[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S10512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO MARK SALO

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I wish to salute Mark Salo, 
who is retiring this fall after more than 31 years as the head of 
Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties, PPSDRC. A 
pioneer and visionary in the field of reproductive health care, he is a 
great champion of women's health and freedom of choice.
  When Mark Salo began working with San Diego Planned Parenthood in 
1974, it comprised one small clinic whose 12 employees provided 5,000 
patient visits a year. Today PPSDRC is the second-largest Planned 
Parenthood affiliate in the Nation, with an annual budget of $35 
million and 400 employees who provide more than 200,000 patient visits.
  The San Diego/Riverside affiliate has been a pioneer in the expansion 
of medical services to include vasectomies, tubal ligations, prenatal 
care, and mifepristone. PPSDRC oversees an Emmy-award-winning teen 
theatre and a variety of innovative teen outreach programs. It offers 
local midlife services, male and female sterilization services, and a 
thriving prenatal practice.
  Mark has reached across the border from San Diego to build a Planned 
Parenthood of truly international scope by developing and funding a 
binational program in northern Baja California, Mexico. PPSDRC's 
``Mexico Fund'' supports five medical facilities in the poor colonias 
around Tijuana and funds contraceptive programs in the foreign-owned 
manufacturing plants known as maquiladoras.
  Over the years, Mark has also become the most visible public advocate 
of reproductive rights in the San Diego region. He represents Planned 
Parenthood through television news, interview shows, debate forums, 
newspaper commentaries, and live radio appearances.
  I know that everyone who values women's health and reproductive 
freedom will join me in saluting Mark Salo and sending him best wishes 
for a well-earned, active retirement.

                          ____________________