[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING HOPE REYES LUGO AS THE 2020 WOMAN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 26, 2021

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Hope 
Reyes Lugo, whom I have named the 2020 Woman of the Year in Napa 
County, California. Woman of the Year recognizes women who have made 
important contributions to California's 5th Congressional District in 
Arts and Culture, Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurship and 
Innovation or Community Service.
  Born in San Bernardino, California, Ms. Lugo was the oldest of 13 
children. At just 24 years old, she moved with her husband and family 
to Napa, where they settled permanently. Originally finding work on 
small farms, Lugo picked up extra jobs to support her family, enrolling 
her children in the community Head Start program with the hope of 
giving them better lives.
  Never one to leave her family's wellbeing in the hands of others, she 
joined the parent policy council and became a Head Start instructor. 
Earning the trust and admiration of our community for her advocacy on 
behalf of farm workers and her poor neighbors, she was later appointed 
to the Napa County Council for Economic Opportunity (NCCEO) Board of 
Directors. Graduating to the role of Executive Director in 1970, she 
served with pride and distinction for 30 years. Throughout her tenure 
as director, she took on numerous other civic and philanthropic 
responsibilities, including membership in the Napa Latino Leadership 
Organization and the President's Commission on the White House 
Conference for Children and Youth.
  Our community and the nation have recognized Ms. Lugo for her 
leadership numerous times. In 1990, the Department of Health and Human 
Services bestowed the National Head Start Award on her for providing an 
exceptional education to her students. Ten years later, the city of 
Napa further celebrated her impact on children by dedicating the Hope 
Lugo Child Development Center in her honor. Most recently, in 2014, the 
Napa County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awarded her the Building a 
Legacy Award to Ms. Lugo for nearly six decades of distinguished 
service. Though her accolades are many, Hope takes the greatest pride 
in being matriarch of a large, devoted family. A caring mother, a 
doting grandmother, a cherished great-grandmother, and a teacher in the 
truest sense of the word, she has intimately shaped the experiences of 
children across generations.
  Madam Speaker, Hope Lugo is a great friend and has dedicated her life 
to the communities and people she holds dear. It is therefore fitting 
and proper we honor her here today as Napa County's 2020 Woman of the 
Year.

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