[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUPERVISOR DENNIS HANSBERGER FOR HIS 
                       DECADES OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2008

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 
to a good friend and longtime leader in my community, San Bernardino 
County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger, who is leaving office this year 
after more than 20 years in public service.
  While he was a young businessman in 1968, Dennis Hansberger was 
selected as a field representative and executive assistant by then-
County Supervisor Donald Beckford. When his boss decided not to run for 
re-election, Mr. Hansberger mounted a successful campaign and won 
election to the county board in 1972.
  Dennis Hansberger quickly revealed his strong leadership 
capabilities, and was chosen as chairman of the board by his fellow 
supervisors in 1974--becoming the youngest chairman in the state and 
the youngest in San Bernardino County history. When the legislature 
created the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Supervisor 
Hansberger became a founding board member of that ground-breaking 
agency.
  After 2 successful terms, Mr. Hansberger decided to take a hiatus 
from elected office and went into private business as a well-respected 
consultant on land management and mining issues. He remained extremely 
active in public service, however, serving for 3 years as Chairman on 
the Redlands Community Hospital's Board, as well as on the Board of 
Counselors of the California State University in California, the 
Foundation Board of the San Bernardino County Museum, the Inland Empire 
Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Capital Projects 
Committee of the Girl Scouts of America.
  Mr. Hansberger was again elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1996, 
and has been at the forefront of many of the major issues faced by the 
county in the past 12 years. Faced with the closure of Norton Air Force 
Base, Supervisor Hansberger has been a leader in seeking ways to 
replace the 12,000 jobs lost. He served as chairman of the Inland 
Valley Development Authority, a joint effort of the county and cities 
surrounding the base. By working as a team, the communities have 
brought about a complete makeover of the former base into a new 
airport, supporting major businesses that have brought thousands of new 
jobs to the area.
  Five years ago, San Bernardino County was confronted with an even 
more dire problem--millions of trees were dying around mountain 
communities and creating a grave fire danger for tens of thousands of 
residents. As the supervisor representing the area, Dennis Hansberger 
pushed county officials to create the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce 
and work with residents on an evacuation plan. The plan's effectiveness 
was demonstrated when nearly 50,000 residents were evacuated with no 
serious injury during terrible wildfires the following year. Mr. 
Hansberger has since led the county in cutting down more than a million 
trees and significantly reducing the fire danger.
  Madam Speaker, as you can see, Dennis Hansberger has been a leader in 
improving the economy and safety for San Bernardino County residents. 
Please join me in thanking him for his decades of public service, and 
wishing the best to him and his wife Karen in all of their future 
endeavors.

                          ____________________