Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague, Lynn Woolsey, to recognize Elizabeth Kemp, who has been named the City of Sonoma's 2009 Alcaldessa, or Honorary Mayor.

The title, ``Alcalde'' or ``Alcaldessa'' when referring to a woman, is the Spanish word for ``Mayor.'' During the Spanish colonial period in California, the Alcalde was the primary civil authority. In modern times in the City of Sonoma, it is an honorary title and the contemporary Alcalde or Alcaldessa presides over ceremonial events for the city.

Alcaldes and Alcaldessas are nominated by the community and are representative of individuals with a long record of volunteer work. Ms. Kemp is no exception to this rule.

Ms. Kemp attributes her community activism to her early years in London during WW II. That experience led her to be aware of the needs of others and to an understanding that anyone's circumstances can change in a matter of minutes. She emigrated from England when she was 21 and has lived in Sonoma since 1969.

In 2000, Ms. Kemp recognized that many migrant workers had no place to live and were sleeping under bridges. She helped to organize one temporary camp, then joined with Vineyard Workers Services to create two more camps that are open during harvest. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Vineyard Workers Services.

Ms. Kemp initiated the Brown Bagger program in 2004. The program prepares and distributes more than 180 nutritious lunches each week to the homeless and others who are unable to purchase food. This past summer, Ms. Kemp organized a group of volunteers to provide bag lunches to students who normally receive free lunches at school when school is in session and to their younger siblings. As a member of the Board of Directors of Sonoma Overnight Support, Ms. Kemp has also been involved in the development of the first permanent homeless shelter in Sonoma.

And, lest we think her interests are only parochial, Ms. Kemp is an active member of Friends of Turkana, a local group that raises funds for two medical missions in East Africa.

Madam Speaker, Elizabeth Kemp is a beloved and vitally important member of the community and it is appropriate that we acknowledge her today as Sonoma's Alcaldessa for 2009.

Madam, Speaker, I rise today to recognize JoAline Olson, who is leaving after 12 years of invaluable service as the distinguished CEO of St. Helena Hospital. Mrs. Olson is to be commended for her incredible achievements and outstanding contributions to the well-being of the Napa Valley and beyond.

Mrs. Olson's career with St. Helena Hospital began over 23 years ago. Under her leadership, the hospital has been recognized as one of the top 100 cardiovascular hospitals in the country. The hospital was also named St. Helena Chamber of Commerce 2008 Family Friendly Business of the Year, among numerous other awards. Mrs. Olson personally was given the 2002 Adventist Community Life Award and named North Bay Businesswoman of the Year in 2001.

Mrs. Olson is known in the community for her commitment to quality, whole person care and the patient experience. She is responsible for starting Napa Valley Hospice, the first hospice program in Napa County for terminally ill patients. She also brought hospitals in St. Helena and Clearlake together under one governing board, improving coordination and quality of care for patients at both hospitals. She has been instrumental in raising $28 million to build a new regional cancer center that will offer communities access to state of the art cancer treatments.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, it is appropriate at this time that we thank JoAline Olson for her years of dedication and service on behalf of the residents of Napa and Lake counties. She has been a role model for anyone who strives to give back to his or her community. I join her husband David and their two daughters, Amanda and Monica, in thanking JoAline and wishing her the best of luck in her new position.

Madam Speaker, investing in children's health care is one of the best investments our country can make. When kids see the doctor more regularly, they receive the preventive services that keep them healthier for longer. And they're less likely to end up in the emergency room, which saves everyone money.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program has been an extraordinary success. Over 1.5 million children in my home State of California get their health care through this program. However, today, we still have 1.25 million uninsured kids in California. That is unacceptable in the United States of America.

This bill will begin to address that tragedy by providing health care for almost 700,000 additional children in California alone. As a down payment toward health care reform, this legislation will reduce the percentage of uninsured children, just in California, by 55 percent. Our children deserve a healthy start. And this legislation ensures that 4 million more children across the country will get just that.

I ask for your ``aye'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pamela Kindig on the occasion of her retirement as Auditor-Controller of Napa County. Pam has served her community honorably and the voters rewarded her by re-electing her five times to her post.

