TRIBUTE TO LORIE TUDOR

TRIBUTE TO LORIE TUDOR

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 3 (Tuesday, January 7, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 7, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S41] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ______ TRIBUTE TO LORIE TUDOR Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to recognize Lorie Tudor who is retiring from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) after an accomplished career, including the last 4 years as its director. Tudor started at ARDOT in 1981 as a clerk typist and served the agency for 14 years before departing to obtain an engineering degree. She then returned after graduating from the University of Memphis in 1997 to begin working as a civil engineer. In March of 2020, she became ARDOT's first female director. Facing the COVID-19 pandemic and an emergency closing of the Hernando de Soto I-40 Mississippi River Bridge in 2021, as well as other major endeavors, her steady hand and trusted leadership made the transformation of our State's transportation network possible. Tudor embodies the Arkansas spirit of service. Her commitment to the organization, its staff, and its role within communities across the Natural State has been essential. During her 41-year tenure at ARDOT, she helped secure a stable and reliable funding stream; guided the completion of the Connecting Arkansas Program, which modernized our State's transportation systems; played an important role in several interstate designations; oversaw the final stages of construction of the Bella Vista Bypass; and ensured progress on key projects including I-30 and I-69, as well as the Thomas B. Schueck Highway. She is a dedicated public servant who has spent her career striving to make Arkansas better. Tudor's expertise has been widely recognized, including her selection as president of the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and appointment to the State Board for Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors in October 2020, on which she served as president in 2023. Director Lorie Tudor has served ARDOT and our State with incredible devotion and skill. I am grateful for all she has contributed to improve our State's transportation infrastructure and appreciate our valuable partnership. I know her impact will continue to be felt for generations to come and wish her the best of luck in retirement. ____________________