[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 130 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ANDREA LEIDERMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 2005

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and contributions of 
Ms. Andrea Leiderman who recently passed away. Andrea is survived by 
her parents and siblings, and her loving husband, Hayes Alexander, III. 
She will be sorely missed by her many friends and our community. Today, 
I honor her energy, her determination and her life-long service to the 
Bay Area community.
  Andrea Naomi Leiderman was born on August 8, 1959 in Boston, 
Massachusetts, to Drs. Herbert and Gloria Leiderman. The family moved 
west when Andrea, the youngest of four children, was four years old. 
Andrea grew up on the Stanford campus where her father is a professor 
emeritus, and has always been politically active. As a child, she 
organized a school grape boycott in support of the United Farm Workers; 
as an adult, she worked on the presidential campaigns of George 
McGovern, Jimmy Carter and Alan Cranston.
  Andrea attended Vassar College, majoring in political science. After 
college, she worked as a legislative assistant to former New York 
Representative Matt McHugh and, later, as the LBJ Congressional Fellow 
to former California Representative Norman Mineta, currently U.S. 
Secretary of Transportation. Andrea also served as an aide to County 
Supervisor Jim Beall during his tenure on the San Jose City Council.
  Andrea was only 28 years old when she was elected as chairwoman of 
the Santa Clara County Democratic Party. She was also elected as chair 
of the Women's Caucus, and received the highest number of votes in 
delegate elections.
  Andrea served on the Santa Clara County Board of Education, including 
two terms as President of the Board in 1995 and 2000. Andrea 
spearheaded school board policy on neighborhood outreach while 
advocating workforce education and emphasizing assistance to 
underrepresented students. She was also a valued trustee of the 
Foothill-DeAnza Community College District.
  Most recently, Andrea was Director of Government and Community 
Relations for Kaiser Permanente's South Bay facilities, using her 
experience in the public sector to promote healthcare. She was a 
dedicated and committed worker until the end.
  Andrea Leiderman died at the very young age of 46, on September 11, 
2005. When she passed away, our community lost one of its most dynamic 
community activists--an advocate of minority rights, social justice, 
education and equality.

                          ____________________