[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 176 (Monday, December 7, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1717-E1718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING BELINDA ESPINOSA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 7, 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and 
honor Belinda Espinosa, the City Manager of Pinole, California. After 
more than thirty years, Ms. Espinosa is retiring from public service.
  Ms. Espinosa's city management career has spanned over four cities 
and two states. Beginning in the cities of San Antonio and Grand 
Prairie, Texas, Ms. Espinosa worked on budget and financial issues, 
managed infrastructure projects, and oversaw hundreds of millions of 
dollars in bond funds. In 1994, Ms. Espinosa moved to California to 
become City Manager for the City of Soledad, where she supervised 
critical water and wastewater projects, the construction of new 
affordable housing, and the completion of the Soledad Community 
Library.
  In 2000, Ms. Espinosa moved to the City of Pinole, California. 
Initially hired as the Assistant City Manager, she was promoted four 
years later to City Manager and Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the 
police and fire departments, public works planning, wastewater 
services, recreation and redevelopment. Ms. Espinosa spearheaded 
several efforts to revitalize Pinole, including the construction of the 
Pinole Shores Industrial Business Park, the Pinole Valley Shopping 
Center and the Kaiser Permanente Medical Office. Under her leadership, 
Pinole voters approved two half-cent sales tax measures, which generate 
$3.6 million for public safety and other supplemental services. Ms. 
Espinosa also successfully negotiated Pinole's first Project Labor 
Agreement, for the $48 million Pinole-Hercules Wastewater Treatment 
Plant project.
  Ms. Espinosa has received numerous accolades for her years of public 
service, including the 1996 Monterey County Public Administrator Award, 
the 2007 Contra Costa College Woman of the Year Award, and the 2009 
Distinguished Project Award. Ms. Espinosa has also served as President 
of the Pinole Rotary Club and the International Hispanic Network, and 
was the first female President of the Grand Prairie Kiwanis Club. Ms. 
Espinosa has long worked under a philosophy of approaching problems 
with collaboration, honesty and understanding. She is well-known for 
being forthright in her dealings, and has always maintained the highest 
integrity in serving her constituencies.
  Mr. Speaker, Belinda Espinosa has had a long and remarkable career in 
public service. It is fitting and proper that we honor her here today, 
and wish her the best in retirement.

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