Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mary Ann Nihart, whose life of commitment to healing and community uplifted countless neighbors across Pacifica, California, and beyond.

Mary Ann's career in nursing and mental health spanned four decades. She began her service with the County of San Mateo and later joined the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center where she rose to become clinical director and chief nurse of Mental Health Services.

Her excellence earned her Nurse of the Year and distinguished service awards from the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, among many other honors. While caring for thousands of veterans, she also inspired and guided younger professionals pursuing careers in the practice of psychiatric nursing.

Mary Ann's dedication to the community didn't stop with her day job. She also served on the Pacifica City Council and for two terms as Pacifica's mayor. She was a hands-on, visionary leader who championed public engagement and collaborative governance.

In her final battle with cancer, as with every other facet of her life, Mary Ann Nihart embodied courage, kindness, and an unwavering dedication to others.

Though we mourned her loss last Saturday, we will be celebrating her inspiring legacy for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Congressman Kevin Mullin, to recognize the life and contributions of Mary Ann Nihart, a dedicated public servant, mental health leader, and nurse, whose lifelong commitment to healing and community uplifted countless lives across Pacifica, California and beyond. Her work left an indelible mark on those she served.

Mary Ann's career in nursing and mental health spanned decades of compassionate care and innovative leadership. She began her service with the San Mateo County Health Department, providing community mental health support, and later joined the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she rose to become the Clinical Director and Chief Nurse of Mental Health Services. In this role, she helped countless veterans receive outstanding psychiatric care. A recognized expert in her field, Mary Ann co-authored the national VA Integrated Mental Health guidelines to improve coordinated care for service members

and veterans. She also played a key role in national suicide prevention initiatives, contributing to programs like the National Action Alliance's Crisis Now standards for crisis care. She also held leadership positions in professional organizations, serving as President of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and even being honored as APNA's Psychiatric Nurse of the Year in 2012. Through these roles, Mary Ann Nihart helped shape mental health policy and practice on a national level, always driven by a passion to save lives and support those in need.

In addition to her clinical career, Mary Ann served the people of Pacifica as an elected official. She was first elected to the Pacifica City Council in 2008 and went on to serve eight years, including two terms as Mayor in 2011 and 2014. She was a hands-on, visionary leader who championed public engagement and collaborative governance. Mary Ann re-instituted the ``Mayor's Walks'' to personally connect local business owners with City Hall, and she reinstated Pacifica's Economic Development Committee to spur growth and revitalization. She spearheaded beautification initiatives that transformed neglected areas of the city, and under her leadership Pacifica even earned distinction as a finalist among the most scenic cities in America. Her tireless commitment to her hometown improved the quality of life in this wonderful coastal community for residents and delighted visitors.

As a city leader with deep expertise in mental health. Mary Ann also broke new ground in bridging public safety and healthcare. She worked closely with local law enforcement to provide additional education and to reform police training for encounters with people in mental health crisis. She taught trauma-informed response techniques and expanded mental health content in officer training throughout San Mateo County. Mary Ann continually strove to bring community members together and heal divides, leveraging her professional knowledge to build understanding between police and the mental health community. This collaborative approach not only made Pacifica safer and more empathetic, but also exemplified the kind of inclusive, solution- focused governance she believed in. Her colleagues and constituents knew her as a leader with a big heart and a ready smile, always willing to listen, educate, and find common ground for the public good.

In every facet of her life, Mary Ann Nihart embodied courage, kindness, and an unwavering dedication to others. She was a healer, a mentor, and a bridge-builder. She guided veterans toward hope and healing, strengthened the nursing profession through her mentorship and example, and made her community of Pacifica a better and more compassionate place for all. Though we mourn the loss of this extraordinary woman, we also celebrate a legacy that will continue to inspire. I offer my deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and all who were blessed to know her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise along with my colleague, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, to recognize the life and contributions of Barry Del Buono, a champion for the unhoused and a longtime community leader in San Jose, California, who passed away on December 26, 2025. Mr. Del Buono dedicated his life to building a more compassionate and equitable society, working tirelessly to ensure that every person, regardless of circumstance, had access to shelter, dignity, and a second chance. From the time I first met Barry as a child, I considered Barry as a hero for the way he transformed his quiet strength and potent faith to launch and lead organizations to which thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors owe their survival.

