[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 181 (Tuesday, November 7, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1521-E1522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MARIAN B. TASCO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DWIGHT EVANS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 7, 2017

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an influential and 
dedicated woman from Philadelphia, Marian B. Tasco, a devoted public 
official, and former City Council representative for the Ninth District 
of the City of Philadelphia.
   Marian Tasco has dedicated her life and career to improving the 
lives of others through public service. Prior to being elected to 
public office, Marian Tasco was a Campaign Manager for former 
Congressman William H. Gray, III, and served as Director of Constituent 
Services for Gray's Philadelphia office. She also served as an 
assistant to the late C. Delores Tucker, the former Secretary of State 
for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and earlier in her career, served 
as Task Force Coordinator for the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs 
Coalition, under the leadership of Charles W. Bowser, Esq. Marian Tasco 
first went to work for the City of Philadelphia in 1959 as a clerk 
typist I, in the Philadelphia Police Department's Pawn Brokers 
Division. She was soon promoted to a clerk typist II position and was 
reassigned to the Registrar's Office of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
   Prestigiously, Marian Tasco stands out as the first African-American 
elected Philadelphia

[[Page E1522]]

City Commissioner (1983-1987). She also served as the Ward Leader for 
the renowned 50th Ward, where she was unanimously elected by the 
Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee to represent Pennsylvania on 
the Democratic National Committee.
   In 1988, Marian Tasco was elected as a Councilwoman for the Ninth 
District of the City of Philadelphia, a position she held until 2016. 
As a Councilwoman, she served as both City Council Majority Leader and 
Majority Whip. Her leadership was greatly valued by her council 
colleagues and the administrations she served alongside.
   As a veteran legislator, she understood the importance of holding 
elected officials accountable for their productivity and was 
exceedingly effective in her commitment to obtain services that 
preserve and enhance the quality of life for her constituency. 
Impressively, she introduced and secured the passage of a multitude of 
bills and resolutions that directly relate to improving general city 
services, protecting and enhancing the health and welfare of women, 
children, and families, and making Philadelphia neighborhoods and 
commercial corridors safe havens for all citizens.
   In addition to using her political influence to accomplish all of 
the above-outlined deeds, Marian Tasco chaired the City Council Public 
Health and Human Services Committee and the Council Committee on 
Finance. While Marian Tasco's board appointments are many, she is held 
in high esteem and recognized for her commitment as the chair of the 
Philadelphia Gas Commission, a lifetime appointment on the Board of 
Directors for the Board of City Trusts, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund 
and the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Board.
   With more than 50 years of combined service, Marian Tasco has 
received countless awards and honors from numerous community, civic and 
religious organizations. Those recognitions include: an Honorary 
Doctorate of Law degree from Lincoln University; the Greater 
Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition Dwight Evans Living Legacy Award, 
a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Women's Campaign 
Fund; a Good Housekeeping Magazine Award for Women in Government, and a 
Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women's Elected Women of the Year 
Award. Most recently, she was ranked in the top 20 by Philadelphia 
Magazine for Most Influential people, was honored by WES Health System 
through the renaming of Lindley Court Apartments as the Marian B. Tasco 
Arms, and bestowed ``Best Kingmaker'' through the 2016 Best of Philly 
Awards for her support in electing James Kenney as mayor.
   The 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania extends gratitude to 
Marian Tasco for her dedicated support and service to the Commonwealth 
of Pennsylvania.

                          ____________________