[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 48 (Thursday, April 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING AND CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MICHAEL PRITCHARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HONORABLE ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 11, 2013

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge and honor Michael 
Pritchard upon his retirement from Pathway Society, Inc.
   Michael has been the Executive Director at Pathway Society, Inc. 
since 1991. Pathway is the oldest and largest community-based nonprofit 
organization in Santa Clara County providing low-income residents with 
substance abuse treatment, intervention, education, and prevention. In 
1970, Michael graduated from Western Michigan University, where he 
majored in Psychology. In 1976, he received his Masters Degree in 
Psychology at California State University at Los Angeles.
   Michael's leadership expanded Pathway's programs, budget, and 
staffing. During Michael's nineteen years as the Executive Director, 
Pathway helped 60,000 people lead healthy lives. 25,000 youth stopped 
using drugs and escaped gangs during his tenure. When Michael joined 
Pathway in 1991, the organization served around 550 people annually. 
Today, Pathway serves around 3,500 people annually.
   While at Pathway, Michael helped implement one of the first 
substance-abuse day treatment programs in the country specifically 
focused on helping gang-involved Latinos get off drugs and out of 
gangs. He is a founding member of San Jose Mayor's Gang Prevention Task 
Force Policy Team, which supports these efforts.
   Michael served as board member and officer of Treatment Communities 
of America, a national consortium of over 600 programs providing an 
array of integrated services in substance abuse treatment and 
behavioral health. He is a past officer of California Therapeutic 
Communities, a statewide organization of addiction treatment providers. 
He served as president of the Alcohol and Drug Contractors Association, 
a countywide network of community-based organizations providing 
substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, and supportive 
transitional housing to adolescents and adults in Santa Clara County.
   Michael is retiring after 22 years of devoted leadership of Pathway 
Society. I commend his decades of contribution and service to the 
betterment of our society. The community is very fortunate to have 
benefited from his dedication, commitment, and advocacy. I wish Michael 
the best of luck in his future endeavors.

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