[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 82 (Thursday, May 29, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF FERNANDO GARCIA

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 29, 2014

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished 
life of Mr. Fernando Garcia.
  Mr. Garcia, who served as Bristol Community College's Chair of the 
Board of Trustees, passed away after a long and valiant battle that 
lasted several years. During his life, he was a tireless advocate for 
students as well as educational opportunities for all, and his devotion 
and dedication to Bristol Community College was unsurpassed. When he 
was appointed the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Bristol Community 
College in 2012, Gov. Deval Patrick called Mr. Garcia a ``critical 
partner'' in the Commonwealth's ``collective efforts to better serve 
our students and employers.'' An exceptional role model for students 
and a valuable asset to his colleagues at the Bristol Community 
College, Mr. Garcia will be sorely missed.
  A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Mr. Garcia 
was also a local business leader in the South Coast region for over 30 
years. In 2001, Mr. Garcia was named Fall River's Business Person of 
the Year, and only a year later he was inducted into the New Bedford 
Area Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Garcia has also served on the Board of 
Directors for the Fall River Chamber of Commerce for several years and 
held a post as the Vice Chair for the Fall River Office of Economic 
Development. As a friend and leader in the South Coast community, Mr. 
Garcia understood Bristol Community College's role in the local economy 
and in the livelihoods of its students and faculty.
  We celebrate Fernando Garcia's life and his proactive role in the 
business community of Fall River. Mr. Speaker, please join me in 
thanking Mr. Fernando Garcia for over three decades of outstanding 
service to the community and economy in southeastern Massachusetts. I 
ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Garcia for his countless 
contributions.

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