[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 52 (Friday, March 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING MATT CONSTANTINE'S RETIREMENT AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH 
                        SERVICES IN KERN COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 19, 2021

  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague 
David G. Valadao, to honor Matthew Constantine for his nearly three 
decades of public service to our community. After dedicating 27 years 
of his life to government service, and protecting the health and safety 
of the people of Kern County, an area that I represent, Matt is 
concluding his tenure this month as the Director of Kern County Public 
Health Services Department for Kern County, a position he has held 
since 2009.
  Matt was born and raised in Bakersfield, California and earned both 
his bachelor's and graduate degree from California State University, 
Northridge. His family has had roots in Bakersfield for five 
generations, and he has worked at various levels of government, 
including with the Federal Indian Health Service and the State of 
California. In 2006, he was hired as Kem County's Director of 
Environmental Services. In 2009, Matt spearheaded the merger between 
two different departments and became the Director of Public Health 
Services for the county.
  Matt had already informed the Kern County Board of Supervisors of his 
intent to retire as the Director of Public Health Services when the 
Coronavirus pandemic hit. But instead of retiring, Matt stayed on to 
serve our community and began crafting a plan to reduce patient 
caseloads at local hospitals and keep the people of Kern County healthy 
and safe. During his time with the Department of Public Health 
Services, Matt always displayed leadership, especially over the course 
of this stressful past year, by balancing local needs with state 
mandates while never shying away from making tough decisions. Despite 
many early days and long nights, Matt's work ethic has been critical 
for our local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was exemplified 
by the routine COVID-19 updates he gave to the residents of the county 
over the last 12 months, and despite the State of California's 
constantly changing guidance for residents and public health officials, 
Matt always had one goal in mind--to create and execute a plan to 
combat the transmission of the virus in our community and keep 
mortality rates in Kern County down until a vaccine was able to be 
offered to every resident who wanted one.
  Matt is more than just the leader of our local public health 
response; he is an active member of the Kern County community. He 
serves on the board of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and 
the Kern County Network for Children, where his vision and expertise 
have been influential in making decisions and impacting others.
  I always appreciated Matt's insight and wisdom on the public health 
matters affecting our community, and although we are going to miss 
Matt, I am confident that his record of success will continue to 
benefit our county for years to come. On behalf of the people of the 
23rd Congressional District of California, and the people of Kern 
County as a whole, I want to thank Matt for his service to our 
community, and I wish him only the best as he embarks on the next 
chapter in his life.

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