Barry began his life of public service as a Catholic priest in San Jose, where he cofounded the Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen to serve meals to the hungry--an organization that continues to serve our community to this day. Even after leaving the priesthood, he never left the mission. Instead, he expanded it. In the early 1980s, Barry became the first employee, and soon the executive director, of the Emergency Housing Consortium, later known as EHC LifeBuilder, and now HomeFirst. He built EHC into a dependable organization for Santa Clara County residents. He developed what was then a groundbreaking ``continuum of care'' model that extended beyond emergency shelter to transitional and permanent supportive housing. From San Jose to Gilroy, Barry launched programs that offered not just temporary relief, but a genuine pathway toward stability and recovery.

Barry brought remarkable creativity to this work. He recognized the potential in empty farmworker cottages during the off-season and turned them into a winter family shelter.

He helped run the cold-weather shelter at the National Guard Armory in Gilroy for nearly two decades. He secured public funding by mastering the machinery of government grants, writing proposals late into the night while running services by day. Through both lean years and economic booms, Barry made sure that EHC remained a lifeline for thousands of families and individuals.

Though widely respected for his strategic mind and fundraising skill, Barry was most admired for his relentless conviction that homelessness could be solved. He built programs and mentored a generation of nonprofit leaders who now carry on the work he started. Barry was as fierce in his advocacy as he was generous in spirit.

After stepping down from EHC in 2007, Barry continued to serve his community. He became a sociology instructor at San Jose City College, sharing decades of hard-earned wisdom with his students. He launched an educational nonprofit with his wife, Dr. Maile Del Buono, to help underserved workers and students access opportunities.

San Jose's City Council appointed Barry to San Jose's Housing and Community Development Commission, lending his voice and experience to policymaking until the final year of his life. Throughout his multi-act career, he maintained a deep commitment to his family of five children and seven grandchildren, and to Maile. With her by his side, they battled cancer courageously for several years--both hers, and his own-- until he succumbed at age 74. Throughout his battle, he demonstrated the same quiet strength and powerful faith that made him a great community champion. We will remember Barry Del Buono not only for what he built, but for what he believed--that no one is beyond help, and that it is our shared responsibility to lift each other up. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and friends, joined by the grateful many he touched throughout his extraordinary life. May he rest in peace and achieve his hero's welcome in heaven.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and contributions of Barry Del Buono, a longtime community leader in San Jose, California, who we lost this last December. With his passing, I lost a childhood hero, and our community lost a champion.

Barry's quiet strength and deep faith propelled a life of extraordinary service for our most vulnerable neighbors. He began his life of public service as a Catholic priest in San Jose, where he cofounded Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen, a nonprofit that last year provided nearly 2 million meals to families in need.

Barry would eventually leave the priesthood to marry, but his commitment only deepened. In 1980, he founded the Emergency Housing Consortium, now known as HomeFirst, where he pioneered a groundbreaking continuum of care model that extended beyond emergency shelter to include transitional and permanent supportive housing.

Decades later, Barry launched his third act in life in education. He and his dedicated wife, Maile, inspired a new generation of adults with a passion for service through their teaching at San Jose City College and Evergreen Valley College.

Barry was most at home with his family, with Maile, their five children, and seven grandchildren. With grateful hearts, we remember Barry not only for what he built but also for what he believed and what he inspired all of us to believe in and build with him.

Mr. Speaker, I missed the following vote out of mistake and inadvertence due to the heavy (11-item) vote series. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 356.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Haregewaine Mitiku Ayalew, a beloved community member from San Jose, California, who passed away in November.

Ms. Ayalew's life was defined by service, generosity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting the vulnerable.

Ms. Ayalew dedicated her professional life to caring for those made vulnerable by illness, age, or circumstance. As a certified home care aide and home health aide, she provided essential care for our aging neighbors.

Guided by her faith and deep compassion, her service reached across continents as she organized aid and support programs for families in her native Ethiopia, including raising funds to build a facility for elders and individuals living with disabilities and illness.

Her volunteer energy and time commitment to the Mekane Rama Saint Gabriel Church was extraordinary and deeply appreciated by an entire community.

I recall visiting that very church when I attended her memorial and was moved by the sight of more than 1,000 neighbors who came out to pay their respects and pay homage to this remarkable woman.

