[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO TOM LAURIN FOR EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE AS SAN BERNARDINO 
                 COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 28, 2006

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to pay 
tribute to a longtime public servant, Thomas R. Laurin, who has played 
a key role in improving the economy and quality of life for San 
Bernardino County over the past three decades as community development 
agency director.
  Although Tom Laurin is not a native of San Bernardino, he moved there 
at a young age when his Air Force father came to Norton Air Force Base. 
He graduated from San Gorgonio High School (a rival of my alma mater, 
San Bernardino High) and received a bachelor's degree from California 
State University, San Bernardino.
   After receiving his master's degree in Urban Geography at the 
University of Northern Colorado, Tom Laurin returned in 1977 to join 
the San Bernardino County Office of Community Development. He 
eventually became the Director of Community Development and Housing.
  When Tom joined local government, San Bernardino County had 746,000 
people and only two cities had more than 50,000 residents. Today, 
nearly 2 million people live in San Bernardino County, and 14 cities 
include a population of more than 50,000--four have more than 150,000.
  As my colleagues know, this kind of explosive growth brings 
tremendous challenges to local government. Urban problems like crime, 
dilapidated housing, and a lack of local amenities have all been 
confronted by the Community Development Agency.
  Under the leadership of director Laurin, I believe the agency has 
more than met those challenges, and made the county by far a better 
place to live even as it has been one of the fastest growing areas in 
the nation. He has helped the county utilize $188 million in federal 
grants, and secured $750 million in tax-exempt affordable housing 
loans.
  I have had the pleasure of working closely with Tom on the county's 
Neighborhood Initiative Program, designed to improve entire 
neighborhoods of low-cost housing. Working with the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development and Fannie Mae, the county took a $15 
million grant and rehabilitated neighborhoods in Redlands, Highland, 
San Bernardino and adjacent unincorporated areas.
  More than 550 homes, many of them shuttered HUD foreclosures, were 
fixed up and are now owned by proud low- and moderate-income families. 
The program generated an additional $12 million, which was reinvested. 
It has won numerous national awards.
  Tom Laurin created the county's first Enterprise Zone, which has 
helped hundreds of businesses and thousands of employees gain economic 
success. He created the county's Enterprise Funding Corporation, which 
after 20 years is still assisting local business. And he oversaw 
creation of innovative financing and development programs that helped 
create for-profit businesses to dispose of millions of trees that had 
been killed by bark beetles in the San Bernardino Mountains.
  More than 20 of Tom's projects have received awards from state and 
national organizations, as well as HUD Best Practices awards. He has 
served on many state and national boards, and is a sought-after speaker 
on community development issues. For five years, he has been a CSU San 
Bernardino professor on urban issues.
  Mr. Speaker, after nearly 30 years of top-level public service, Tom 
Laurin will retire as Community Development Director in April. I ask 
you and my colleagues to please join me in thanking him for his work on 
behalf of the people of San Bernardino County, and wishing him well on 
his future endeavors.

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