Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Marilyn Hopkins upon her retirement as Provost and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Touro University, California. She is retiring after more than 35 years of administrative and teaching experience in higher education. Dr. Hopkins has been an active member of the academic and medical communities during her successful career.

Dr. Hopkins earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at California State University, Sacramento in 1970. She went on to earn her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco.

Prior to her appointment as Provost and Chief Operating Officer in 2009, Dr. Hopkins worked as a registered nurse for nearly 20 years at three different hospitals in California. She was employed as a full professor with tenure at California State University, Sacramento from 1974 to 1997, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses on diverse medical subjects. Dr. Hopkins then served as the Dean for the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Sacramento.

Touro University, California offers accredited graduate programs in several medical fields, and is located in Vallejo, California. As Provost and COO, Dr. Hopkins provided leadership in institutional assessment and comprehensive strategic planning. She created a campus infrastructure to support research, grant-writing and publication opportunities for faculty and students and worked closely with the academic deans to recruit and retain a talented and diverse faculty. Since moving to Solano County, Dr. Hopkins has been actively

engaged in local and regional community initiatives. She serves on the Board for the Vallejo Education Business Alliance and was recognized by the Solano County Library Foundation during Women's History Month for her contributions to women and the community.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Marilyn Hopkins has led a long career in both nursing and academia. She is an active member of our community. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor her here today and extend our best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paul and Shery Loewen, from Lakeport, California, upon their retirement from an exemplary career in the field of aviation.

Mr. Loewen was born in Amarillo, Texas, and moved to southern California with his family when he was five years old. He attended

Glendale College where he earned his Airplane and Powerplant License, learned to fly and met Shery--whom he married in 1964. Mr. and Mrs. Loewen moved to our district in the early 1970s. In 1975, the Loewens established Lake Aero Styling and Repair, providing dozens of local men and women in our community with highly skilled jobs.

Mr. and Mrs. Loewen have sold Lake Aero Styling and Repair and are retiring after decades of developing and selling unique aircraft modifications. They are being honored by the Lake County Airmen's Association (LCAA) at Lampson Field this summer. Their products have a world-renowned reputation for quality and reliability. Thousands of Mooney Aircraft planes bear one or more of their modifications. These parts proved so successful that the manufacturer, Mooney International, later incorporated the modifications on its factory models. Additionally, Mooney Aircraft International awarded Mr. Loewen the Charles Taylor Award, which is an award given to senior mechanics who have led excellent careers.

Paul and Shery Loewen are also prominent members of our community. Mr. Loewen served as president of the Lake County Airmen's Association, and Mrs. Loewen held the role of secretary. While serving as president of the LCAA, Mr. Loewen organized and staged several successful Lampson Field Air Fairs. They have also produced several pilot-oriented travel videos entitled Flying the America's.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. and Mrs. Loewen have created their own business and have contributed to our Lakeport community as industry leaders, job creators and community volunteers. It is with great pride that I honor Paul and Shery Loewen today and extend our best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late L. Pierce Carson. He passed away on May 20, 2017 at the age of 76. He was an impressive journalist who had a remarkable career at the Napa Valley Register. He possessed a cheerful and energetic personality in the Napa community and was a champion for local food, wine and art.

Pierce was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1940 and attended Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before serving our country in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966. After returning home, he began his career with the Napa Valley Register, a position he held for nearly fifty years before his passing last month. He will be remembered as a mentor of young journalists and for his sponsorship of the Tri-High Gazette, a student run section of the Register. Mr. Carson wrote about and loved Napa. In recent years, he found a second home in Prague where he enjoyed living part of each year.

In his nearly fifty years of work as a journalist, Mr. Carson showed himself to be a friend and champion of Napa Valley food, wine and art. For many years, he served on the board of the Napa Valley Symphony and made it his priority to review their performances. Pierce could always be counted on to lend his writing talents to good causes. Over a twenty-five year period he volunteered for the Napa Valley Academy Awards party to raise funds and awareness for AIDS and HIV prevention and treatment.