May Ms. Ayalew's memory be a blessing. Her life's work and values live on through her two daughters, Aden Kassaye and Rebekah Kassaye, and in the countless lives she uplifted through her compassion and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and contributions of Colonel Vu Van Lrc, a South Vietnamese Army veteran and beloved community leader in San Jose and the greater Silicon Valley of California, for his unwavering dedication to Vietnamese refugees and cultural perservation--a true model of resilience and service.

From the rice fields of Nam Dinh to the heart of Silicon Valley, Colonel Lrc's journey was extraordinary. Born in 1933 in northern Vietnam, he graduated from the Da Lat Military Academy and rose through the ranks to serve as a Colonel in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. When Saigon fell on April 30, 1975, Colonel Lrc and his family were forced to flee their homeland, ultimately finding refuge in San Jose, California. Rather than succumb to the tragedy of exile, he transformed it into a new mission of hope.

In 1976, soon after arriving in San Jose, Colonel Lrc founded the Immigrant Resettlement & Cultural Center (IRCC) to aid fellow refugees in rebuilding their lives. Over the next four decades, the IRCC became a lifeline for thousands of Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian families. Colonel Lrc and his team provided English classes, job training, housing assistance, and citizenship guidance to more than 20,000 refugees in Northern California. Under his leadership, the center also fostered cultural and civic events like the annual TIt Lunar New Year festivals, helping new immigrant preserve their cherished traditions as they integrated into American life.

In addition to addressing immediate resettlement needs, Colonel Lrc then started preserving the historical heritage of his people. He began collecting donated mementos that reflected the diverse experiences of Vietnamese refugees, from veterans who had fought alongside him, to boat people who survived harrowing ocean escapes, to those who endured brutal ``re-education'' camps after the war. Over three decades, Colonel Lrc assembled these artifacts and stories, determined to create an enduring home for the history of the Vietnamese diaspora. That vision culminated in the establishment of the Museum of the Boat People and the Republic of Vietnam, better known simply as the Vist Museum, which opened in San Jose's History Park in 2007. Housed in a restored historic building, the museum contains hundreds of precious artifacts, photographs, and works of art that tell the story of American journey. The museum would not have come together without immense personal sacrifice from Colonel Lrc who even mortgaged his family home to sustain the museum during difficult times. Thanks to his dedication, the Vist Museum stands today as a treasure of San Jose, educating future generations about the courage, sacrifice, and contributions of Vietnamese refugees.

Colonel Vu Van Lrc passed away peacefully on November 29, 2025, at the age of 92, surrounded by his loved ones and honored by a grateful community. For all of his military rank and community titles, he most cherished his role as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. While Colonel Lrc's journey began in war and exile, it became our community great fortune that he made his second home in San Jose, and that we could come to know Colonel Vu Van Lrc as a friend, mentor, and leader. Today, we honor his memory, and his legacy, which lives on in the hearts of more than 20,000 immigrant Americans who he supported in their brutally difficult journey, and whose journey itself has become an inspiration for our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Ronald ``Ron'' A. Sege, a beloved member of our Silicon Valley community who passed away on November 30, 2025. Ron Sege was a respected technology executive, a philanthropist, and a dear friend to many. He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of leadership, and service.

Born in New York and raised in California, Ron earned his B.A. in Economics from Pomona College and an M.B.A. from Harvard

Business School. He embarked on a remarkable 40-year career in the tech industry, helping to shape the internet and networking revolution of the post-dot-com era. He was perhaps best known for serving as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Echelon Corporation. Prior to Echelon, Ron served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the 3Com Corporation, a networking industry leader, and he led innovation startups such as Tropos Networks and Ellacoya Networks that advanced wireless broadband and internet technologies. Throughout these roles, he drove cutting-edge advancements across telecom, networking, wireless, and industrial internet sectors, earning widespread respect for his vision and business acumen.

Beyond his professional achievements, Ron was deeply committed to his community. He generously lent his time and expertise to several nonprofit organizations in Silicon Valley, including serving on the executive boards of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, and the Montalvo Arts Center, to improve education, public policy, and the arts in our region.

Ron will be remembered not only for his substantial contributions to technology and the community, but also for his personal qualities that endeared him to all who knew him. Colleagues and friends alike recall him as a wise and thoughtful leader whose steady guidance, sharp instincts, and unwavering integrity earned him deep respect across the industry. I long admired Ron's personal kindness, always making others feel as though they were important enough to have the full attention and concern of a respected tech CEO. Ron lived life fully and fearlessly, he was an avid motorcyclist, a music and photography enthusiast, and an adventurous traveler.

