[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 67 (Thursday, May 6, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E782-E783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING MARIA RODRIGUEZ FOR A LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 2010

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate decades of service 
to the community by a longtime and dear friend, both to me and my 
husband and to the children and families of New Haven, Connecticut: 
Maria Rodriguez.
  Elected to New Haven's Board of Aldermen in 1976, Maria has the 
distinction of being the first Hispanic alderperson in the history of 
our city. But that service was only the beginning of her contributions 
to our city and state. For as long as I have known her, Maria has given 
of herself to the people around her, and has worked to make New Haven a 
richer, more vibrant, and more compassionate community.
  Indeed, Maria has spent a lifetime doing so. She began her career in 
the early 1970s as a trained mental health therapist at the Connecticut 
Mental Health Center, where she worked day in and day out to improve 
the experience and the quality of life of Hispanic families in the 
Greater New Haven area. As my husband Stan, Maria, and I worked on so 
many local political campaigns then, we became great friends. She 
helped us to forge many wonderful friendships in New Haven's Hispanic 
community. She is a tireless worker and a strong ally.
  After receiving her Masters from Southern Connecticut State 
University in 1983, and spending a year as a key and valuable aide to 
my predecessor, Bruce Morrison, Maria soon moved into full-time social 
work. For over 25 years, through organizations such as the Connecticut 
Board of Education, Family Counseling of Greater New Haven, and Latino 
Youth Development, Inc., she provided therapy to families and students 
in need of mental health care.
  In her off-hours, Maria kept on giving. From serving on the board of 
the YMCA to tutoring students in her free time, she has always looked 
for more ways to help those in need and to improve our city. And, now 
that she has decided to retire from the Connecticut Board of Education, 
I can only expect she is already thinking of new ways to volunteer her 
time and her effort.
  For that is who Maria is. For decades now, she has continued to 
infuse our community with her warmth and energy, her caring and 
compassion. I thank her deeply for her service to the families of New 
Haven, and for her years of friendship to me. And I congratulate her 
and her family--her husband Alquilino, her son Paul, and daughter-in-
law Bunny--on reaching this milestone. Congratulations, Maria, you have 
earned it.

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