Mr. Speaker, Pierce Carson was generous, kind and an excellent writer. He brought our Napa Valley community together. His newspaper stories taught us the value of friendship, culture, generosity and good wine. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor his life and legacy here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. L. J. ``Jay'' Templeton upon the occasion of his retirement as the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of St. Helena and Calistoga. Mr. Templeton has dedicated his career to serving young people, and has had a tremendous impact on our community.

A native of Washington State, Mr. Templeton graduated from Glacier High School and received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Washington in 1973. Mr. Templeton began working for the Boys and Girls Clubs in 1969. He has held nearly every position in the organization, from a rank-and-file program assistant to the highest leadership roles. He became Executive Director of the St. Helena and Calistoga Clubs in 2012.

Mr. Templeton received the Masters and Mentors Award in 2013 based on his contribution to the Boys and Girls Clubs movement over a sustained period, successful mentoring of Academy members, and demonstrated excellence in the Boys & Girls Clubs profession.

Mr. Templeton is retiring not only as the Executive Director of the St. Helena and Calistoga Clubs, but from a 47-year career with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He is a model professional and executive-- always keeping his focus on planning, development, leadership, and programming. He has received numerous awards and accolades over the course of his career. He has influenced the lives of thousands of children who have grown to become productive members of their own communities.

Mr. Speaker, Jay Templeton has led a dedicated and distinguished career with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. I am proud to have such a man working and living in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Greg J. Feere upon his retirement after thirty years as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council. Mr. Feere has been a tireless advocate for over 35,000 local skilled trades workers.

Mr. Feere graduated from Clayton Valley High School in 1966. He earned an Associate of Arts degree at Diablo Valley College and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Chico State University.

Before becoming CEO of the Council, Mr. Feere worked for ten years in Alaska as a hunting, fishing and photography guide on Kodiak Island and the Arctic Brooks Range. He also worked on the Trans Alaskan Pipeline in Palmer and Point Barrow. Mr. Feere joined the Heat and Frost Insulators Union Local 16 in San Francisco, where they recognized his leadership abilities after just five years by naming him the youngest business manager in their history.

The men and women of the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council elected Mr. Feere to be their CEO nine times. He has fought to protect their interests, create safe working conditions and promote their careers through training and professional development. Mr. Freere has served two terms as the Northern California Vice President of the California State Building Trades, where he worked to represent nearly 500,000 Californians. Mr. Freere's father used to tell him that ``there has to be somebody who looks out for the little guy.'' Greg has become that somebody and has been able to look out for many members of our community.

In addition to his excellent work with the Council, Mr. Freere has served as a commissioner for Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife and a trustee of Contra Costa College.

Mr. Speaker, Greg Feere has led a long career serving the people of our community. He has played a major role in fighting for well-paying middle class jobs. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor him here today and extend our best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague, Representative Jared Huffman, to honor Mr. Bradley H. Petersen, who is being awarded the Viticulture Award of Excellence by the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

Mr. Petersen is a third-generation farmer in the Dry Creek area of Sonoma County, California. He grew up watching his parents harvest wine grapes, and showed an early interest in mechanics. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cal Poly Technical University in Agricultural Mechanics and Engineering, gaining skills that would serve him well throughout his career. Mr. Petersen has been the vineyard manager for Silver Oak Cellars and Twomey Cellars for the past eighteen years.

In addition to his prominence in the agricultural community, Mr. Petersen has demonstrated the same leadership and devotion to our entire region. He is the past President of the Geyserville Kiwanis Club, and he worked as a volunteer firefighter for Geyserville for fifteen years, achieving the rank of Battalion Chief. Mr. Petersen also served two years as Chairman and eight years as a commissioner on the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission Board.

Working alongside his Jack Russell sidekick, Sparky, Mr. Petersen is dedicated to sustainable farming. His colleagues praise his leadership, noting his integrity, honesty, and respect for all around him.

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission is awarding Mr. Petersen the Viticulture Award of Excellence based on the innovative techniques he practices and his proven leadership. His work in both viticulture and our community has been invaluable to the people of Sonoma County.

