[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 9 (Friday, January 15, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E39-E40]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING SHARON PAPO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 15, 2021

  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sharon Esther Papo, 
a community activist in the Santa Cruz County community on the central 
coast of California, for over fifteen years of work standing for 
justice and lived equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
  It is my honor to recognize her as she leaves her role as Executive 
Director of the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County to spend more 
time with her family. Her leadership over the past eight years has 
allowed the organization to excel through funding, policy, and COVID-19 
pandemic challenges.
  Sharon's activism and professional career have followed her 
educational journey, where she earned a B.A. in Feminist Studies from 
the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master's Degree in 
Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, and soon 
became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
  Sharon has worked with the LGBTQ+ community for more than 15 years, 
beginning with her time as Program Coordinator for the STRANGE youth 
program at the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center.
  During her time as Executive Director, Sharon has led the Diversity 
Center to put a more specific focus on the needs of the most vulnerable 
segments of our the LGBTQ+ population on the Central Coast, including 
youth, seniors, queer people of color, and people who identify as 
transgender or gender neutral. Sharon has also collaborated with key 
local

[[Page E40]]

health organizations to train hundreds of clinicians and frontline 
medical staff in providing culturally appropriate services to the 
LGBTQ+ community.
  Sharon's strong strategic partnerships with social service 
organizations in our community have ensured a visible queer presence 
and access to necessary services throughout Santa Cruz County. She has 
led the Diversity Center to steady financial footing, tripling its 
financial support from community members, governmental agencies, and 
foundations, allowing for an expanded offering of services for the 
LGBTQ+ community on the Central Coast in a permanent setting.
  Sharon's positive attitude, graciousness, and dedication have served 
her well as she represented the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in 
her work with community leaders. She has been a thoughtful and strong 
advocate for creating anti-racist awareness and action as a primary 
element of the Diversity Center's mission in its community. Madam 
Speaker, the people of the Central Coast are proud of Sharon Papo and 
her tireless work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in celebrating her dedication and wishing her the 
best wherever the future may take her.

                          ____________________