[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO GENE BELLISARIO

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                             HON. VIC FAZIO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 1998

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Gene Bellisario, a long-time supporter of education. Gene, president of 
the Yuba College Board of Trustees, is retiring from the Yuba College 
Board after five terms.
  Gene Bellisario, a graduate of Yuba College, credits his success in 
the world of business to retired Yuba College instructor Harry Clinton, 
who first encouraged him to apply for a position at the Credit Bureau 
of Sutter County. That first position eventually led him to open a 
credit bureau of his own, and recently Gene sold his business, the 
Credit Bureau of Placer County, and retired.
  For close to 40 years, Gene Bellisario has been an outstanding member 
of the community, both in business and in education. He is currently 
serving in his fourteenth year as a trustee of the Yuba College Board. 
Previously, he was a member of the Lake Tahoe Community College Board 
for six years. A popular figure at Yuba College, Gene was the top vote 
getter four of the five times that he ran for election as a trustee. 
During his tenure on the Yuba College board, he served in several 
capacities, including president, vice president, and clerk. The 
students, faculty, and administrators will sorely miss his presence at 
the college when his term ends and he retires at the end of 1998.
  Gene Bellisario has continually striven to improve the quality of 
college trustees throughout the state. He has represented the Yuba 
College district at community college trustee workshops in Washington 
D.C., and he has served as a ``mentor trustee'' for other community 
college trustees in California. These efforts to learn and promote 
responsible trusteeship are a reflection of Gene's commitment to higher 
education.
  Still active members of the community, Gene and his wife Peggy now 
concentrate on philanthropy. As a demonstration of their continuing 
belief in education, the Bellisarios have funded the Bellisario Family 
Trust which benefits both the Yuba College and Lake Tahoe Community 
College Foundations.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in honoring Gene Bellisario, and I personally extend my sincere 
appreciation for all he has done for the Yuba community during his many 
years of dedicated service.

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