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“TRIBUTE TO MARY GRIFFIN ON HER RETIREMENT AS SAN MATEO COUNTY SUPERVISOR” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1552-E1553 on Sept. 21, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO MARY GRIFFIN ON HER RETIREMENT AS SAN MATEO COUNTY
SUPERVISOR
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HON. TOM LANTOS
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 21, 2000
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my colleagues in the House to the remarkable public career of my dear friend Mary Griffin, who will shortly retire as a county supervisor of San Mateo County, California. I have known Mary for over twenty years, and during that time I have seen how her contributions have enriched our community and helped many individuals on a very personal level.
Mr. Speaker, Mary began her career as a teacher--in the Santa Rosa Public elementary schools (1954-1957), as an instructor in education at San Francisco State University (1957-1959), and as a teacher in the South San Francisco Unified School District (1973- 1987). She began her public service in 1976 when she was elected to the Millbrae City Council. She served on the City Council for 13 years, and was twice elected as mayor (1980, 1984).
In March of 1987, Mary Griffin was elected to the Board of Supervisors of San Mateo County. She was re-elected to a full term in 1988, and then was reelected for two additional terms in 1992 and 1996. Mary served as President of the Board of Supervisors in 1989, 1993, and 1999. She served as President of the Association of Bay Area Governments (1991-1992) and as Vice Chair of the Bay Area Economic Forum (1995).
Mr. Speaker, during nearly thirteen years of leadership on the Board of Supervisors, Mary has demonstrated her outstanding leadership and commitment to dealing with issues of critical importance in maintaining the quality of life on the Peninsula. She has worked to deal with serious transportation problems in our area. She served on the Transportation Authority Board and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (1989-1998), where she made important contributions to improving Peninsula transportation in a period of intense economic growth in our area. Reflecting her concern with issues involving the San Francisco International Airport, which is a critical transportation hub contributing to the economic vitality of our entire region, she made important contributions as a member of the Airport Land Use Committee, the Regional Airport Planning Committee, and the Airport Community Roundtable.
Mary has been in the forefront in protecting our fragile environment. In her first year as County Supervisor, Mary took the lead in county recycling efforts as the first and only chair of the County Recycling Task Force. She served on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, as a member of the Congestion Management and Air Quality Committee, and Joint Air Quality Policy Committee.
The needs of children are at the top of Mary Griffin's agenda, and she has frequently emphasized that how we care for our children's needs today will determine our nation's tomorrow. As a child of a widow who worked for the minimum wage, Mary still remembers those hard times, and she has focused on helping families and children make a better future. She has established or taken a leading role in a number of programs to help children--the ``Share-a-Bear Program'' for abused and neglected children in San Mateo County, the Children's Dental Program to assure that impoverished children with severe dental needs are cared for, and the Children's Executive Council to improve communication and cooperation among children's programs throughout the county.
Mr. Speaker, Mary Griffin has received numerous awards recognizing her commitment and contribution to our community--a PTA Honorary Life Service Award, Woman of the Year of the California Federation of Women's Clubs, Woman of Distinction of the Soroptimist International of Millbrae-San Bruno, Directors Award of the State Department of Social Services, and many, many others.
Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in extending our warmest congratulations to Mary Griffin on the occasion of her retirement as a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Her commitment to public service is an inspiration and an example to all of us. We wish her well now that she will have more time to spend with her family: her husband, Walter Ramseur, her three children--John, Mary and Zachary--and her five grandchildren.
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