Longest Serving Commerce Employee Retires
After 59 Years of Public Service

The longest-serving employee of the Commerce Department, Vera L. Hartman, retired Feb. 28 as a statistician in the Office of Industry Analysis, part of Manufacturing and Services. She began her career at Commerce in 1945 under Secretary Henry Wallace and has served under 27 Commerce secretaries and 11 U.S. presidents.

"Vera is an outstanding example of what makes the Commerce Department so special, it's people," said Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services Al Frink. "I am grateful for her commitment to public service and her long, distinguished career."

Hartman was an authority on the official trade and economic reports of the countries throughout the world. Most of her work has been with Manufacturing and Services and its predecessors.

"I've been most fortunate to serve in Commerce and ITA with its exceptional staff, and also in contributing to the support of U.S. foreign trade policy," said Hartman.

Hartman contributions include the East-West trade tables underlying the Mutual Defense Assistance Control Act of 1951 (the Battle Act), the multilateral Market Share Reports, and the quarterly International Economic Indicators.