[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 23 (Thursday, March 3, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E356-E357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF WEBB COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUDITH GUTIERREZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 3, 2005

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the important 
achievements of Judith G. Gutierrez in Laredo, TX in my Congressional 
District.
  Judith G. Gutierrez (Pct.2) was elected in 1986, she held the office 
for two consecutive terms. Re-elected in 1999 and again in 2002, she 
will begin her fourth term of office in January 2003. Throughout her 
tenure, Gutierrez has taken a hands-on approach to colonia issues.
  Former Attorney General Dan Morales appointed Commissioner Gutierrez 
to the state's Colonia Task Force. Former Governor Ann Richards 
selected Gutierrez to chair the Regional Review Committee for scoring 
federally funded projects such as Community Development Block Grants 
(CDBG) and colonia set-aside funds. She served in this capacity for 
four years.
  Commissioner Gutierrez worked with State legislators in 1989 to pass 
Senate Bill 2, which created the first colonia legislation, 
implementing rules to limit unscrupulous development. Senate Bill 2 
also authorized the mechanism needed to provide funding for water and 
sewer improvements. To ensure regulatory enforcement at the local 
level, she created the Webb County's first Planning Department. This 
department has been recognized by the Texas Attorney General's office 
under Generals Morales and Cornyn as the model for colonia regulation 
and enforcement.
  Total grant funds for projects initiated in Webb County during 
Gutierrez' term in office exceeds $100 million. Since 1992, 
Commissioner Gutierrez has secured more than $25 million in colonia 
improvement funds for her precinct alone. Projects have ranged from 
infrastructure--water, storm drainage, and community centers to 
educational and health initiatives.
  In 1994, Commissioner Gutierrez was Governor Ann Richards' appointee 
to the South Texas Regional Prosperity Plan and also served on the 
Environmental Transition Team organized to consolidate the Texas Air 
Quality Control Board, the Water Commission and selected divisions of 
the Texas Health Department. In 2003 Governor Rick Perry appointed 
Commissioner Judith Gutierrez to the South Texas Regional Review 
Committee.

[[Page E357]]

  She is a past President of the South Texas County Judges and 
Commissioners Association and currently serves as trustee for the Texas 
Association of Counties Health and Employees Benefits Pool. She has the 
distinction of being the only commissioner from Webb County to have 
ever served on the Intergovernmental Relations Steering Committee for 
the National Association of Counties, based in Washington, D.C.
  She is the Secretary for the Texas Council Board of Directors and 
serves on the board of the Texas Council of Community Mental Health 
Retardation Centers, Inc. (MHMR). She chairs the County's Villa Antigua 
Committee, a historical preservation project, as well as the Committee 
to create the new Webb County Morgue. She was appointed by Judge 
Mercurio Martinez to serve on the Purchasing Board and to chair an Art 
Committee for the New Administration Building. She has also been 
elected in the year 2002 to be President of the Webb County HFC. 
Commissioner Gutierrez also serves on the Board of Texas Association of 
Counties 2003 and on the Texas Association of Counties Health and 
Employee Benefits Pool since 2001. She was recognized as one of the 
2003 Tiger Legends for Martin High School. She was recently asked to 
join the Mercy Health Center Advisory Board for 2003 as well as the 
Border Area Nutrition Council.
  Judith G. Gutierrez was born in Laredo, Texas to Sabino and Olga 
Garza. She attended Laredo schools and holds an Associate of Arts 
degree from Laredo Junior College. A successful businesswoman, for more 
than a decade Gutierrez owned and operated La Hacienda Mexican 
Restaurant. Commissioner Gutierrez has her Real Estate license and is 
in the process of securing a Real Estate Brokers license. She is the 
mother of four and has two grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have this opportunity to recognize Webb 
County Commissioner Judith Gutierrez.

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