[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RETIREMENT OF DANIEL SPATZ

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2020

  Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Daniel Spatz as he 
retires after 12 years as the Washington, D.C. Trip Scheduler for The 
Dalles Community Outreach Team. Daniel's dedication, diligence, and 
passion to support others has helped make the Community Outreach Team 
the success it is today.
  Dan was born in Portland, Oregon and raised outside of White Salmon, 
Washington, and graduated from Columbia High School. He went on to earn 
his degree in journalism and business from Eastern Oregon State College 
after working at The White Salmon Enterprise as a high school student. 
After college, Dan began his career in the newspaper business working 
for every other newspaper in the Columbia River Gorge: Hood River News, 
Goldendale Sentinel, The Dalles Reminder, and lastly, The Dalles 
Chronicle. During this time, Dan learned all the nuances of newspaper 
production including running a printing press, running advertisement 
sales, directing news meetings, writing for publication, and ultimately 
serving as an editor and general manager. Additionally, he became an 
award-winning journalist recognized by both the National Newspaper 
Publishers Association (NNPA) and the Oregon Newspaper Publishers 
Association (ONPA).
  While working at The Dalles Reminder, Dan met his wife, Michele, when 
he interviewed her for a news story. Together they built a family and 
raised two daughters, Melissa and Kathryn, who are now, respectively, a 
general surgeon and an emergency room physician. In fact, Dan and 
Michele have always shared a welcoming home, especially since they 
developed a high school student exchange program between The Dalles and 
its sister city, Miyoshi City, Japan. For several years the Spatz home 
has served as a homestay family and hosted numerous Miyoshi City 
students, visitors, and adult chaperones.
  After 30 years in regional journalism, Dan left to join Columbia 
Gorge Community College (CGCC) as their Chief Institutional Advancement 
Officer where he serves today as the Executive Director of 
Institutional Advancement. His outstanding accomplishments at CGCC 
include negotiating intergovernmental agreements securing $14.6 million 
for capital construction programs to build the Treaty Oaks Skills 
Center and student housing on The Dalles CGCC campus. Dan also 
supported CGCC's Hispanic Serving Institution designation by creating 
and facilitating the college's Latinx Advisory Council, which 
represents community organizations, school districts, and other groups 
with a mission to identify barriers to college recruitment, retention, 
and academic completion of Latinx students.
  Additionally, as Chief Institutional Advancement Officer, Dan 
embraced the task of scheduling the Community Outreach Team's 
complement of Washington, D.C. meetings that occur each March and 
September. He was also instrumental in helping CGCC receive funding for 
a new National Guard Readiness Center, a Wind Energy Technician 
Training program, new 911 dispatch equipment for Wasco County, and 
construction dollars for The Dalles' East Gateway Project. Dan secured 
meetings with Oregon and Washington Legislators, the American Wind 
Energy Association, the Department of Energy, and the Department of 
Education enabling the Community Outreach Team to advocate for and 
ultimately receive funding for these important community projects. Dan 
was also an integral member of the Community Outreach Team itself and 
made many trips to Washington, D.C. as a representative of CGCC and the 
City of The Dalles.
  Finally, over the last two decades, Dan has also served in several 
other key leadership positions within The Dalles and Wasco County. From 
2008 to 2016, he was elected to The Dalles City Council representing 
the Cities of Wasco County and served on the Mid-Columbia Economic 
Development District Board, the Mt. Hood Economic Alliance Board, and 
as Vice-President of the QualityLife Intergovernmental Agency (QLife) 
Board. Additionally, through a CGCC subcontract with Wasco County, Dan 
served as the Wasco County Economic Development Coordinator where he 
crafted Wasco County's comprehensive economic development strategic 
plan and led the Wasco 2000 initiative to develop wastewater treatment 
in rural Wamic, Oregon.
  It's hard to look around The Dalles without spotting something that 
hasn't been touched by Dan's efforts. The community and region are 
better off because of the time and energy he has invested in helping 
spur growth and development in the Gorge. Madam Speaker, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing Dan's service, leadership, and 
dedication to the communities of Wasco County and The Dalles.

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