[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 2 (Thursday, January 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E33]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE JACK KYSER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 6, 2011

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late 
John A. ``Jack'' Kyser. Born in Huntington Park in the 34th 
Congressional District, he was a leader in the community and someone 
who was often called ``the voice'' or ``the guru'' of the Los Angeles 
economy. Mr. Kyser passed away unexpectedly on December 6 at the age of 
76 at his home in Downey, CA.
  As the ``go to'' economy expert in Los Angeles County, Mr. Kyser was 
respected and admired by a diverse group of people--from industry 
experts to television viewers--who appreciated his ability to make 
complicated facts and figures understandable as well as his in-depth 
knowledge about the local and national economy.
  Mr. Speaker, as my fellow Angelenos prepare to attend his memorial 
service on January 12 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, 
I ask my colleagues to please join me in recognizing Mr. Kyser's 
lifetime contributions to Los Angeles and the Southern California 
region.
  To further pay respect to him, I would like to submit into the 
Congressional Record excerpts from the following December 7 Los Angeles 
Times obituary which provides a thorough and touching overview of Mr. 
Kyser's life and many accomplishments.

        John A. `Jack' Kyser Dies at 76; Expert on L.A. Economy

                   (By Roger Vincent and Hugo Martin)

       John A. ``Jack'' Kyser, the dean of Los Angeles economists 
     who spoke as an expert on Southern California to observers 
     around the world, has died. He was 76.
       Kyser devoted his long career to focusing on the workings 
     of the region's economy. As the former chief economist of the 
     Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. he was in 
     steady demand as a speaker at business events and a reliable 
     source who was quick with an insightful quote for reporters 
     on deadline.
       ``Jack was truly the authority on L.A'.s economy,'' said 
     Mark Liberman, president of LA Inc., the Los Angeles 
     Convention and Visitors Bureau. ``If he said it, you knew it 
     was true, because his voice influenced every projection about 
     L.A.'s economy.''
       Kyser moved among the business elite but often spoke 
     comfortably of his humble upbringing in working-class Downey.
       He was born April 20, 1934, in Huntington Park and raised 
     in Vernon and Downey, where he lived much of his life.
       Kyser earned a bachelor of science degree in 1955 and an 
     MBA in 1968 from USC, but was not formally trained as an 
     economist. His street-level knowledge of the local economy 
     was unsurpassed, though, and helped make him a confidant to 
     the powerful.
       ``Generations of leaders in L.A.--including mayors, 
     councilmen and governors--relied on him as an advisor and 
     counselor, and benefitted from his wisdom,'' said Bill Allen, 
     chief executive of the Los Angeles County Economic 
     Development Corp.
       Kyser found work after his undergraduate years as a 
     forecaster for Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, but was laid 
     off four years later during an economic downturn. He found 
     paid work anchoring a news show at a local public radio 
     station where he had been volunteering.
       Kyser returned to Southern California in about a year to 
     work for United California Bank, then spent eight years as an 
     economist with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Kyser 
     began with the economic development corporation in 1991, when 
     it had no economics research department.
       Kyser retired from the economic development organization in 
     June, but returned to the public eye almost immediately as an 
     economic spokesman for the Southern California Assn. of 
     Governments.
       Kyser's opinions were sought because ``he had 
     credibility,'' said Carol Schatz, president of the Central 
     City Assn., a Los Angeles business advocacy group. ``He 
     remained independent through the political pressure that 
     plays a role with economic forecasting.''
       The president of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment 
     Commission, Kathryn Schloessman, said Kyser ``was the person 
     our industry went to when asked about economic impact of 
     anything happening in this city. He was a Los Angeles 
     treasure.''

                          ____________________