[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 54 (Thursday, April 3, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING PAUL BETANCOURT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CALVIN M. DOOLEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 3, 2003

  Mr. DOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Paul Betancourt, 
who is being honored as the outgoing president of the Fresno County 
Farm Bureau, FCFB. Paul Betancourt has spent more than a decade serving 
my district through his activities with the Fresno County Farm Bureau, 
which represents over 6,000 members, produces more than 300 crops and 
grosses more than $3.2 billion annually. Paul Betancourt has set an 
example through his dedicated commitment to our community.
  Since completing his 2-year role as president of the FCFB, Mr. 
Betancourt continues to serve on the FCFB Executive Committee and he 
was recently appointed to serve as the Industry Representative on the 
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District's Citizens 
Advisory Committee. Before serving as FCFB President, Betancourt also 
served as the FCFB secretary-treasurer and second and first vice 
presidents.
  In addition to all of his work with the FCFB, Mr. Betancourt has 
served in a number of various community activities. Through his Farm 
Bureau activities, Mr. Betancourt served on the board of directors of 
the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, and represented FCFB at many industry 
and community forums and events. Mr. Betancourt currently serves on the 
Kerman Unified School Board of Trustees, and is involved in the Fresno 
Area Collaborative Regional Initiative. Additionally, Mr. Betancourt is 
a noted columnist for a local business publication and he teaches 
Sunday school at the Kerman Covenant Church.
  Mr. Betancourt currently farms more than 750 acres of cotton and 
almonds in Fresno County, where he has also grown crops such as 
tomatoes, sugar beets, cantaloupes, barley, and cattle. Paul 
Betancourt's intimate knowledge of farming issues and his dedicated 
commitment to farmers and Fresno County residents as a whole should 
serve as an example of leadership and dedication in the Central Valley 
of California.
  Mr. Betancourt has contributed to the improvement of the community 
through his work in and out of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. Mr. 
Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating Paul 
Betancourt on his retirement as president of the Fresno County Farm 
Bureau.

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