[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 159 (Thursday, November 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO JOE SERNA, MAYOR OF SACRAMENTO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 10, 1999

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in great sadness to pay tribute to a 
very distinguished leader, to one of the most honorable public servants 
I know, and to a true friend. On Sunday, the mayor of Sacramento, and 
my good friend Joe Serna, lost his courageous battle with kidney 
cancer. As the community mourns his loss, I ask all my colleagues to 
join with me in saluting the career and efforts of this extraordinary 
person.
  Joe Serna was born in Stockton and raised in Lodi, California. He 
grew up the son of an immigrant farm worker, where he was taught the 
honorable values and hard work ethic that exemplified his career. It 
was here too that he began a storied and successful career, becoming a 
sheet metal worker at the age of 19. He went on to earn a Bachelor of 
Arts degree in social science/government from Sacramento State College 
in 1966 and attended graduate school at UC, Davis, majoring in 
political science.
  Always wanting to serve others, Mayor Serna entered the Peace Corps 
in 1966, working in Guatemala as a Community Development volunteer 
specializing in cooperatives and credit unions. Upon his return to the 
States, he continued his service by pursuing one of the most noble of 
all professions--he became a teacher. He joined the faculty at CSU, 
Sacramento, in 1969 becoming a professor of government. Of course the 
energy he brought to life was quickly transferred to his students in 
the classroom, and in 1991 he received the Distinguished Faculty Award.
  Continuing his lifelong calling to public service, Joe Serna was 
first elected to the Sacramento City Council in 1981 and reelected in 
1985 and 1989. He was then elected mayor of Sacramento in 1992 and 
again in 1996.
  As mayor, Joe Serna left a proud legacy of leadership and 
accomplishments. He worked throughout his career to revitalize 
Sacramento's downtown which included initiating the Sacramento Downtown 
Partnership Association, the ``Art in Public Places'' program, and the 
Thursday Night Market. Joe Serna was selected in 1995 by the National 
Council for Urban Economic Development to receive their annual Economic 
Development Leadership Award.
  He also established the Mayor's Commission on Our Children's Health 
and the Mayor's Commission on Education and the City's Future, which 
led to a new Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Trustees. 
As part of his active role in improving the Sacramento City School 
District, he founded the Mayor's Summer Reading Camp, a literacy 
program for below average scoring second and third grade students.
  Over the past three decades Mayor Serna was a member of numerous 
organizations including the Regional Transit Board of Directors and the 
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission. He was the Co-trustee 
of the Crocker Art Museum Association and an Advisory Board Member of 
Senior Gleaners, Inc. He also was a former Chair of the Sacramento 
City/County Sports Commission, member of the Board of the Sacramento 
Employment and Training Agency, member of the Sacramento Metropolitan 
Cable Television Commission and Sacramento Air Quality Management 
Board. From 1970 to 1975, he served as the Director of the United 
Farmworkers of America's Support Committee in Sacramento County. Mayor 
Serna also served as a two-time presidential appointed member of the 
Board of Directors of ``Freddie Mac.''
  Mayor Serna was known as an elected official with profound vision for 
the future and the energy to implement that vision. He knew how to 
build coalitions, ignite community involvement, and succeed in 
achieving his goals. Because of this vision, he leaves a proud legacy 
in Sacramento of downtown revitalization and growth, a stronger public 
school system, more jobs, more community police, and a higher quality 
of life.
  What made Mayor Serna such a remarkable leader was his ability and 
willingness to listen to the community and make himself available to 
all voices that wanted to be heard. In an era when following the 
politically expedient route is commonplace, Mayor Serna was never 
afraid to fight for what he believed in if he knew it was the right 
thing to do. He never compromised his values and always brought a sense 
of honor and dignity to the Sacramento community. I thank him for his 
courage, for his kindness, and for the exceptional integrity he 
maintained throughout his career. Clearly, Mayor Serna leaves a new 
standard of leadership that we should all do well to follow.
  I would also like to extend my deepest and heartfelt sympathies to 
Mayor Serna's wife, Isabelle, his son Phillip, and his daughter, Lisa. 
I along with the city of Sacramento and the California community mourn 
with them.
  Mr. Speaker, the city of Sacramento has suffered a tremendous loss of 
one of its most distinguished and visionary leaders, as well as one of 
its best citizens. We will all miss him dearly.

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