Mr. Speaker, Brad Petersen is a hard worker and an expert viticulturist. He has demonstrated a passion for sustainable farming and a commitment to our community. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bob Pestoni upon the occasion of celebrating 125 years of family winemaking in the Napa Valley.

A native of St. Helena, California, Mr. Pestoni graduated from St. Helena High School before attending Napa Valley College and then joining the U.S. Army. Mr. Pestoni is the descendant of the Pestino and Domingos winemaking families.

Mr. Pestoni's great-great-grandfather, Albino Pestoni, immigrated to Napa Valley from a small village in Switzerland near the Italian border in 1892. Ten years later, he, his wife Maria Madonna, and their four sons established Bonded Winery 935. One of those sons, Henry, formed a vineyard management crew and planted and managed vineyards throughout the upper Napa Valley. He learned how soil, sunlight, rootstock, and varietal selection could affect fruit quality, and, along with his wife Lena, he owned and operated Old Mill Winery from 1933 to 1958.

Mr. Pestoni and his brother Marvin used their foundation in sustainable farming to establish Upper Valley Disposal Service in 1963. Paying the same careful attention to the soil as their ancestors did, the brothers offered composting as a solution to our local wine community's discarded grape skin, pulp, seeds, and stems. Upper Valley Disposal and Recycling has been very successful, inspiring our community to refer to Mr. Pestoni as the ``King of Compost.''

After many years of growing winegrapes for other wine producers, Mr. Pestoni and his wife, Sylvia, opened the doors of Rutherford Grove Winery in 1994. This year, in celebration of their family's 125th anniversary of Napa Valley Winemaking, the winery was renamed Pestoni Family Estate Winery.

Mr. Speaker, Bob Pestoni and his family before him have made single vineyard, hand-crafted wines for 125 years. They are my friends. I am proud that this hardworking man and family do so much for our community. It is fitting and proper that we honor them here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor California Human Development, as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary this year. This important community organization has played a vital role in fighting poverty across northern California and will continue to help struggling Californians for years to come.

California Human Development (CHD) is a non-profit, human services provider waging the War on Poverty. Founded in 1967, and inspired by labor icon Cesar Chavez, the original focus of CHD was to assist migrant and

seasonal farmworkers by providing training and workforce development services. Over the past five decades, CHD has expanded its role and now serves not only farmworkers, but also people from many different backgrounds. Their patrons include seniors, addiction recovery patients, immigrants seeking to be part of the American Dream, adults living with disabilities, and many more.

CHD has seen incredible success during their past fifty years. Today they serve community members across thirty-one northern California counties. CHD operates twelve community-based farmworker services offices and four Anthony Soto Training Centers, providing jobs and training to their patrons and empowering them to achieve self- sufficiency. Additionally, CHD provides jobs programs, affordable housing options, immigration and citizenship application services, disability services and addiction recovery programs. All told, CHD serves over 25,000 people across northern California.

Mr. Speaker, California Human Development creates opportunities for people from all walks of life and this year celebrates fifty years and over 500,000 lives changed. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor them here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jose Guadalupe and Hugo Maldonado, co-founders of Maldonado Family Vineyards. Their hard work and dedication to the art of viticulture is evident in their carefully crafted single-vineyard wines.

Guadalupe, or `Lupe' as he is warmly referred to, immigrated to the United States in 1962 from the small farming community of Atacheo de Regalado in Michoacan, Mexico, where he managed his family's goat herd in the mountains. In 1971, while working for Sterling Vineyards, Lupe was asked to aid in the development of a winery for vintner Peter Newton, where he served as vineyard manager for over thirty years. Inspired by his father's work in the field, Hugo pursued a formal education in enology and viticulture at the University of California Davis. Hugo succeeded his father in his role as vineyard manager in 1999.

