[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1425-E1426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING SUSAN AND JAMES PETROVICH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LOIS CAPPS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 25, 2001

  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay special tribute to two 
extraordinary citizens of the Santa Barbara community, Susan and James 
Petrovich. This couple has devoted so much of their time to various 
community organizations and events that it is difficult to imagine what 
Santa Barbara would be like without them. Because of their dedication, 
the United Boys and Girls Club will be honoring them on July 28, 2001.
  As graduates of the University of California at Santa Barbara, the 
Petrovichs realized they had stumbled upon their ideal community, and 
decided to make Santa Barbara their permanent home. After her 
graduation, Susan attended the Hastings College of Law in San 
Francisco, but soon returned to the Central Coast to become one of the 
few female lawyers in Santa Barbara during the 1970s. Throughout her 
legal career, Susan has consistently dedicated her legal talents to 
helping others. She helped write the Santa Barbara County Agricultural 
Element in attempt to preserve agricultural lands, and authored a 
ballot measure to regenerate oak trees. She also serves on the site 
location committee for the Santa Barbara Montessori School, and 
supports the Legal Aid Foundation, the Santa Barbara Women Lawyers 
Scholarship Foundation, and the Santa Barbara County Cattlemen's 
Association. Her active involvement on all of those committees clearly 
demonstrates Susan's dedication.
  Susan's committed dedication to Santa Barbara is only equaled by the 
involvement her husband James has demonstrated towards the community. 
James has been a local real estate broker and investor for over 25 
years, and his talents in these fields have earned him several national 
and lifetime achievement awards. His talents have been especially 
apparent in Santa Barbara, where he has managed to negotiate properties 
ranging from beachfront motels to the open space that is now Santa 
Barbara's largest regional park, Elings Park.
  However, James' community activism doesn't end with his real estate 
skills. He is the past president of the Santa Barbara Lions Club and 
the immediate past president of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's 
Council. He has been an active fund-raiser for the Ben Page Youth 
Center, and is a member on several boards, including that of the Music 
Theater of Santa Barbara, the Elings Park Foundation, and the City's 
PARC Foundation, which funds many park projects. James has

[[Page E1426]]

also served on the boards of CALM and is a founding trustee of United 
Against Crime. He has also co-chaired the site committee for the City's 
new police headquarters.
  Because James and Susan Petrovich truly appreciate how wonderful it 
is to live in Santa Barbara, they have adapted a unique philosophy 
about the community, and strive to give back to the community the same 
amount of joy and success the community has given to them. It is 
obvious that the Petrovichs have more than adequately given their share 
back to this community, and have aptly contributed in making Santa 
Barbara a truly special place to live. I hope all of my colleagues will 
join me in acknowledging the Petrovichs on their honorable 
contributions to the Santa Barbara Community.

                          ____________________