[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 130 (Thursday, July 23, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING AMY REISCH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2020

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Amy Reisch 
who is retiring from the First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission 
(First 5 Marin) after 20 years as its visionary executive director, 
culminating a career spanning almost 50 years of exemplary public 
service.
  Born in 1949 in Omaha, Nebraska, to Harold and Celia Lewis, Ms. 
Reisch's passion for equity started at an early age when she and her 
sister Beth attended a progressive summer camp where many of the 
campers and staff were from different racial, religious, economic, and 
ethnic backgrounds. After graduating from high school in Philadelphia, 
Ms. Reisch obtained a degree in Sociology from the University of 
Pennsylvania, followed by a Master of Social Work from the City 
University of New York Hunter Graduate School of Social Work. She went 
on to apply her educational acumen through employment with several 
important organizations serving children and families including FOCUS 
on Women's Education and Advocacy at the University of Pennsylvania; 
Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, 
Marin and Sonoma Counties; YWCA of San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo; 
Northern California Coalition of Civil Rights; and as a board member of 
the United Way of the Bay Area.
  First 5 Marin was created by Proposition 10 in 1998 and authorized by 
the Mann County Board of Supervisors in 1999. The Act allows a levy on 
taxes from cigarettes and other tobacco products to be used for funding 
early childhood development programs. First 5 Marin used this revenue 
to enhance early learning programs and experiences for school age 
children, helping them to have more successful academic careers and 
equal opportunities in life. As Executive Director for First 5 Marin, 
Ms. Reisch was well known for her intelligent, passionate and 
innovative approach to delivering services to children and families in 
Marin. During her 20 years as Executive Director, her ability to seek 
out diverse board members with different expertise and backgrounds 
enabled her to build a Commission representing all children and 
families in Marin County, regardless of their background.
  Under her leadership, First 5 Mann funded programs including the 
CARES program to provide stipends to educators in early childhood 
classrooms for continuing professional development and training; the 
Children's Health Initiative to provide outreach and enrollment 
assistance for health insurance for individuals who are not eligible 
for public programs; the School Readiness Program that offers free 
Kindergarten preparation for children who need it, and the Children's 
Oral Health Project to provide free oral health screenings and dental 
cleanings to Marin's preschools and child care facilities.
  Among her many skills and talents, Ms. Reisch has a knack for 
bringing together community leaders from the nonprofit, public, and 
private sectors to build partnerships to improve services for children, 
youth and families. Her ability to create strong working partnerships 
including with the County of Mann and the Mann Community Foundation, 
and to bring together other influential thought leaders and funders 
most recently culminated with the formation of MarmKids, an advocacy 
group for children of all ages in Marin. This work started in 2009, 
with key leaders from around the county who developed an ambitious and 
comprehensive vision for all children in Marin. The organization's 
advocacy led to a community funding measure to establish a dedicated 
funding stream for children and youth in Marin County to improve 
children's health and well-being. Although that measure was narrowly 
defeated in November 2016, the work lives on thanks to her enduring 
leadership. In establishing Marin Communications Forum, First 5 Marin 
furthers public education and coalition-building at no cost through 
monthly gatherings with experts who share information and inspiration 
on ways to best serve children and families in Marin County.
  Ms. Reisch extended her reach and many skills and talents to First 
5's Bay Area Regional Executive Director group and the First 5 
Association of California's executive committee. Her work has been 
recognized by many groups and organizations over the years including by 
the Marin County Office of Education for her leadership in increasing 
access to high quality preschools in 2008, and by the Marin County 
Board of Supervisors who named Ms Reisch as their Children's Health 
Initiative Champion in 2009. Further, Ms. Reisch and First 5 Marin 
received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State 
Legislature for promoting programs that help children prepare to enter 
school with emotional and social development through inclusion and 
equity.
  Ms. Reisch's enduring commitment to outreach and advocacy to promote 
the structural changes needed to advance equity and develop tomorrow's 
healthy and well-educated public leaders is a gift that will keep on 
giving after she retires. Madam Speaker, please join me in expressing 
deep appreciation for Ms. Reisch's career, and in wishing her much fun 
and love with her daughters and grandchildren and the best of luck in 
all her future endeavors.

                          ____________________