[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING FRANK HOWARD ALLEN REALTORS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 8, 2010

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Frank Howard 
Allen Realtors, which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary of 
service in the San Francisco Bay Area. For a century now, Frank Howard 
Allen has remained a family-owned, locally operated brokerage 
characterized by a unique commitment to the people in our region. We 
have all been fortunate to benefit from its long history of economic 
and community development.
  Frank Howard Allen Realtors, the namesake of its founder, was 
established in Marin County in 1910 as a small company focused on local 
service. By the 1960s, the company had expanded to four offices and 
over forty salespeople, and ownership was transferred to another family 
with strong local ties. It has remained in that family's care ever 
since and is now owned by CEO Larry Brackett and his wife Brennie 
Brackett. Under the Bracketts' leadership, Frank Howard Allen has 
continued its steady growth into Marin County's largest brokerage by 
market share, and it has expanded its strong presence in Sonoma and 
Napa Counties. From a small, independent company, Frank Howard Allen 
has become one of our major employers, with over 600 agents in more 
than 20 offices across the North Bay.
  But even as it has grown into an important regional player, Frank 
Howard Allen has remained invested in our communities and deeply rooted 
in its origins. Because of the Bracketts' efforts, the company has been 
instrumental in developing the Marin Workforce Housing Trust, a unique 
public-private partnership that provides funding for critically 
necessary low-income and special-needs housing. Frank Howard Allen has 
also played an active and conscientious role in our public life, 
providing assistance to organizations serving our population in 
countless ways. By matching its agents' donations from closed escrows, 
Frank Howard Allen has been a consistent supporter of our North Bay 
schools, clinics, parks, museums, food banks, and other nonprofit 
organizations serving local people and our natural environment. Most 
recently, the brokerage sponsored its own giving programs aimed at 
providing food and clothing to those in need over the holiday season.
  Frank Howard Allen has also been the recipient of a number of 
business awards, not only for its approach to clients and the 
community, but also for its treatment of workers. In 2010, Frank Howard 
Allen was honored by the North Bay Business Journal as one of the 
region's best places to work, and readers of the Pacific Sun voted it 
the region's best real estate brokerage. Frank Howard Allen also 
carried its category in NorthBay Biz, making this the eighth 
consecutive year it has won that magazine's highest accolades.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring Frank Howard Allen 
Realtors for its long standing work in our region, and in wishing it 
every success in its second century. The company's economic and 
philanthropic contributions to our communities are a model of the kind 
of business that makes the North Bay a vibrant and unique place to 
live.

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