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“IN MEMORY OF CAROLYN LEAVENS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E680 on April 8, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN MEMORY OF CAROLYN LEAVENS
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HON. ELTON GALLEGLY
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, April 8, 2011
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in memory of Carolyn Leavens, who passed away this week after a lifetime dedicated to her family and friends, the agricultural industry, and her community.
I have known Carolyn, her husband Paul and their family for more than 30 years. Carolyn was a strong and professional woman whose promotion of agriculture on a local, national and international level, and whose love and service to family and community, were seemingly inexhaustible.
Carolyn and Paul were married for 60 years, and for 25 years she played a key role in office and budget management for Leavens Ranches as it grew from 100 acres of beans to 1,100 acres of citrus and avocado orchards. The operation, founded by Paul's grandparents and now managed by the fourth generation of family members, ranks as one of Ventura County's leading citrus and avocado producers and has also expanded into lemon, avocado and wine-grape production in Monterey County.
Carolyn's involvement in one of the county's pioneer family farming operations led her to play a leadership role in the agricultural community, at first locally and later on a statewide and international level.
Her accomplishments are too extensive to list here in their entirety, but they include being the founding president of the Ventura County chapter of California Women for Agriculture and CWA's state president in 1981; a member of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture from 1978 to 1982; a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Women's Leadership Network from 1983 to 1999, participating in its European Economic Community Tour as an ambassador of the American agricultural industry; and serving as a board member of Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance and a delegate to the first International Women in Agriculture Convention.
Although she played a prominent role in agricultural affairs, she was perhaps best known at home for her wide-ranging involvement in civic, cultural and political activities.
Again, Carolyn's civic accomplishments--and the awards bestowed on her to recognize those accomplishments--are too long to list here. But it was her tireless involvement in the decades-long campaign that culminated in establishment of California State University, Channel Islands, that may be her most lasting local legacy. Not only was she integral in establishing the university, her tireless fund-raising and marketing efforts ensured its success. In the words of my friend and former U.S. Representative Robert Lagomarsino when he presented the inaugural CSUCI Lagomarsino Award to Carolyn: ``It is hard to think of this campus without thinking of Carolyn Leavens. . . . Today, this University is her hallmark.''
In addition to Paul, Carolyn leaves behind her son and daughter-in-
law, J. Link and Sally Leavens; and daughters and sons-in-law, Tina and David Cullenberg, Leslie and Harry Crowe, and Heather and Curt August; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren and many other loving family members.
Mr. Speaker, Carolyn left an everlasting mark on our community and will be greatly missed. I know my colleagues join me in sending condolences to Paul, the Leavens family, and their many friends, and in remembering Carolyn for her many contributions and for being a role model for all.
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