Mrs. Kindig began her career in public service as Auditor-Controller when she was elected in June of 1986. Six terms and 22 years later, she is retiring as one of the preeminent public figures in the Napa Valley. She has been a leader amongst her peers, serving as President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President and Bay Area Chair of the California State Association of County Auditors.

Mrs. Kindig is known around Napa County as a superlative mentor to family and friends; a lover of reading, fine dining, golf, and above all, her grandchildren. By all accounts, Mrs. Kindig is the epitome of what a public servant should be: a tireless worker, a pillar of integrity, and someone with the utmost respect for the people she serves.

For the past 22 years Mrs. Kindig has given back to the community by serving on the boards of Napa-Solano United Way, Napa Emergency Women's Services, First Napa Federal Credit Union and Soroptimist International. She also hosts a monthly book review program on a local radio station, is a member of the Napa Valley Symphony and a founding member of the Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Madam Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we thank Pamela Kindig for her years of dedication on behalf of the people of Napa Valley. She has been a model citizen and leader in Napa County and her presence there has enriched the lives of everyone in the community. I join her husband Russ, daughters Kimberly and Kirstin and three grandchildren in thanking her for her service and wishing her a lifetime of fulfillment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, to honor one of our districts' most hard-working public servants, Mike Reilly of Forestville, California, who has recently retired from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

For twelve years as County Supervisor, Mike represented Sonoma County's 5th District, a vast rambling, and fantastically beautiful place that encompasses the entire 53 miles of Sonoma County's coast, redwood forests, vineyards, the Russian River, and the

western edge of our largest city, Santa Rosa. Known as ``West County,'' the 5th District is Sonoma County's most progressive with a vibrant and diverse population of ethnicity, sexual orientation and economic backgrounds. Mike Reilly, with his intelligence, people skills and encyclopedic knowledge of politics represented every one of his constituencies.

Mike is a Bay Area native born on May 27, 1944 in San Mateo, California. Always interested in politics, his first office was senior class president at Hayward High and later, student body president at Chabot College. Mike was an Army volunteer and served two years in Okinawa. The young veteran returned to the Bay Area after completing his tour of duty and began working as a youth counselor. He became one of the founders and eventually Executive Director of the Hayward-based Project Eden, a non-profit organization that offered drug counseling to the city's ``street kids.''

In 1977, Mike moved to Sonoma County to begin working for the county's drug and alcohol program, again as a counselor to youth. Mike settled in Forestville and soon became active in west county politics, no doubt influenced by his neighbor, Ernie Carpenter, who became the 5th District Supervisor in 1978.

From 1981 to 1985, Mike served as Administrative Assistant to state Assemblyman Dan Hauser, whose 1st District ran from Sonoma County to the Oregon border. During his tenure with Hauser, Mike was a key player in the designation of the Lost Coast Sinkyone Wilderness Area for public use, drafting initial legislation banning oil and gas development in Northern California state waters, the restoration of the Point Arena Pier, and regional issues pertaining to fishing and timber extraction.

In 1986 Mike Reilly became Executive Director of West County Community Services, a non-profit that grew from a 70's era all volunteer ``River Switchboard,'' to an organization offering a variety of services for people of all ages. Under Mike's leadership, West County Community Services developed an excellent drug and alcohol abuse programs, led in the establishment of the Russian River Senior Center and the Sebastopol Teen Center and opened a homeless shelter. For thirteen years, Mike also served as a trustee for the Forestville Elementary School District and the West County High School District.

When Supervisor Carpenter announced his retirement from public office in 1995, Mike Reilly embarked on a grueling eighteen month campaign to successfully succeed him. Mike's hard fought campaign and subsequent service allowed him to coast to two unopposed re-election victories in the years ahead. These were not years without challenges, however, including huge floods on the lower Russian River in 1997 and 1999, years of underfunded services in rural areas and the heavily urbanized Roseland area in the district, and a sometimes lonely role as an environmental advocate on the Board of Supervisors.

Despite these difficulties Mike was able to forge agreements that led to county support of home elevation program on the flood prone Russian River, the formation of the Russian River Redevelopment District, and ordinances regulating forest conversions and vineyard grading, as well as untangling hundreds of county problems for his constituents. Mike was also a powerful presence on the County's Open Space and Agricultural Preservation District, and instrumental in protecting thousands of acres of land under county ownership or conservation easements.

