[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING RICHARD GONZALES, 2001 RECIPIENT OF THE YMCA DISTINGUISHED 
                             SERVICE AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 2002

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, my congressional district in Riverside, 
California is extremely fortunate to have a dynamic and dedicated group 
of community leaders who willingly and unselfishly give of their time 
and talents to ensure the well-being of our cities and county. These 
individuals work tirelessly to develop voluntary community action to 
improve the region's economy, its education, its environment and its 
overall quality of life. One individual, who is a member of this group, 
is Richard Gonzales. He has been active in so many community groups and 
activities that it is hard to imagine how he found the time to become a 
career law enforcement officer with the Los Angeles Police Department 
(LAPD), as the Chief of Police for the City of Coronoa, a husband and a 
father of two.
  On the 9th of March, Mr. Gaonzales will be honored with the Ira. D. 
``Cal'' Calvert Distinguished Service Award by the Corona-Norco Family 
YMCA. The award is given in memory of my father, ``Cal'' Calvert, and 
his innumerable philanthropic gifts to the community and his efforts to 
encourage others to serve their community in a similar fashion. The 
award recognizes Mr. Gonzales for his exceptional devotion to 
developing community volunteerism.
  Richard's career with the LAPD lasted for an impressive 26 years 
where he commanded many divisions. During those years, he served as a 
police officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. After 
retiring from LAPD, Richard was named the police chief of Corona in 
1998. Richard holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration and a 
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, both from California State 
University, Long Beach. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in 
Quantico, Virginia and holds a POST certificate for Command 
Development. He is also an adjunct professor at Golden West College, 
where he teaches a POST Discipline course at the Criminal Justice 
Training Center.
  With all of these career and family commitments, Richard's unselfish 
giving of time and energy to volunteering is all the more impressive 
and serves as a model to his community, neighbors and own children. His 
strong commitment to the Inland Empire is displayed in his 
participation in the Corona Police Community Partnership, Coalition for 
Family Preservation, Corona Rotary, as a board member for UNITY which 
deals with community youth sports and the Coronoa-Norco YMCA. Chief 
Gonzales has actively instituted partnerships with our local school 
district, ministerial groups and other services in keeping our 
community safe and raising the quality of life in Corona.
  Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank Richard Gonzales for 
his dedication, influence and involvement in our community. I know that 
we will continue to benefit from his longtime experience in the 43rd 
congressional district and deep commitment to the region. It is a great 
pleasure for me to congratulate Richard on his outstanding career with 
the LAPD and his lifelong devotion to the community.

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