[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2615-E2616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING LINDA KITAZAKI

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 18, 2007

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, heroes are people who devote their lives to 
serving others and making our world a better place in which to live. 
Linda Kitazaki was one of those people.
  Linda was the executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving 
Southeast Texas. I knew her for over 20 years in my work as a judge in 
Texas. She was an advocate in every sense of the word who worked 
passionately to fulfill MADD's vision to stop drunk driving, support 
the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. Those 
who know her best describe her as compassionate, powerful, gracious and 
inspirational.
  Linda became affiliated with MADD back in 1988 because of a near 
fatal crash involving teenagers who were drinking and driving. The 
situation was especially troublesome to Linda because the teenagers had 
been given alcohol by a parent. Because of her dedication to making a 
difference, she became the Administrator for the Harris County Chapter 
of MADD.
  With the assistance of Penny Ellsworth, who joined MADD because her 
son was killed by a drunk driver, the two reorganized the Harris County 
Chapter.
  MADD Harris County became the Southeast Texas Region Affiliate 
Office. With Linda at the helm, the small office grew to serve 10 
counties and became one of the most prominent within the organization. 
Not only does the office provide services to the victims of drunk 
drivers, it also conducts outreach and education in order to prevent 
future tragedies. The idea of preventing young people from making bad 
decisions that would impact them for the rest of their lives truly 
resonated with Linda.

  As a result of Linda's leadership, her MADD office became very strong 
and has 10 staff members and countless volunteers. She started new 
programs and initiatives. She was considered a maverick in new 
fundraising methods in the Houston area which were then replicated for 
national success in the organization. Her passion and commitment won 
her Employee of the Year recognition.

[[Page E2616]]

  She also played a key role in developing the Take the Wheel Program, 
which focused all of the organization's resources and programs into 
Harris County because it had the highest number of drunk driving deaths 
in Texas. By partnering with law enforcement, businesses, government, 
community and religious leaders, the program seeks to save lives by 
encouraging personal responsibility in the use of alcohol and educating 
the public about the dangers of drunk driving.
  On Dec. 13, 2007, Linda passed away unexpectedly. She leaves behind a 
legacy of compassion and exceptional service. On Dec. 19, 2007, friends 
and family will gather to celebrate the remarkable life of this 
extraordinary community servant. The State of Texas and our Nation owes 
much to Linda Kitazaki for making our streets and highways safer.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________