[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E182-E183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LINDA RUFFING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2018

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Linda 
Ruffing, who is retiring from her position as the City Manager of Fort 
Bragg on February 14, 2018.
  Born in Pennsylvania, Linda Ruffing came to California to attend 
college at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She received a 
Master's Degree from the University of California, Berkeley, before 
moving to Fort Bragg in 1992 to work for Mendocino County as a coastal 
planner.
  Linda began her career at the City of Fort Bragg in 1999 as the 
director of community development and became City Manager in 2006. In 
addition to her exceptional character, judgment, ethics and values, 
Linda has provided critical leadership on many initiatives for the 
city, including the acquisition of 95 acres of parkland and a site for 
the Noyo Science Center on the former mill site, which includes

[[Page E183]]

over 2 miles of coastal trail. Under her leadership, a ban was 
instituted on foam containers and plastic bags in the city. She also 
led Fort Bragg to become the first city to allow food waste in yard 
waste recycling, and in becoming the first Bee City in California.
  As the city manager, Linda has worked with 12 different 
councilmembers and three different mayors, and gracefully navigated a 
spectrum of politics, challenges, and crises. She has been responsible 
for implementing 78 ordinances and managing $33 million in capital 
improvement projects. Linda leaves the city with a stable and 
successful management team and a staff dedicated to improving the 
quality of life for the residents of Fort Bragg.
  In her spare time, Linda serves the public as a Rotarian, an active 
mentor for the Interact Afterschool Program, and she volunteers for 
many teen leadership events. She is also the mother of two children, 
Eli and Jasper Henderson.
  Linda Ruffing has been a dedicated and effective public servant for 
26 years, and I hope you will join me in recognizing her many 
accomplishments and sending her best wishes on her retirement.

                          ____________________