[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 165 (Tuesday, December 14, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2128-E2129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF MS. BARB DeMARCO'S DECADES OF ACTIVISM IN THE WEST 
   BLOOMFIELD COMMUNITY AND HER NINE YEARS OF SERVICE TO ITS PUBLIC 
                                SCHOOLS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 14, 2010

  Mr. PETERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Barb 
DeMarco, a member of the West Bloomfield School District Board of 
Education and lifelong local activist, on the occasion of her 
retirement. As a Member of Congress, it is both my honor and privilege 
to recognize Ms. DeMarco for her decades of service and work to build a 
better future for the West Bloomfield community and its youth.
  For the past 25 years, Ms. DeMarco has been at the fore of many 
grassroots initiatives in West Bloomfield to improve the quality of 
life for its residents. Ms. DeMarco was often the driving force behind 
many of the millage initiatives that were directed toward acquiring and 
developing land for use as community

[[Page E2129]]

parks. It is with this same sprit of activism and bettering the 
community that Ms. DeMarco embarked on her journey to advocate for 
improving public education for our youth. As a concerned citizen, well 
before her tenure on the board of education, Ms. DeMarco spearheaded 
campaigns to pass bond initiatives to strengthen West Bloomfield 
schools and create an environment of academic excellence for its 
students.
  Beginning in 2001 Ms. DeMarco took her passion for activism and 
advocacy to the West Bloomfield School District Board of Education, 
where she has served with selflessness and tenacity. Ms. DeMarco's 
initial work focused on improving school curriculum, where she fought 
for a rigorous academic program to provide students every opportunity 
to excel. After just 3 years on the Board, Ms. DeMarco was appointed to 
the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District Board of Education 
where she took that same zeal for fighting for public education to both 
a county and national level.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor Ms. 
DeMarco's decades of advocacy on behalf of her students and her 
community. Her presence will surely be missed. It is with much 
gratitude for her service and dedication that I wish her many more 
years of advocacy and success in building a better community for our 
youth.

                          ____________________