[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 211 (Monday, December 14, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF DEIRDRE MARTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 14, 2020

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Deirdre Martin 
as she departs from the Pacifica City Council where she served for four 
years, the last year as mayor. Serving as mayor of a small town is 
never an easy task, but it's particularly challenging during a pandemic 
not seen in a century. Deirdre took her responsibility to keep the 
residents of Pacifica safe very seriously and did a remarkable job 
keeping them informed with regular updates, FAQs and informational 
videos.
  Running for city council takes true dedication to public service. 
Council members are paid a token amount of $400 a month and put in long 
hours of meetings, calls, events, and research, often while holding a 
full-time job. That is true in Deirdre's case who is a senior IT 
project manager with the Pasha Group, a transportation and logistics 
management company based in Marin County. Additionally, she is raising 
two young children. How she found time to volunteer and serve on the 
council is a wonder and a testament to her passion to help others.
  During her time on the council, Deirdre has accomplished much, and 
much of it has been informed by her environmental and social activism. 
She was instrumental in making Pacifica the first city in the county to 
ban single use plastic and in officially recognizing it as a ``Tree 
City USA'' under the Arbor Day Foundation. Her efforts helped Pacifica 
receive a grant to make the new Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan a 
reality. Deirdre served for two years each on the Peninsula Clean 
Energy Board of Directors, the Open Space and Parkland Advisory 
Committee, the C/CAG Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the 
Emergency Preparation Committee. She also worked closely with her 
colleagues and the community on the Local Coastal Plan and the General 
Plan of the city. A strong opponent of offshore drilling, she helped 
implement language that divests the city from the fossil fuel industry.
  While working on environmental issues on the council, Deirdre still 
found time to continue her long membership in the Pacific Beach 
Coalition and she maintained her role as the site captain for Sharp 
Park Beach. I truly admire her commitment to clean air, clean water and 
our fight against climate change. I imagine that the last thing she 
ever imagined doing is to close down beaches during the COVID-19 
pandemic to keep residents and visitors safe.
  Deirdre is an avid advocate for government transparency, justice and 
equity. She has stood up for the rights of minority populations and 
immigrants. Motivated by the Black Lives Matter marches in protest of 
the killing of George Floyd this summer, she signed on to the Obama 
Foundation ``My Brother's Keeper'' Mayoral Pledge and has collaborated 
closely with the Pacifica Police Department and community members to 
create a non-biased, non-racist environment.
  Pacifica, a beautiful beach town of about 40,000, has faced fiscal 
challenges. The Great Recession of 2007, a series of El Nino storms in 
2016 and the current COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on the city 
budget. Deirdre, along with her colleagues, have worked hard to bring 
new revenue to the city. A short-term rental tax and a sales tax for 
marijuana is estimated to increase city revenue by more than $850,000.
  Madam Speaker, as Deirdre Martin is retiring from the Pacifica City 
Council, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking her for her service 
to the residents of Pacifica and San Mateo County. She will now have 
fewer Zoom calls to attend and will be able to spend more time with her 
husband Kai Martin and their two daughters Nova and Astra. However, I 
am certain she will remain active and engaged in pursuit of social and 
environmental justice for all. It has been my honor to serve with her.

                          ____________________