[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING MARA LEONG-MAGUINEZ AS A 28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF 
                                THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 26, 2021

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional 
District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Mara Leong-
Maguinez of Pasadena, California.
  A native Pasadenan, Mara attended Westridge School, obtained her 
Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies and Ethnicity from the 
University of Southern California, and received her Master of Public 
Administration (MPA), Nonprofit Sector Management degree from 
California State University, Northridge.
  Ms. Leong-Maguinez's career has been dedicated to helping children 
and families in the local community. This began with her seven-year 
employment as Development Director at the Families Forward Learning 
Center in Pasadena (formerly known as Mothers' Club), an organization 
that provides two-generation learning programs to low-income families. 
Mara's experience at Families Forward increased her passion for 
providing comprehensive services and inspired her to obtain her 
Master's in Public Administration and dedicate her career to managing 
community-based organizations. She then went on to serve as Director of 
Development at the Downtown Women's Center and Chief Development 
Officer of the Youth Policy Institute.
  In January of 2020, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began, 
Mara began serving as Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House 
Pasadena. The Ronald McDonald House Pasadena, located near Huntington 
Hospital and Shriners for Children Medical Center, is a home-away-from-
home for families with critically ill children who are receiving 
medical treatment, providing these families with a comfortable, caring 
place to stay, meals and therapeutic family support services at little 
or no cost to the families. When the pandemic hit, Mara worked to 
implement comprehensive safety and cleaning protocols and adjust the 
physical spaces within the House, while simultaneously obtaining 
funding and gathering support to keep the House open during this 
crucial time, which was especially important as several families had to 
stay there for greater lengths of time than usual due to the pandemic.
  Mara lives in Pasadena with her husband, Roman Maguinez. Along with 
volunteering for Families Forward, Mara enjoys cooking and bicycling in 
the beautiful Pasadena area.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this 
exceptional, well-respected woman of California's 28th Congressional 
District, Mara Leong-Maguinez.

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