[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1221-E1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING SHARON SILVA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2015

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor 
Turlock Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Sharon Silva for 
her many years of profound service to Turlock. After fifteen years of 
dedicated work, she retired on August 31, 2015.
  Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Sharon moved to the small town 
of Turlock, California with her family. Sharon found the time to 
further her education at Modesto Junior College and California State 
University, Stanislaus where she received her Bachelor's degree in 
Organizational Communications. In addition, she graduated from the 
National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. with a 
Main Street Certification Institute Certification in Historic 
Preservation and also from the US Chamber Institute in Chamber 
Management at the University of Arizona in 2004.
  For eight and half years, Sharon served as the Executive Director of 
the Turlock Downtown Association, where she made enduring contributions 
to beautifying and restoring the historic downtown of Turlock. Among 
numerous activities that celebrated the culture of Turlock, she planned 
major community events such as the Festival of Lights Tree Lighting 
Ceremony and the Fourth of July parade. During Mrs. Silva's last three 
years with the Downtown Association, she was promoted to the position 
of Chief Executive Officer for the Turlock Chamber of Commerce and 
Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and diligently oversaw all three 
agencies. Sharon has been a beacon in the community and an integral 
part of the non-profit organization's success.
  Volunteering is second nature to Sharon; she has been a part of 
several different boards and a vital member of many different clubs and 
organizations. Appointed by the Mayor of Turlock and confirmed by the 
City Council, Sharon was one of nine committee members to become a part 
of the Development Collaborative Advisory Committee, and provide advice 
and recommendations to the city for improving the business climate. 
Furthermore, Sharon was co-chair of the Turlock Centennial Celebration 
in 2008, sat on the Board of Directors for the Turlock Community 
Theatre, and is a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Turlock. Sharon 
is a past member of the Turlock Unified School District Board and sits 
on a number of CSU Stanislaus committees: the President's Advisory 
council, the College of Business Board, the Alumni Board, the CSUS 
Warrior Association, and lastly, and the Center for Public Policies 
Studies Advisory Board. She served on Stanislaus County's Economic 
Development Committee and on the Board of Directors for the Stanislaus 
County Alliance Workforce. She was also the chair of the county's 
Redistricting Committee in 2011. Mrs. Silva stands as a role model for 
community dedication. Being actively involved and connected within the 
community as Sharon Silva has been, it comes as no surprise that she 
has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 1995, she received 
the Turlock Citizen of the Year Award and Volunteer of the Year Award 
at the Best of Turlock Awards Dinner. While serving as the Executive 
Director for the Turlock Downtown Association, the organization 
received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Revitalization 
Achievement in Design. The Turlock Chamber of Commerce was one of ten 
chambers in the state of California to be a CalChamber's President 
Circle Recipient for six years in a row. In 2011, Sharon Silva was 
named the Western Chamber

[[Page E1222]]

Executive of the Year by the Western Association of Chamber Executives. 
That same year, she was nominated by Assembly member Bill Berryhill for 
the Woman of the Year Award. She recently received the Woman of the 
Year Award from the Stanislaus County Women's Commission.
  For the past 27 years, Sharon has been lovingly married to Manuel 
Silva. She has two children: Tamra Spade and Douglas Holmes; five 
grandchildren: Richard Fortado, Kasondra Fortado, Kali Spade, Derek 
Holmes and Lexie Holmes; and one great granddaughter; Madilynn 
Bettencourt.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and recognizing the 
indispensable contributions Sharon Silva has brought to the Turlock 
Chamber of Commerce and its community. Sharon Silva has lived a 
profound experience and left a valuable legacy that many chamber CEOs 
may aspire to.

                          ____________________