[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 69 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING DR. THOMAS E. FLORESTANO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 15, 2012

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, on March 31 my state of Maryland lost a giant 
in the realm of higher education. Dr. Thomas E. Florestano, who served 
for fifteen years as President of Anne Arundel Community College, sadly 
passed away at age 79.
  The son of Italian immigrants, Tom was born in Annapolis and 
graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1952. He matriculated into the 
University of Maryland but paused his studies to serve in the U.S. Army 
as a military police officer in Korea and West Germany. Honorably 
discharged as a sergeant four years later, Tom returned to the 
University and earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1958.
  While an undergraduate, Tom met his future wife of 52 years, Patricia 
Sherer. Together, they dedicated their careers to improving access to 
higher education for Maryland students, with Patricia teaching at the 
University of Baltimore and currently serving as chairwoman of the 
Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland.
  After graduating, Tom worked as an education advisor at the Army 
Education Center in Fort Meade. Two years later, he joined the 
University of Maryland as assistant dean of student life and director 
of student activities. During this period, Tom earned his master's 
degree in education and later obtained his Ph.D., both from the 
University of Maryland.
  Tom turned his attention to community college administration in 1970, 
when he took a job as dean of evening and community education and 
summer school at Prince George's Community College. After nine years 
there, Tom was appointed President of Anne Arundel Community College.
  He took over during a time when the college was facing significant 
challenges, including tensions between faculty and administration as 
well as declining enrollment and budget shortfalls. Tom oversaw a 
program of revitalization that tripled enrollment, instituted new 
degree programs, expanded the campus, and turned deficits into sound 
finances by the time he retired in 1994. The legacy of his leadership 
of Anne Arundel Community College has been its transformation into the 
third-largest community college in Maryland. Even more so, Tom put the 
``community'' back in ``community college.''
  All of us who knew Tom recognized him as one who looked at a 
challenge and saw an opportunity and who looked at a student and saw a 
future. Those futures were what he worked so hard to make possible for 
thousands of Maryland students.
  Tom will be greatly missed by the Maryland education community and by 
all of us who called him a friend. I join in celebrating his life and 
offering my condolences to Patricia, their son Tom Jr., daughter 
Leslie, son-in-law Kevin, and their extended family.

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