[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 161 (Thursday, December 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO ROBERT THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 15, 2005

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to honor 
Mr. Robert Thomas, the City of Sacramento's City Manager, who is 
retiring this week from a distinguished career of public service. As 
his friends, family and coworkers all gather to celebrate his career, I 
ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring one of Sacramento's finest 
citizens.
  Mr. Thomas began his career in Sacramento with the North Highlands 
Recreation and Park District and later worked with the County of 
Sacramento, Southgate Recreation and Park District and City of Santa 
Cruz. At each step of his career Bob eagerly took on increased 
responsibilities for the recreational facilities that make Sacramento 
and California such a wonderful place to live.
  In 1981, he returned to Sacramento as the Director of Parks and 
Community Services. For ten years Bob headed the department, managing 
over 600 employees and hundreds of volunteers. Under his direction the 
department increased revenue, grant funding and accomplished many 
important projects, including an expansion of the Crocker Art Museum.
  Recognizing his management abilities, Bob was appointed Deputy City 
Manager in 1991, and he served in that position until being named 
Sacramento County's Executive in 1996. While with the County, he 
implemented the Board of Supervisors' policies and was ultimately 
responsible for managing over ten thousand employees and an annual 
budget of 1.4 billion dollars. Among the long list of achievements with 
the County, he was able to effectively reorganize the Economic 
Development Program and helped implement reuse plans at McClellan and 
Mather Air Force Bases, both of which were shut down.
  From 1999 until the present day, the people of Sacramento have been 
incredibly fortunate to have Mr. Thomas serve as Sacramento's City 
Manager. He has been an effective leader, working with the City Council 
on many issues of great importance. These include flood control 
projects, major transportation upgrades across the city and managing 
the development of many new neighborhoods. In recognition of his superb 
work, Mr. Thomas was named Public Administrator of the Year in 2005 by 
the American Society for Public Administration.
  Bob was also an active member of the California National Guard 175th 
Medical Brigade until his retirement from the Guard this year. Given 
his extensive background in municipal government, work with the 
California National Guard and decades spent living in Sacramento, I was 
always confident that Sacramento was being taken care of with Bob 
Thomas at the helm, as was my late husband Congressman Robert Matsui.
  Whether it has been with the California National Guard, County of 
Sacramento, or with the City of Sacramento, Bob Thomas has left a 
legacy of successful public management and service that will be hard to 
match. On behalf of the people of Sacramento and the Fifth 
Congressional District of California, I ask all my colleagues to join 
me in thanking Bob Thomas for his public service and to wish him a 
healthy and happy retirement.

                          ____________________