[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E251-E252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE CAREER OF DON PERACCHI

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 3, 2020

  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Don 
Peracchi, whose term as president of the Westlands Water District has 
come to an end.
  Don Peracchi was born and raised by second generation Northern 
Italian immigrants in

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Fresno, California and attended California State University, Fresno. He 
comes from a family of farmers, working in Central California for over 
100 years. Don's farming experience started in 1982 in Westlands, south 
of Three Rocks, California. He grows almonds, wine grapes, and 
pomegranates alongside his two sons and daughter.
  He has been heavily involved in career-related board positions, 
including banking, insurance, agriculture and water. He served as a 
director of Westlands since 2008 and was elected president in 2011. Don 
served on the Valley Children's Hospital Foundation Board and has been 
actively involved with the Fresno Catholic Diocese. He chaired for the 
Step Forward campaign for San Joaquin Memorial High School for their 
new science wing and library.
  As president of the largest public irrigation district in the United 
States, Don worked to promote more transparency and better decision-
making. He helped develop a steady water supply to farms in Fresno and 
Kings counties, integral for farming. Under Don's leadership, the 
district negotiated revisions to the Coordinated Operations Agreement, 
converting the district's water service contract to a repayment 
contract, and developed a groundwater sustainability plan. Don crafted 
immediate solutions and worked directly with members of both the House 
of Representatives and Senate to find pragmatic solutions that benefit 
the state of California. For example, he assisted with the 2016 Water 
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), which helped 
improve the nation's drinking water infrastructure.
  Without a doubt, Don Peracchi has made a big impact on resolving 
California water issues. Tom Birmingham, the general manager of the 
district, commends Peracchi for leading the district through difficult 
times, including the drought and regulatory that severely reduced water 
supply in Central California.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
service of Mr. Don Peracchi and wish him the best in his well-deserved 
retirement.

                          ____________________