In 2007 Lupe and Hugo broke ground on a small hillside just outside of Calistoga and

began to form the family's own wine caves and winemaking facility to establish Maldonado Family Vineyards. In their 13 years, the facility has grown from 250 cases to more than 10,000 cases of wine. Together Hugo and Lupe shaped Maldonado Family Vineyards to reflect their family history. On their label the words `Farm Worker' can be found to note the family's decades of caring for and tending to vines.

Hugo traveled to Washington, D.C. this week as part of a group of Mexican-American vintners to support the mission of the Smithsonian Institution. They shared their amazing stories of immigration, sacrifice and determination and helped the attendees understand the vital contributions Mexican Americans make to our economy and community.

Mr. Speaker, Lupe and Hugo Maldonado have cultivated a winery which not only reflects their family history and Mexican American heritage, but honors the skilled laborer. I am proud to have such dedicated business owners living and working in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor them here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Lee T. Bycel upon his retirement after serving Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) and the Napa community since 2012. In addition to being a well- liked and respected spiritual leader, Rabbi Bycel served as an Adjunct Professor of Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco.

Rabbi Bycel graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a BA in Philosophy, received his rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College, and earned a doctorate from the Claremont School of Theology. Growing up in Southeast Los Angeles County, he learned the importance of diversity and inclusiveness. He was raised in a mostly Latino neighborhood, in one of just two Jewish families in the community. Rabbi Bycel has said, ``I respect and care about all human beings on this earth,'' and has demonstrated this through his countless humanitarian efforts.

A leader in educational, cultural, and social justice, he has made several humanitarian trips to East Africa, including Darfur, Chad, South Sudan, Kenya, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. In Rwanda, he visited refugee and internally displaced person camps, helped address poverty and disease, and spoke out against genocide. Rabbi Bycel is one of the coalition founders and 2017 Co-Chair of MLK Monday: A Day of Action and Compassion,

which is a community of over 80 nonprofit organizations, faith groups, government officials, and agencies, local businesses, and local service organizations who join together each year to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2014, Rabbi Bycel was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council. He has been recognized for his work with the Humanitarian Award of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ).

Rabbi Bycel is also an educational leader, sharing with the Congregation Beth Shalom his fifteen years of experience as the Dean of the Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. There he also served as the Senior Academic and Administrative Officer of the campus and director of the rabbinic school. He served as Assistant Professor of Leadership and Applied Theology and the Smither Visiting Professor of World Religions at the Claremont School of Theology.

Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Bycel is a humanist anchored in Jewish values. He is an exceptional community leader, humanitarian, and husband in our community. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor him here today and extend our best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gustavo Brambila, who owns and operates Gustavo Wine. Passion, skill, and dedication to his craft led Gustavo to the successes he sees today.

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Gustavo immigrated to the United States with his mother and brothers to join his father in Oakville, California in 1957. The family moved to Rutherford, California in 1960, where Gustavo's father Jose worked in winery maintenance. Surrounded by the culture and devotion of famous winemakers from an early age, Gustavo grew up with a keen interest in winemaking. He attended the University of Oregon on a baseball scholarship, but his heart remained in wine country. He transferred to the University of California Davis, where he was one of the first Latinos to obtain a degree in Fermentation Sciences.

In 1976, Gustavo joined Mike Grgich and Jim Barrett at Chateau Montelena to begin his career. Soon after, he joined Grgich Hills Cellar, where, in his first harvest, he produced the winning Chardonnay in the Great Chardonnay Showdown of 1980. Gustavo continued with Grgich Hills Cellar for 23 years, honing his craft and working to define wine excellence.

Gustavo started his own wine enterprise, Gustavo Wines in 1996. Today he makes Napa Valley wines inspired by old-world winemaking techniques, with a dedication to small vineyards and quality fruit. He believes each wine should take you back ``to a memory of each vintage''.

Gustavo traveled to Washington, D.C. this week as part of a group of Mexican-American vintners to support the mission of the Smithsonian Institution. They shared their amazing stories of immigration, sacrifice and determination and helped the attendees understand the vital contributions Mexican Americans make to our economy and community.

