[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 16 (Friday, January 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E94-E95]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MS. PATRICIA GARDNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 25, 2019

  Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Patricia Gardner 
and commend

[[Page E95]]

her on her career and contributions to our community.
  Ms. Gardner worked as a nonprofit executive manager for over two 
decades before she joined Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits 
(``SVCN'') as CEO in 2001. Under her leadership, SVCN followed its 
mission to foster and magnify the influence and contribution of 
nonprofit agencies and business in Santa Clara County. SVCN works to 
help our community by assisting individuals and families who are 
disenfranchised and who struggle to meet basic needs. SVCN also helps 
guide our local nonprofits through difficult financial times and to 
build up their capacity to become better service providers. As SVCN 
increasingly became an important voice with the nonprofit sector, local 
foundations, and local and state governments, it expanded from a small 
group of fewer than 50 agencies and a budget of under $100,000 to 
representing over 200 agencies and a budget of over a million dollars.
  In addition to her role with SVCN, Ms. Gardner was actively involved 
in a variety of local concerns to our community. Among other things, 
she served on a number of key policy committees, including the Blue 
Ribbon Committee on Housing and Homelessness, the City of San Jose and 
County Senior Nutrition Task Forces, the Juvenile Justice Systems 
Collaborative, the City of San Jose General Fund Structural Deficit 
Committee, and the Measure A-Hospital Bond Oversight Committee.
  Ms. Gardner received recognition for her service in our community. 
Senator, then-Assemblyman, Jim Beall, selected her as Woman of the 
Year, and the local nonprofit, United Way, named her Community Builder 
of the Year in 2011. The following year, Community Solutions awarded 
the Community Builder Award to SVCN for Ms. Gardner's advocacy to 
preserve funding for essential services. In 2018, Ms. Gardner received 
the Siempre Award from Grail Family Service and the Alumni of the Year 
award from the San Jose State University's College of Social Sciences--
Political Science. The San Jose Business Journal added Ms. Gardner to 
its Women of Influence list, and she is generally known across our 
state as one of the leaders in nonprofit advocacy.
  I have known Ms. Patricia Gardner for over forty years. She is 
efficient, capable, organized and a leader. But most of all, she is a 
caring human being whose passion for justice and compassion have led 
her to a life of service to others. I feel privileged to know her as a 
friend and fortunate to live in a community that is healthier and more 
fair because of her service.
  I wish to congratulate Ms. Gardner on her career. Today we honor her 
for her leadership and advocacy in our community. I wish her the best 
of luck in exploring her next chapter as she transitions to her next 
pursuit.