[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E5]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE CONCLUSION OF ALAMEDA BOARD OF EDUCATION TRUSTEE 
            BERRESFORD BINGHAM'S TENURE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 2003

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Berresford ``Berry'' 
Bingham on the completion of his second term as trustee of the Alameda 
Board of Education.
  An eight-year veteran on the school board, Berry has served the 
maximum number of terms allowed under district term limits. In 1998 he 
served as Board President, and he was chair of the District Base Reuse 
Committee, which monitored the impact on Alameda Schools of the closure 
of the Alameda Naval Air Station.
  The First African-American elected to the Alameda Board of Education, 
Berry has served as president-elect of the California School Board 
Association (CSBA) Black Caucus and as a member of CSBA's statewide 
Parent Task Force. He is also the first Alameda School Board Member to 
serve in the CSBA Delegate Assembly, where he served four years.
  A long time advocate for quality education, Berry has served as Board 
Representative in negotiating joint agreements with the City of Alameda 
regarding increased developers' fees, as a Board Member of the Alameda 
Education Foundation, and as Board Representative to the Oakland-
Alameda Regional Occupational Program Advisory Board. Also, he has 
served as a member of the Urban School Board Council in Sacramento.
  Berry is a passionate advocate for innovative educational programs, 
and he has pushed for district accountability in improving student 
performance. He holds the district to high academic standards for all 
students, and he is a tireless supporter of the role of early-childhood 
education in laying the foundation for academic success.
  A deeply caring, ``hands-on'' board member, Berry has made himself 
accessible to the community at any time of the day or night. When 
Alameda's Woodstock Child Development Center was at risk of closing due 
to a large budget deficit, Berry contributed his monthly Board stipend 
to help offset expenses.
  The father of three Alameda public school graduates, Berry is past 
PTA president of Woodstock Elementary School and Chipman Middle School.
  A courageous school board member, Berry never wavered in making 
decisions that put students first. I am honored to commend Berresford 
``Berry'' Bingham for his years of dedicated service to the Alameda 
Board of Education.

                          ____________________