Above all, Ron was devoted to his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Mahasti, and his four children Chris, Jon, Georgia, and Alexi. Ron's legacy of leadership, friendship, and humanity will continue to guide and inspire us in years to come. He will be greatly missed, but his influence endures in the countless lives he touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Haregewaine Mitiku Ayalew, a beloved Ethiopian American community member from San Jose, California, who passed away on November 30, 2025. Ms. Ayalew's life was defined by service, generosity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting the vulnerable. It is fitting that we recognize her remarkable contributions in the Congressional Record, for she exemplified the very best of our community's values through a lifetime of compassion and advocacy.

Ms. Ayalew dedicated her professional life to caring for those made vulnerable by illness, age, or circumstance. As a certified Home Care Aide and Home Health Aide, she provided essential care marked by dignity, patience, and kindness. Beyond her caregiving

work, she founded the Diamond Repoint Center and later established the San Pedro Gift Shop, which she operated for twelve years. Her entrepreneurial spirit was always rooted in creating opportunities that empowered others.

Born in Gondar, Ethiopia, Ms. Ayalew never forgot the hardships faced by families in her home country. Her compassion reached across continents. For many years she invested her personal resources and time to support disadvantaged communities through charitable and faith-based initiatives. She organized annual food support programs for families in Addis Ababa and Gondar, particularly during major religious holidays when no one should feel forgotten. She also funded and built a library and a ten-room dormitory at the historic Debre Birhan Selassie Church in Gondar to support theology students. These facilities remain active today as places of study, refuge, and prayer.

Ms. Ayalew further extended her humanitarian work to the ``Menna'' Center in Gondar, a facility caring for elders without family support and for individuals living with illness and disabilities. Through her efforts and the resources she gathered from her community in San Jose, she assisted thirty-five mothers and more than one hundred sixty vulnerable children, many of whom were orphans or living with disabilities. Her support empowered these families to rebuild their lives, whether by opening small shops, raising sheep and dairy cows, learning trades, or securing their basic needs. Her work created pathways to dignity, stability, and opportunity.

In San Jose, Ms. Ayalew was a pillar of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo community. She lived a life grounded in prayer, humility, and service. At her local parish, Mekane Rama Saint Gabriel Church, she was known for her big smile, her compassion, and her unwavering willingness to help anyone in need. Her church community regarded her with deep respect and affection, and many found comfort and encouragement in her presence.

Ms. Ayalew leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of faith, service, and compassion. Her life's work lives on through her two daughters Aden Kassaye and Rebekah Kassaye, her extended family, and the countless individuals whose lives she touched both here and abroad. In her honor, her family and community are establishing a foundation to continue her mission and to ensure that her dedication to uplifting the vulnerable endures for generations.

Though she is no longer with us, Ms. Haregewaine Mitiku Ayalew's example of kindness, devotion, and charity will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing her. I extend my deepest condolences to her family and to the Mekane Rama Saint Gabriel Church community she loved so dearly. May her memory be a blessing, and may she rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life of Colonel Vu Van Loc, a South Vietnamese Army veteran and beloved community member and leader in San Jose, for his selfless dedication to Vietnamese refugees and to cultural preservation.

Born in 1933 in northern Vietnam, Loc Vu and his family fled their homeland during the fall of Saigon, ultimately finding refuge in San Jose, California, the largest community of ethnic Vietnamese of any city outside of Vietnam.

Soon after arriving, Loc Vu founded the Immigrant Resettlement and Cultural Center to aid fellow refugees in rebuilding their lives. Over the next four decades, the IRCC became a lifeline to Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian families throughout our region.

He also founded, funded, and passionately led the creation of the Museum of the Boat People and the Republic of Vietnam to ensure future generations understand the tremendous sacrifice, courage, and resilience of the thousands who came to our shores after the Vietnam war.

Loc Vu passed away peacefully this November at the age of 92. I was fortunate to have known Loc Vu for two decades, and I will miss our community's friend, mentor, and leader. His legacy lives on in the hearts of the more than 20,000 neighbors he has helped to support and uplift.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary career and lifelong service of Ms. Rose Amador, who is retiring after 55 years of dedication to our community, including 44 years as President and CEO of ConXion to Community, a nonprofit organization providing education, workforce development, youth engagement, behavioral health, and social services across Santa Clara County.

