[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 144 (Monday, December 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING PATRICIA MAHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 1, 2014

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Santa Clara City 
Councilmember Patricia Mahan for her decades of dedicated and faithful 
public service to her community.
   Councilmember Patricia Mahan has long devoted herself to serving 
others. Among the significant driving forces behind her commitment has 
been her family. She witnessed firsthand the fulfilling impact of 
public service through her late father's work as an esteemed 
councilmember. In addition, her desire to protect her grandmother's 
home from a street widening plan led her to become a Historical & 
Landmarks Commissioner in 1993. She has also dedicated herself to 
helping the public as both an educator and a lawyer. With a teaching 
accreditation from San Jose State University, Patricia has taught 
subjects such as English and drama to secondary school students. She 
also earned her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of 
Law, and has been practicing as an attorney for over 30 years.
   Patricia Mahan has worked tirelessly for many civic organizations. 
From 1983 to 1992, she served on the Board of Trustees at the West 
Valley-Mission Community College. She was a Legal Hearing Officer for 
the Santa Clara County Assessment Appeals Board from 1992 to 1994. She 
also assumed presidency over various organizations, such as the Lions 
Blind Center of Santa Clara Valley.
   Councilmember Patricia Mahan was first elected to the Santa Clara 
City Council in 1994 and re-elected in 1998. She was elected Mayor of 
Santa Clara in 2002 and re-elected for a second term as Mayor in 2006. 
Throughout her two terms as Mayor, she demonstrated efficiency and 
innovation in governing her community. As Mayor, she supported the 
construction of the San Francisco 49ers Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. 
By encouraging this project, she dedicated herself to enriching her 
city both culturally and entrepreneurially. Demonstrating her 
commitment to service, Mahan was elected to another term on the City 
Council in 2010. Her determination to promote Santa Clara in every way 
possible speaks of her exemplary leadership abilities.
   Mr. Speaker, I commend Councilmember Patricia Mahan for her 
unparalleled devotion to public service. Thanks to her many years of 
faithful and selfless work for Santa Clara, the community has become a 
much more vibrant and better place to live. Although her term is coming 
to a close, her vision and legacy will no doubt live on.

                          ____________________