During the same 12 years, Mike also served on the California Coastal Commission, including two years as the Commission's Chair. He has been recognized by statewide environmental groups as having the strongest conservation record of any of the publically elected members of the Commission.

I would also note that Mike Reilly is a key player in moving forward the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act, a bill that would provide permanent protection for the entire Sonoma Coast. Mike led successful efforts to endorse the bill by both the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the California Coastal Commission. With our new Administration these efforts will result in passage.

This year Mike is celebrating another 12-year anniversary, his marriage to Judi, which took place on January 25, 1997, in a home in Guerneville in the midst of a flood emergency. Mike and Judi, their three daughters, Kimberly, Sheri and Kelly, as well as Kelly's husband Stewart and their son, Stetson, and Sheri's fiance, Will, make up a loving and supportive family with great political energy and philosophies.

Although Mike has retired from the Board of Supervisors, we will not let him leave us. He continues to serve as a board member of Coastwalk, California's unique coastal education program and on New Ways to Work, a national non-profit that is finding ways to train youth for the new economy. Knowing of Mike's energy, his intelligence and his savvy, his can-do attitude, we expect that although Mike will be able to play more golf now, he will continue to exert his powerful and positive influence on our community and our world.

Mr. Chairman, the green stimulus provisions in this bill will generate tens of thousands of jobs and result in billions of dollars in economic investment.

Solar tax provisions that I authored will allow State and local governments, like Sonoma County in my district, to help homeowners and businesses more easily finance the purchase of solar. We are also making other critical investments in solar by creating a grant program to incentivize businesses to invest in renewable technology today, instead of waiting until the economy improves. An additional $4 billion in bonds for use in renewable energy projects will be available for State and local governments as well.

These are just a few of the green stimulus provisions. Not only will this bill create green jobs that our economy needs today, but it will also enhance the long-term security and sustainability of our economy by investing in a smart-energy future that helps free us from our dependency on foreign oil.

I encourage everyone to vote ``aye'' on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dave Bengston upon the occasion of his retirement after 37 years of outstanding service to the people of Mendocino County. During his tenure as Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures, Mr. Bengston's distinguished career includes many milestones.

He was instrumental in the eradication of the Ribes mite, which was not previously known to occur in North America. Mr. Bengston wrote a new quarantine for Grape Leaf Skeletonizer to protect the wine grape industry and succeeded in keeping the pest out of the county. He instituted an annual countywide pesticide container recycling event. And he coordinated a hazardous materials collections process.

Dave Bengston, born in Modesto, in the heart of California's fertile Central Valley, was drawn at an early age toward agricultural pursuits. His first jobs as a teenager were picking peaches and working in canneries. While attending Modesto Junior College he developed a ``love for botany.'' From there he attended Stanislaus State before transferring to the University of California at Berkeley.

In addition to his more than fulltime work schedule, Mr. Bengston developed a passion for mycology. In 1972 he already had a license in Apiary Inspection when he got a job with Mendocino County as a weights and measures inspector. A benefit to his move to Mendocino was the myriad variety of wild mushrooms, for which he has become an expert in identification.

He met his wife Christy, who was the 4-H secretary for the University of California Extension Service, in 1974. They were married 2 years later and have two grown sons, Brett and Logan.

Since 1989, when he became Mendocino County's Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures, Mr. Bengston has been instrumental in the success of keeping Mendocino free of such invasive pests as the Mediterranean fruit fly, vine mealybugs, and the Gypsy moth. He also made contributions to the glassey-winged sharpshooter, national organic, and West Nile virus programs and was instrumental in enforcing the ordinance banning genetically modified organisms in Mendocino County.

As is true of extraordinary public servants like Mr. Bengston, he also gave back to his community. He was a member of the Ukiah Kiwanis Club, a board member of the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance and director and education chair of the Peregrine Audubon Society, to name a few. Bengston also found time to be a charter member of the Dorothy King Young Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. He coached youth soccer and basketball and played men's league soccer and was a soccer referee until 1993. He also has served as an advisor to the Ukiah Association of the Handicapped and the Regional Occupational Horticultural Program.

