[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 147 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JOHN McCUE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 1, 2007

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my 
colleague Representative Woolsey in honor of John McCue, who is 
retiring as CEO of the non-profit organization Becoming Independent, 
after 21 years of work on its behalf. Mr. McCue has been hugely 
influential in establishing and expanding the programs that Becoming 
Independent offers, and this hard work has been reflected by the 
remarkable success of participants in their programs.
  Mr. McCue was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and received his 
Bachelor's degree from California State University, Fullerton in 1971. 
He has 36 years of experience in disability services, and has a 
credential in adult education. Mr. McCue joined Becoming Independent in 
1981 as a program director before becoming CEO in 1986. In 1991 he 
received his Masters in Public Administration from Sonoma State 
University.
  During Mr. McCue's tenure as CEO, Becoming Independent has 
dramatically expanded the range of services available to persons with 
disabilities in Sonoma County, while retaining a high quality of 
service and satisfaction among program participants. Becoming 
Independent focuses on helping provide individuals with the skills they 
need to live fulfilling lives through community living support 
services, which enable individuals with disabilities to live on their 
own with dignity and responsibility. Vocational education is also a 
major emphasis in the organization, and with the assistance of Becoming 
Independent's employment services, hundreds of participants have found 
rewarding jobs all over Sonoma County. This success has been reflected 
in the annual gains they have charted in participant employment and 
earned wages.
  In addition to his leadership at Becoming Independent, Mr. McCue has 
been active in local and state organizations, focusing on benefiting 
individuals with disabilities. He has been a longtime member of the 
California Rehabilitation Association, and served as Chair of the Board 
of Directors from 2004-2005. He is also a board member of the 
Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California. He is active in Sonoma 
County and beyond as a member of the North Bay Housing Coalition, North 
Bay Developmental Disabilities Services, and Leadership Santa Rosa, 
among many others.
  Madam Speaker, at this time it is appropriate that we thank John 
McCue for his many years of service to the people of Sonoma County and 
his work with Becoming Independent. His leadership has been 
instrumental in providing superb services to individuals with 
disabilities to help them gain their independence.

                          ____________________