[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DR. BARBARA FERRER AS A 28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF 
                                THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 2021

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Woman'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, Dr. Barbara 
Ferrer of the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
  Dr. Ferrer obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies from the 
University of California, Santa Cruz, a Master of Arts in Public Health 
from Boston University, a Master of Arts in Education from the 
University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from 
Brandeis University. A renowned and respected public health leader, Dr. 
Ferrer has more than four decades of professional experience as a 
researcher, philanthropic strategist, community advocate, educational 
leader, and public health director.
  Dr. Ferrer has held several leadership positions throughout the 
years, serving as Director of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease 
Prevention and Director of the Division of Maternal & Child Health, 
respectively, at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She 
also served as Headmaster at a high school in Boston, where she 
spearheaded efforts to improve high school graduation rates. After 
working in these capacities, Dr. Ferrer served as the Executive 
Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. In this role, she 
directed the city's health department, including managing 1,100 
employees, oversaw all Commission programs, and was a senior member of 
the Mayor's cabinet, advising on health-related issues. Under her 
leadership, the City of Boston experienced improvements in health 
outcomes, such as a decrease in the rates of childhood obesity, infant 
mortality, and smoking. Dr. Ferrer then went on to work for the W.K. 
Kellogg Foundation in Michigan as the Chief Strategy Officer, where her 
responsibilities included developing the strategic direction and 
providing leadership to the foundation's key program areas, such as 
community engagement, racial equity, and family economic security.
  Presently, Dr. Barbara Ferrer serves as Director of the Los Angeles 
County Department of Public Health, which prevents disease, protects 
health, and promotes well-being and equity in Los Angeles County. In 
this capacity, she oversees a workforce of nearly 7,000 staff, and 
oversees all operating units, including the Bureaus of Operations 
Support, Health Promotion, Health Protection, and Disease Control. Dr. 
Ferrer guided the area's coronavirus pandemic response, collaborating 
with the County and community-based partners to ensure targeted 
services and appropriate policies to keep Los Angeles County residents 
safe during this health crisis. She leads the Department's Incident 
Command System, incepted at the start of the pandemic to facilitate 
informed decision-making and implementation of mitigation and response 
activities, such as safety protocols. The crisis response has included 
communications with education sectors, residents, and businesses, 
disease and outbreak management, vaccine planning and administration, 
development and implementation of health officer orders, and engagement 
of community leaders and stakeholders in response efforts. Dr. Ferrer's 
unparalleled and compassionate leadership, coupled with her wealth of 
knowledge, helped the community navigate during these unprecedented 
times.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this 
exceptional, well-respected woman of California's 28th Congressional 
District, Dr. Barbara Ferrer.

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