Madam Speaker, through his visionary leadership, technical expertise and quiet persuasion, Dave Bengston has made a long-lasting positive impact on the resources of the county of Mendocino. For these reasons and for the widespread respect of his colleagues and community, it is appropriate at this time that we honor Dave Bengston.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a treasure of American cultural life and music, Marilyn Horne who is celebrating her 75th birthday. Ms. Horne has had a long and distinguished career that has spanned the globe and endeared her to music-lovers everywhere.

Ms. Horne has always demonstrated a passion for music, first performing publicly at the age of 2. After studying voice and song/ recital works at the University of Southern California, she has gone on to perform in more than 1300 recitals, made over 100 recordings and received three Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. She has lent her mezzo-soprano voice to some of the most challenging roles in music and has been a fixture in the world of classical music for the last four decades.

She has also shown a commitment to sharing her passion with the next generation of vocalists through her work as a visiting professor at some of the Nation's great music programs and as director of the Voice Program at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, a program she has led since 1997. When Ms. Horne became concerned about the diminishing recital opportunities for promising young vocalists, she founded the Marilyn Horne Foundation in 1993 to ensure that young singers would continue to have the opportunity to excel and to preserve vocal recital as a treasured and living art form in the United States. Since its inception, the Foundation has reached over 55,551 children via 649 school programs, supported 262 recitals of promising young vocalists in 26 States, and helped to share the gifts of these young people with millions of others by promoting radio broadcasts of these recitals. Many of the foundation's alumni can now be seen performing on some of opera's most famous stages, including Carnegie Hall, The Met and the New York City Opera.

The honors that Ms. Horne has received in her lifetime are too numerous to list here. But, most prominent among them are the National Medal of the Arts in 1992, being named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1995, and being inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. She has also attracted international acclaim and her worldwide honors include the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters from France's Ministry of Culture, Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, and the Fidelio Gold Medal from the International Association of Opera Directors. She was also the inaugural winner of Italy's Rossini Medaglia d'Oro, which was created especially to recognize her contribution to reviving many of Rossini's greatest operas.

Madam Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we honor Marilyn Horne for her lifetime of achievements, her passion for music, and her dedication to future generations of vocalists. We wish her the best of luck in her continuing work, and I am so honored to call her my friend.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill because investing in children's health care is one of the wisest choices we can make. Children have to be healthy to get an education and to achieve their full potential as adults. When kids see the doctor more regularly, they receive the preventive services that keep them healthier longer, and they are less likely to end up in the emergency room, which saves everyone money.

Almost a quarter of a million children in my State of California are uninsured. That's simply not acceptable. In contrast to President Bush's multiple vetoes of similar bills, today, with President-elect Obama's enthusiastic support, the House will vote to provide coverage for 4 million, 4 million additional children.

Madam Speaker, that truly is change we can believe in.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Supervisor Ed Robey on the occasion of his retirement from the Lake County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Robey has served the citizens of Lake County honorably for 28 years, the last 12 as a County Supervisor.

Supervisor Robey has had an illustrious career in public service. Since he was first elected to the Clearlake City Council in 1980, Supervisor Robey has consistently gone the extra mile for his constituents. The list of boards and commissions he has served on during is career is overwhelming. It includes LAFCO, the Area Planning Council, the Regional Council of Rural Counties, the California State Association of Counties, the Committee working with the Yolo County Flood Control District in regard to Clear Lake water rights issues, the Proposition 10/First Five Commission, the PEG Board of Directors, North Coast Emergency Medical Services, the Lake County Community Action Agency Board of Directors, the Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors, the North Coast Opportunities Board of Directors, the Caltrans DEAL Committee, and the County Reclassification Committee, among many others.

Supervisor Robey will be remembered for his great sense of humor and superior accessibility to his constituents. His legislative and community accomplishments are much too numerous to be noted here; however, the true test of any elected official is if his constituents are better off when he retires than when he first took office. This is unquestionably the case for Supervisor Robey. The citizens of Lake County owe him a great debt.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, it is appropriate at this time that we thank Supervisor Ed Robey for his years of dedication and service on behalf of Lake County and beyond. He has been a model of dignified and effective public service. I join his wife Beth, his son and two stepchildren in thanking Ed and wishing him a lifetime of fulfillment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, to honor Chief Vernon A. Losh II, who is retiring this month as chief/department director of the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Services. He has held the position since June, 1999, and also served concurrently for over 5 years as fire chief of Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District.

