[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       IN RECOGNITION OF JOHN LEE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor San Mateo City Councilmember 
John Lee as he ends his 12 years of service to the people of San Mateo. 
John was first elected to the city council in 1999 and was re-elected 
by substantial margins in both 2003 and 2007. He is a 28-year resident 
of San Mateo and has been actively involved in public affairs on the 
San Francisco Peninsula for many decades.
  John Lee served the residents of San Mateo County as a Board Member 
and Chair of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. The 
authority makes tough choices about how to spend taxpayer money on 
public road and transit improvements. In his role on the authority, 
John voted on public improvements that speed the travel of millions of 
county and regional residents, annually. It takes a savvy board member 
to rank projects according to their merit and to resist the temptation 
to simply cast a vote to please a special interest. John had no trouble 
saying ``yes'' to the public's interest in all the votes that he cast.
  Over several decades, John has been vigorous in community affairs as 
an active member of at least two Chambers of Commerce: Redwood City and 
San Mateo. Quite unusually for a person who also had a growing 
business, John Lee found time to serve as President of both Chambers of 
Commerce during his service on their boards. In his community service 
and private sector public policy positions, John worked on legislative 
affairs and membership development, and he could always be relied upon 
to work well with my office and those of any elected official.
  John is a 31-year member of the San Mateo Rotary Club and has been a 
board member of Jobs for Youth and the American Heart Association. He 
has been a passionate advocate for housing the less fortunate in San 
Mateo County, and in his job as councilmember he has served as the 
city's liaison to Housing Our People Effectively (HOPE). He can be 
counted on to attend any groundbreaking for affordable housing, and has 
spoken forcefully about the need to house teachers, firefighters, 
clerks, and others who need affordable shelter, during his public and 
private sector service.
  As a past board member of the San Mateo County Economic Development 
Association (SAMCEDA), John helped this public policy group nurture San 
Mateo County's entrepreneurial culture. He also was a cofounder of 
Telogy, a high technology company. Telogy eventually employed 450 
persons with John serving as Senior Vice President of Operations prior 
to his retirement.
  There are many characteristics of John Lee that mark him as a man of 
quite greatness, but I must close my remarks by noting John's devotion 
to this Nation through his 22 years in the United States Marine Corps. 
John served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He rarely raises his 
distinguished service to this Nation, but you can learn all that you 
need to learn about his devotion to America by watching him while he 
says the pledge of allegiance and listens to the Star Spangled Banner. 
A handful of people feel these moments so deeply that their eyes tear 
up. John is one of these amazing few.
  With honor, in dignity, and at many times with valor, John Lee has 
served his fellow citizens over decades that spanned two centuries. 
Like other Americans who are local heroes, John Lee will be remembered 
as a strong, articulate man who exemplifies this Nation's quiet courage 
and great resourcefulness in the face of all challenges. I salute him 
upon his latest retirement, this time from the City Council of the City 
of San Mateo, California.
  Mr. Speaker, let us always remember John Lee. America has been built 
by him, and by other men and women like him, who preserve this nation's 
liberty through their daily examples of duty to God, country and 
community. We are all greatly blessed by the contributions of retiring 
city councilmember John Lee, an American in heart and soul.

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