Under Ms. Amador's visionary leadership, ConXion grew tremendously in both reach and impact--securing a permanent home on Story Road and expanding programs to meet the rapidly evolving needs of our diverse community. Her steadfast commitment to public service and San Jose are unmatched.

Born in San Jose, Ms. Amador was inspired early by her parents--both community activists--who introduced her to the Chicano movement, the American GI Forum, and Cesar Chavez marches. She was part of De Anza College's inaugural class, earning an Associate of Arts in Chicano Studies before completing her Bachelor's Degree in Business Management at St. Mary's College.

Her leadership extended beyond our region. Within the National Council of La Raza--now UnidosUS--Ms. Amador served in several capacities, including as a steering committee member, where she helped establish the National Affiliate Council, now known as the California National Affiliate Network. As a longtime leader of the La Raza Roundtable in San Jose, she became known for her ability to be both passionate and pragmatic, collaborative and courageous.

Ms. Amador's trailblazing leadership has earned her some of our community's highest honors--including the La Raza Historical Society Award, recognition as one of Silicon Valley's Top 100 Most Influential Latinos, Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Joe Coto, and KQED's 2013 Local Hero--among countless other accolades that reflect her enduring impact. Being of Yaqui descent, Ms. Amador also proudly carries the name ``Cihuapilli'', meaning ``noble woman.''

Ms. Amador's life has been marked by devotion to advocacy, uplifting the most vulnerable among us, and preserving our community's vibrant culture. We are profoundly grateful for her decades of leadership and service and wish her a joyful and well-earned retirement.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bay Area delegation, I rise to honor the service and career of The Honorable Anna Eshoo. Former Congresswoman Eshoo served in Congress for 32 years, representing parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo Counties. Throughout her tenure, Congresswoman Eshoo showed a remarkable commitment to public service and to my district. Today, we recognize Congresswoman Eshoo as San Mateo County's 2025 History Maker for her exceptional leadership.

Congresswoman Eshoo is a proud graduate of Canada College and the CORO Foundation, also holding an Honorary Degree from Menlo College. She started her career in public office in 1982, when she was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Congresswoman Eshoo served on the county board for 10 years, then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992 to represent southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County.

Throughout her tenure in Congress, Congresswoman Eshoo worked tirelessly to advance healthcare, technology, and environmental policy. She advocated for strengthening public health services, expanding access to health insurance, and lowering healthcare costs for Americans. More than half of the bills she authored were health- related.

A champion of technology and innovation, Congresswoman Eshoo's influence is felt around the country today through the numerous bills she helped author. She represented Silicon Valley as tech continued to grow in my region and worked hard to show tech leadership in Congress. She advocated for the growth of the internet and online privacy, and was recognized as one of the most influential people in AI. Her dedicated efforts to improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of my communities exemplifies true commitment to the American people.

Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Eshoo passed 68 pieces of legislation, signed into law by five Presidents. Congresswoman Eshoo spent 30 years serving on the Energy and Commerce committee, including chairing the Health Subcommittee for four years and being the Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee for six. She was the first woman to serve in either role. Congresswoman Eshoo had a strong record of working across the aisle to support the needs of the American people.

Above all, Congresswoman Eshoo embodied a deep devotion to the people she represented and found joy in serving them. Her warmth, authenticity, and rare gift for making personal connections earned her not only a loyal following but also enduring friendships across every chapter of her career.

I have the immense honor of serving Congresswoman Eshoo's former district and celebrating her numerous accomplishments in Congress. Her exemplary work in Congress will continue to serve my district for generations. Congresswoman Eshoo's legacy of public service is exceptional, and she has truly left her mark on our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hacking for Defense (H4D) program and its significant and unique contributions to our national security.

Launched in 2015, H4D is a for-credit course that has been taken by over 4,000 students in the U.S., addressed more than 1,000 national security problems, and led to the formation of 71 companies that have raised more than $365 million in private capital.

The H4D program provides an invaluable experience for students, enabling them to engage directly with real-world problems, interact with key government stakeholders, gain rare exposure to defense and intelligence missions, and develop skills in problem validation, customer discovery, and rapid prototyping.

For that, I would like to commend the students, faculty, university partners, government sponsors, and program organizers for their dedication and contributions to national security. That work has contributed to the program growing from a pilot at Stanford to 67 universities in the U.S., 24 in the U.K., and 2 in Australia.