Chief Losh has had a long and distinguished career in fire and emergency services, starting in 1974 with the South Placer Fire Protection District where he eventually held every rank from volunteer firefighter to full-time battalion chief. He came to Sonoma County in 1995 as deputy chief/fire marshal for the Department of Emergency Services and became Chief a few years later with responsibility for all aspects of the Department's work. He deftly managed 23 full time employees, over 350 volunteers, and a budget of $7.5 million.

With extensive education in emergency management, including being one of the first 12 people certified in the State of California as a fire chief, Chief Losh has shared his expertise for years as a community college fire service instructor and also as chair of the Santa Rosa Community College Fire Tech Advisory Committee. A long list of professional affiliations--from local to international--is a testament to both his spirit of community volunteerism and the high regard with which he is held by his peers. He has been president of the Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association, Sonoma County Department Heads Association, and the Northern California Firefighters Association, to name a few.

Shortly after the anthrax and 9-11 terrorist attacks on our country, we met with Vern Losh and other Sonoma County officials. We were particularly impressed by the level of emergency preparedness as well as by plans to continuously upgrade and improve equipment and procedures. These efforts, directed by a coordinated leadership effort, clearly paid off when much of the County was affected by severe flooding a few years ago. The response was swift and organized, mitigating what could have been a serious disaster.

The Losh family is also a source of pride to Vern. His wife Teresa is an accountant at the Sonoma County Office of Education and marathon walker for several charitable causes; his son Allen is a Specialist in the Army serving as a combat medic ready to be deployed to Iraq on Thanksgiving Day; his daughter Whitney is a student at San Francisco State in the Public Health field. Whitney just finished her first marathon for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Perhaps since, as his biography states, he ``currently serves as the Grand Emperor of the Cosmic Order of Fire Gods, an honor he has held since birth,'' Vern Losh won't fully retire. He plans to continue as Chair of the Sonoma-Mendocino Red Cross, Chair of the Volunteer Fire Fighter Committee of the California State Fire Fighters Association, and as the California representative to the National Volunteer Fire Council. He will also become a volunteer firefighter for the City of Healdsburg. And he will continue his teaching at the California Community College.

Madam Speaker, Sonoma County will miss the skills of Chief Vernon Losh, but we thank him for helping to make our emergency services strong. We know he will appreciate having time for his family and his hobbies--photography, football and all sports, attending Giants and 49er games . . . and firefighting.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, to honor and acknowledge Linda Rawls, who has been named the 2008 Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year, or simply the Sonoma Treasure, by the city of Sonoma. Each year the city's Cultural and Fine Arts Commission selects one of the hundreds of artists living and working in the Sonoma Valley to receive this honor. Ms. Rawls was singled out for her decade's long work in costume design.

By one account, she has fitted and costumed the stars and extras of more than 132 productions, including those of the Sonoma City Opera, the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory, school plays at Sonoma Valley High and each of the grade schools, Vintage House Senior Center, churches and Hootchie Doo Productions, a community theatre group. Her talents have led her to create designs for productions in neighboring counties, including 42nd Street Moon productions in San Francisco.

According to Ms. Rawls, ``Costumes have to do everything. A show can have no scenery, but with a woman's dress or a man's hat, you can decipher the time and place in an instant.'' She calls costumes the ``elemental scenery of a play, telling more about character and context than anything else on stage.''

Ms. Rawls stumbled into her artistic calling 26 years ago when the costume designer for a school opera in which her 8-year-old son was performing unexpectedly quit. She volunteered to step in and has been following her passion ever since.

Her peers have acknowledged Ms. Rawls work by awarding her the Best First Day Costume Award from the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England, in 1996 and the Dean Goodman Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre for Costume Design in 2003.

Madam Speaker, Linda Rawls is a true artist in every sense of the word and it is appropriate that we honor her today as the 2008 Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Napa Valley Hospice and Adult Day Services on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of their Adult Day Services program. The Adult Day Services program has done visionary work serving the unique needs of the elderly, younger adults with mental and physical impairments, and those suffering from Alzheimer's and other dementias.

