[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 9, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ON THE RETIREMENT OF JOHN FIELDS STOVALL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 9, 2005

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the retirement of 
a distinguished constituent and good friend, John Fields Stovall. John 
has worked as General Counsel for the Kern County Water Agency in my 
district for more than sixteen years, earning the respect of his peers 
for his thoughtful, effective work on behalf of California water 
interests.
  John has lived most of his life in Bakersfield, California, beginning 
at the age of ten. He graduated from Bakersfield High School and 
subsequently Bakersfield College, where he studied pre-pharmacy. John 
moved to the University of California at Los Angeles, where he 
graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.
  Before beginning his career in water issues, John first worked for 
the Food and Drug Administration as an Investigator and received his 
J.D. degree, with honors, from Loyola Law School. John worked for 
several law firms, including the respected Lebeau, Thelen and Lampe. 
While working at Lebeau, Thelen and Lampe, John met his wife, the 
former Jan Blocher, and began legal work on water rights issues. He 
took that experience with him to the Kern County Water Agency in 1989, 
when he joined the Agency as General Counsel.
  John has successfully shepherded the Agency through many legal 
challenges and opportunities, including the organization of the Kern 
Water Bank. His work to ensure continued favorable operation of the 
State Water Project has helped to provide consistent water supplies for 
thousands of Kern County residents and farmers. It was a pleasure to 
work closely with John in our efforts to reauthorize the federal 
portion of the California Bay-Delta Program. In recent years, he 
studied for and successfully received his Doctorate from the highly-
respected Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont 
Graduate University.
  In his personal life, John is active in the local community. He 
participates in the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce's Government Review 
Council and the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club. He supports local 
students as a competition judge for high school mock trial 
competitions, and is an active member of the Kern County Republican 
Party.
  While John's full-time career at Kern County Water Agency is coming 
to an end, I am sure that he and Jan will continue to be valuable and 
active members of our community in Bakersfield. On behalf of Kern 
County residents who recognize the necessity and value of reliable 
water supplies, I thank John for his service and wish him and Jan the 
best as they begin the next stage of their lives.

                          ____________________