Mr. Speaker, Gustavo Brambila has built a successful business and is producing extraordinary wines. I am proud to have such a dedicated business owner living and working in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. John Evans upon the occasion of being awarded General Manager of the Year for a large property by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). Mr. Evans is the general manager of the Silverado Resort in Napa, California.

Mr. Evans was raised in Marysville, Washington, where his first job was working as a paperboy with two routes. He earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Management from Friends University, after which he got his first start in the hospitality business at the age of twenty-four when his mentor, Jerry Smith, guided him in managing a small lodge. Before accepting his current position at the Silverado Resort in 2010, Mr. Evans worked as the interim general manager of the historic Seaview Hotel near Atlantic City, New Jersey and as the general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Half Moon Bay, California.

The AHLA awards their Stars of the Industry Awards to individuals who perform at the highest level of excellence, demonstrating superior leadership, dedication, and a passion for service. Mr. Evans exemplifies all of these traits. He successfully led his team through and out of the recent recession. Mr. Evans lists family values, integrity, and generosity as characteristics of leaders he strives to emulate. With over thirty-two years of experience leading teams and managing hospitality properties, Mr. Evans has been awarded the Six Sigma green belt and is recognized as first-level sommelier.

Mr. Evans also displayed the same leadership and organizational aptitude in his service on the board of Hands and Hearts for Children, an auxiliary of the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. John Evans deserves to be recognized as the General Manager of the Year today by virtue of his leadership, commitment, and passion for service. I am proud to have such a man working and living in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor them here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Mexican-American Vintners Association (MAVA), whose members include many of the hard-working, entrepreneurial families and individuals who serve as a backbone to the wine community in my district.

The Mexican-American Vintners Association was revived in May 2010 with the mission to recognize Napa and Sonoma Wine produced by Mexican- American Vintners, advocate for quality standards, promote the contributions of Mexican-Americans to the wine community, and to educate and preserve traditions for future vintners. In the words of Member Hugo Maldonado, MAVA ``are not just in the vineyards anymore, they're a force to be reckoned with.''

Many members of MAVA have traveled to Washington, DC this week, including Ceja Vineyards, Mi Sueno Winery, Maldonado Family Vineyards, and the Robledo Family Winery. They are here, not only to support the mission of the Smithsonian Institution, but also to further educate Congress about their vital contributions to our economy and community. Their stories of immigration, sacrifice and determination are what make America great.

In addition to supporting their current members, the Mexican-American Vintners Association works to support future vintners by providing scholarships to deserving students. By helping those who will follow them, the Vintners are preserving the traditions of making and selling quality wine which they have worked hard to build.

Mr. Speaker, we are proud of our Mexican-American Vintners. Their organization preserves and promotes a great tradition of hard work and resilience in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor them here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Robledo Family Winery, owned and operated by Reynaldo Robledo in Sonoma, California. Incredible fortitude and ambition led Reynaldo and his family to the successes they see in their grape harvests and production of their delicately crafted wines.

In 1968, at the age of 16, Reynaldo migrated from Michoacan, Mexico to build a better life. He learned viticulture techniques and good business practices by working hard in the vineyards of Northern California, eventually settling in Sonoma County. Reynaldo and Maria have taught their nine children their same work ethic by raising them to understand the regions, grapes and people which make wine from our community exceptional.

Hard work and sacrifice led Reynaldo and his family to establish two companies, encompassing more than 350 acres in Napa, Sonoma, and Lake Counties. The Winery's focus on perfecting each stage of the winemaking process, ``from vine to bottle,'' ensures that their hard work will result in a quality product. The story of the Robledo Family Winery is uniquely American, and I am proud that their success is possible in our community.

Robledo Family Winery is part of the Mexican-American Vintners Association (MAYA), whose members traveled to Washington, D.C. this week as part of a group of Mexican-American vintners, not only to support the mission of the Smithsonian Institution, but also to further educate Congress about their vital contributions to our economy and community. Their stories of immigration, sacrifice and determination are what make America great.

Mr. Speaker, Robledo Family Winery is a successful business and is producing extraordinary wines. I am proud to have such a business in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor them here today.