single part of the office. It makes our day-to-day operations possible. She is the glue that holds it all together.

Among the Senate schedulers, Diana is a force. Everybody knows her. Everybody knows that if you want to learn how to do this job, director of scheduling, talk to Diana Baron. Staffers at every stage of their careers look to her, look up to her, seek her advice, and rely on her counsel. In our office, Diana, it goes without saying, is an institution.

As we came upon this milestone of 25 years earlier this calendar year, her current colleagues and former staff shared stories with us-- with Maggie in our office and Sarah, both sitting with Diana in the back--shared stories of memories and tributes to working alongside her. While every submission mentioned Diana's effectiveness as a scheduler, the testaments and testimony of who she is and how she engages and cares for her colleagues were just--no other way to put it-- overwhelming.

Every year, she brings Ohio State and DC staff and Brown alums together for the annual March Madness bracket competition. She has been doing it for years. I asked her the other day, not knowing I was going to talk about her on the Senate floor, and she said it happened sometime--I don't know--20-plus years ago. She puts in the effort to collect brackets and organize the pool. This isn't really part of her official job, mind you, taxpayers watching this. She creates the opportunity for colleagues to connect. It is something we look forward to and appreciate.

While we are excited to see whose bracket wins--and I never do or even get close--the best part of the tournament is the emails Diana sends after each slate of games with a rundown of what happened, her observation and analysis, as if she is a 30-year veteran of calling NCAA basketball games. The enthusiasm is contagious. Her knowledge of the tournament and its history is also impressive.

More impressive to me is her baking, and it is legendary. You know it is going to be a good day when she arrives carrying a tray covered in tinfoil or a piece of big Tupperware. Office favorites include her lemon ricotta cookies, her strawberry shortcake, and her pumpkin whoopie pies. If you mention a recipe you are struggling to perfect, where do you go? You go to Diana Baron back in the middle of the office. She is ready with a genius tip.

If my colleague is going through a hard time, chances are Diana will come in with chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, or a platter of their favorite treat. She just kind of knows what each person in the office likes.

She is our resident foodie. She has endless recommendations for restaurants. If people come from Ohio or elsewhere and ask ``Where do I go?'' she has good ideas. She is happy to share suggestions with her coworkers--something pretty much everybody in the office takes her up on. Staff visits her desk to ask where they should go to dinner almost as often as they have a scheduling request.

It is not just Ohio or DC; some of the times I have seen Diana most excited is when we are out of session and she has built up vacation time. She loves traveling to Europe. She could have been a world-class travel agent and travel planner. She loves to do that. She has ventured around the world. She always shares her exciting stories. And I run into people in Ohio who have seen her somewhere around the world.

If one of her colleagues has an upcoming trip, Diana knows the best neighborhoods to stay in, the best restaurants to eat at, the best places to explore. She generously shares her tips and tricks and wants to hear how it all went when they get back.

Something we hear again and again from staff--if you mention just once a baked good or a restaurant or a trip, a new hobby or a book you are reading, Diana listens, and, most amazingly considering the responsibilities and the complexities and all that, she actually remembers. She will check back in to ask what you thought. She will send an article you might be interested in. She will pay attention and will get to know the people she works with.

She always finds a way to connect, whether you are a current colleague or a former one. It doesn't matter if it has been days or weeks since it has come up; if Diana sees something related to a colleague's interest, she will send it their way. She goes the extra mile to learn about coworkers and their interests and what is happening in their lives and in the lives of their families, especially their pets.

She loves her pet cat. I am more of a dog person, but that is really beside the point. It is clear how much that matters to the people she works alongside and what she means to this office. I might say I still like cats to anybody watching who owns cats in Ohio.

Some of her former colleagues wrote:

Diana is the kind of friend that, once she knows what your thing is, anything about it that she comes across, not only will she think of you, but she goes the extra step to share it with you.

Somebody wrote that when Maggie and Sarah and all were gathering stories.

Diana is always willing to help out and go above and beyond [the call of duty] for her colleagues and the people of [our State].

Another one:

Diana makes the office feel like family.

Another one:

Diana takes pride in her work and is deeply committed to serving Ohioans, and I am grateful to have learned from working alongside her.

Diana's thoughtfulness has touched countless members of our staff and office alum. For over 25 years, as our team has changed, as they inevitably do as people do and move on to other places and other jobs, her dedication to Ohio and her respect for this institution has remained steadfast.

One of my proudest parts of this job is how so many people in this office come and learn and stay and get better and stay and work and learn Ohio so well. Diana is at the top of that list--at the top of that mountain, if you will. She has been a constant presence. She has been a rock for her colleagues. She has held people together through tough times.

None of us--and I say none of us--could do our jobs without Diana. We couldn't get to meet with all the Ohioans we have the privilege of meeting with. We couldn't accomplish all we set out to do in a single week. We couldn't enjoy it like we do with Diana on our team, and that makes it a pleasure to come to work in the morning for so many of us. For that, we are grateful.

We are grateful for her service to our State and our country, her presence on our team, and her thoughtfulness to our colleagues.

On behalf of everyone in our office and everyone who has ever worked in our office--if you have worked in the Banking and Housing Committee, she works with them every day too--and all those who have had the honor of working with her, we congratulate Diana Baron on 25 years serving Ohio, and we expect many, many more years.

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