H4D plays a critical role in preparing the next generation of entrepreneurial talent to address some of our Nation's toughest problems, like tracking hypersonic threats, securing U.S. dominance in critical minerals, AI-powered troubleshooting for military mechanics, and improving the quality, security, and resilience of communications for special operators. These are just a few of the ways that the solutions developed by H4D student teams benefit service members and the defense innovation ecosystem as a whole.

I would like to thank all those involved in the H4D program for their continued public service and their efforts to advance U.S. national security.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the service and career of community leader Lynn Adams in celebration of her retirement. Since 2007, Lynn has served as the President of the Pacifica Beach Coalition (PCB), dedicating herself to promoting conservation, stewardship, and restoration.

Lynn began volunteering with the Pacifica Beach Coalition in 2002, working to clean up

and restore Pacifica's beaches, coastlines, and habitats, ensuring our lands and communities thrive. Under Lynn's leadership, PCB cleanups have been organized across the San Mateo County coastline, encouraging countless volunteers to take action in their communities. Her commitment to preserving our ocean, coastal habitats, and wildlife has made an immensely positive impact along our coastlines.

Her spark ignited the passion for public service in countless community members. Since 2005, she has increased participation in the annual Earth Day of Action from 150 to 8,500 volunteers, expanding the event's coverage in the city of Pacifica. She has also increased the number of field education events by tenfold.

Lynn has been particularly devoted to engaging our community's young people. She has held countless events in elementary schools across the region and developed Pacifica's ``Junior Ocean Stewards Program,'' which engages children from underserved communities in environmental stewardship and service from a young age.

Lynn's leadership is responsible for PBC's immense growth and impact. She has worked with corporate volunteer teams, coordinated programming, worked with local media, and advocated for crucial conservation policies. She has also formed naturalist and habitat restoration programs, which have evolved into core staples of PBC's programming.

In addition to her work in the PBC, Lynn has helped lead the Pacifica Land Trust as the Stewardship Coordinator, where she established a volunteer-based stewardship program with almost 1,000 volunteers. She has coordinated conservation efforts and developed programs that foster the appreciation, protection, and conservation of my district's natural habitats.

Lynn's dedication to her work inspires us all. Her time as President of the Pacifica Beach Coalition has transformed conservation efforts along my district's coasts. She leaves a legacy of stewardship and service. Both our community and our natural world owe her a debt of gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, I rise, along with my colleague Kevin Mullin, to recognize and honor Kenneth Paul Kiraly, a distinguished innovator, for his dedication to advancing technology and making it accessible for everyone. Living all across the San Francisco Bay Area, Ken developed a love for designing and building electronics, accumulating a multitude of electronic projects throughout his life. After graduating high school in Walnut Creek, he went on to attend California State University, Pomona, before returning to the Bay Area to complete his degree in Computer Science at California State University, East Bay.

As the internet was only beginning to enter our lives, Ken helped pioneer development tools for the Java programming language, ultimately launching the first full-featured integrated development environments (IDEs) for Java. Ken joined Palm as a senior software architect, leading the development and delivery of technologies across a variety of handheld devices. In 2005, Ken became one of Amazon's primary leaders in its new consumer device division. His leadership in the division enabled the seamless experience of the Kindle--launched in 2007--transforming the small device into a portable library for readers. Ken was particularly focused and proud of one aspect of the Kindle: its intuitive system. He cared deeply about making it accessible for people who simply loved to read, as well as individuals with disabilities. Upon its launch, the Kindle made it possible to enlarge the print of books with a single button, allowing individuals to rediscover the joy of reading without having to physically hold a book. He continued his work at Amazon, most recently developing Amazon's first consumer robot, Astro--a project blending AI with cutting-edge hardware.

Throughout his accomplished 40-year career, Ken has embodied the qualities of an innovator, a bold risk-taker, and a dedicated problem solver. As one of the early Distinguished Engineers in Amazon, he not only led engineering and product teams, but also mentored and helped grow a multitude of engineers and leaders in the company. Furthermore, he is named inventor on 44 U.S. patents, across a variety of products. All while developing groundbreaking technology, Ken helped raise two sons--Paul and James--with his wife, Virginia. As Ken concludes a distinguished career, he looks forward to spending more time with his family and enjoying the next chapter of his life.