In 1979, Hospice of Napa Valley opened as a program of St. Helena Hospital. They became an independent non-profit in 1997, and opened their acclaimed Adult Day Services program in 1998. ADS is the only program of its kind in Napa County and is one of 54 official Alzheimer's Day Care Resource Centers in California.

Since its inception 10 years ago, the Adult Day Services program has served more than 1,000 people. Last year alone, they served 80 people with Alzheimer's or other dementia, gave family training to 129 people, provided 165 hours of support groups, 200 hours of counseling for 143 people, 30 hours of community education for 327 people, and 166 consultations for 133 people.

These incredible achievements would not be possible without their dedicated staff, led by Executive Director Catherine Poliak and ADS Program Coordinator Celine Regalia. Catherine and Celine lead a team that is second to none in their creativity and enthusiasm.

Madam Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we thank everyone at Napa Valley Hospice and Adult Day Services for the remarkable work they have done for our community. Through their hard work and generous contributions this program has thrived for the past 10 years, and I know that we will see much more progress in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dustin Pedroia, who is being honored as the American League's Most Valuable Player for 2008, the first second baseman to receive this award since 1959.

From a young age, Mr. Pedroia has shown a passion for baseball. Although, at 5'9", he has never been the largest player on the field, he has shown time and again that he more than makes up for it by playing with his whole heart. After graduating from Woodland High School in 2001 he was recruited by Arizona State University to play for the Sun Devils. While at ASU he quickly made an impression on his teammates as well as his coaches and went on to be named a 3-time first-team all-Pac-10 selection, the 2003 Pac-10 co-player of the year and the 2003 National defensive player of the year. He never missed a game at ASU, all while batting an impressive .384.

Mr. Pedroia debuted in the major leagues in August of 2006 with the Boston Red Sox, becoming the first member of Boston's 2004 draft class to reach the majors. In 2007 he recorded one of the finest rookie seasons ever for a Red Sox player, breaking a 93-year-old major league record for the highest batting average by a rookie second baseman and also winning the Jackie Robinson Award for American League rookie of the year. He was also able to cap off this impressive start with a World Series ring by helping the Red Sox achieve a 4-0 sweep over the Colorado Rockies to win the championship.

This year, Mr. Pedroia has surpassed his performance last season by leading the American League in hits, runs, and doubles while also batting in 83 runs and hitting 17 home runs in his own right. He has now become the third player in the history of Major League Baseball to win the rookie of the year award and the most valuable player award in consecutive seasons, as well as winning the golden glove award for best fielding performance at second base.

Madam Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we honor this fine athlete. His record of accomplishments is a testament to his talent, perseverance and character, as well as an indication of a promising career that is just beginning. I join the entire community in congratulating him for these achievements and wishing him and his family all the best in years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Brian Kelly, a true pillar of the Napa Valley community. Mr. Kelly is being honored by the Napa Valley Education Foundation for his many contributions to education in our community.

Mr. Kelly is a longtime Napa resident whose life's work has been giving back to his community, especially working to advance educational opportunities for young people. He is a past treasurer and board member of the Napa Valley Education Foundation and the priority he places on education is shown on his own resume. Mr. Kelly has a BS in management from CSU Hayward, an MBA in finance from UC Berkeley, and is a graduate of the Wine Executive Program from UC Davis as well as the Advanced Management Program at the Haas School of Business.

It would be difficult to find someone more involved in his community than Brian Kelly. Whatever the community or charitable function in the Napa Valley, Mr. Kelly and his trademark bow tie are ever-present. He serves or has served on the boards of Aldea Children & Family Services, Napa County LAFCO, Napa Chamber of Commerce, Napa Valley Conference & Visitors Bureau, Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center, Community Foundation of the Napa Valley, Hospice of Napa Valley, Napa City-County Library, Queen of the Valley Hospital, and countless others. He is also a successful businessman who is president, CEO, and founder of Charter Oak Bank in Napa.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, it is my distinct pleasure to thank Brian Kelly for his many years of service and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition. He has been a model citizen and leader in Napa County and his presence has enriched the lives of everyone in our community. I join his wife Maggie and his daughters Kathleen, Megan and Jennifer in wishing him continued success and fulfillment.