[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 172 (Thursday, December 1, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF DAVE POTTER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 1, 2016

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dave Potter, a model 
public servant on this memorable occasion of his retirement from the 
Monterey County Board of Supervisors. I have had the tremendous 
pleasure in working with Dave over the years and the great honor to 
call him a dear friend.
   Dave originally hails from Hingham, Massachusetts. In 1970, his van 
broke down on Highway 1 near Carmel and he just stayed and made the 
Monterey Peninsula his home. Starting in the early 70s, he built a 
general contracting business, Potter Construction. That work soon led 
him into the world of public policy as an appointee to the City of 
Monterey's Architectural Review Committee and then Planning Commission 
and ultimately to an elected seat on the Monterey City Council.
   In 1996, Dave was elected to the Monterey County Board of 
Supervisors to represent the Fifth District, the same supervisorial 
district I represented from 1975 to 1980. He quickly gained a 
reputation on the Board as a doer, a leader who got stuff done. The 
Carmel Hill Highway 1 climbing lane is a good example, and one that 
many of us use on a daily basis. And then there were countless other 
tasks and efforts that made life in the Fifth District that much 
better: resolution to a parking problem, a new park, viable ambulance 
service, assistance with County Planning, etc. His service stood out 
particularly in response to disasters both small and large. During the 
2008 Basin Complex Fire and this year's Sobranes Fire, Dave and his 
office were ever present in the thick of the action helping the 
community and incident command resolve countless issues that came up on 
an almost daily basis. This kind of service won Dave reelection in 
2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012.
   During his tenure on the Board, Dave served on many boards, 
committees and commissions including the California Coastal Commission 
for 12 years, Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Fort Ord 
Reuse Authority, Legislative Committee, Fort Ord Committee, Capital 
Improvements Committee, Natividad Medical Center Board of Trustees, 
Chair of Transportation Agency for Monterey County, and Chair of the 
Rail Policy Committee. In addition, Dave received numerous awards of 
recognition from 1980 through 2015 from a multitude of local cities and 
organizations, Chambers of Commerce, including resolutions from 
California State Senate and Congress representatives.
   Mr. Speaker, I know that I speak for the whole House in thanking 
Supervisor Potter for his many years of dedicated public service. I 
want to especially thank Dave's wife Janine and his three adult 
children Myles, Tyler, and Sarah, and grandchildren, Ciara and Bella 
for lending their husband, father, and grandfather to the people of 
this community. As a resident myself of the Fifth District, I know that 
my neighbors and I owe him a deep gratitude for doing so much to 
improve our quality of life. The world is a better place because of his 
efforts.

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