[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2257-E2258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN RECOGNITION OF MAYOR HEATHER FARGO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2008

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Heather Fargo's 
twenty years of service to the people of Sacramento as mayor, council 
member, and community activist. On November 20th, Mayor Fargo, family 
and friends will gather to recognize her outstanding work, and I ask 
all my colleagues to join me in honoring one of Sacramento's finest 
leaders.

[[Page E2258]]

  Heather Fargo has always had a strong sense of public service. She 
earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning and 
Management from the University of California, Davis, and went on to 
complete the State and Local Government Executive Program at the John 
F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Before becoming 
mayor, she had a distinguished career at the California Department of 
Parks and Recreation.
  For over twenty years, Mayor Fargo has been a strong advocate for the 
development of the City of Sacramento and its neighborhoods. Early in 
Mayor Fargo's career in public service, she served as a board member of 
the Environmental Council of Sacramento, and was one of the founding 
members of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, a non-profit organization 
that promotes urban forestry and shows how trees can make our 
communities more livable by reducing energy use, cleaning the air, and 
enhancing social and economic value. As mayor, she has transformed 
Sacramento into a ``green'' city with national recognition for being an 
environmentally sustainable city.
  First elected to the Sacramento City Council in 1989, Mayor Fargo 
played an active role in developing Sacramento's Natomas area, and 
redeveloping our downtown into a place where people can live, work and 
play. Under her leadership, Sacramento has become a national model for 
smart growth and infill development.
  After being elected as mayor in 2000, Mayor Fargo proved her 
dedication to Sacramento's future by creating the Sacramento Youth 
Commission and sponsoring youth mentoring, after school, and truancy 
prevention programs. She has given children the opportunity to take 
part in local policy development and express their views to community 
leaders. Mentors have been recruited to lead high school teens and help 
prepare them for successful lives after they graduate.
  Mayor Fargo implemented several city policies and programs to bring 
Sacramento's neighborhoods together, and foster a greater sense of 
community among its residents. This included public participation on 
major planning projects, informational workshops on city initiatives 
and effective outreach on key issues including flood protection, 
emergency preparedness and housing crisis assistance. She also led the 
successful efforts to increase funding for levee improvements.
  Mayor Fargo has helped unify our region through her leadership on the 
Sacramento Area Council of Governments. As chair of SACOG, Mayor Fargo 
built relationships with neighboring cities on issues of importance to 
our region, especially transportation and air quality issues. She also 
was a leader with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and currently is 
president of the League of California Cities.
  Madam Speaker, as Mayor Heather Fargo, her family and friends gather 
on this occasion, I am honored to pay tribute to one of Sacramento's 
most distinguished citizens and community leaders. Her successes have 
been many, and it is an honor for me to recognize her for her more than 
two decades of contributions to the people of Sacramento. I ask all my 
colleagues to join me in wishing Mayor Heather Fargo continued success 
in her future.

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