[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING RICHARD SMITH OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT FOR HIS OUTSTANDING 
                        SERVICE TO HIS COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 2022

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to join family, friends, and community leaders to extend my 
deepest thanks and appreciation to Richard Smith of Milford, 
Connecticut for his outstanding and invaluable contributions to our 
community.
  A graduate of Yale University and Trinity College, where he majored 
in political science with concentrations in American government and 
public policy respectively, Rich has always held a firm commitment to 
giving back to his community. He sought ways in which he could use his 
passion for government and public policy to make a difference, enrich 
the community, and improve the quality of life for others. Having spent 
a number of his high school years volunteering on various local 
campaigns, he became a member of his local town committee where he has 
spent decades supporting local candidates and driving policy agendas. 
Dedicating his time and energies to the committee and its work, he took 
on several leadership positions, including serving as its chairman for 
a record-breaking eighteen years.
  As much as politics is his passion, public service is the moral 
compass by which Rich is guided. He has volunteered countless hours to 
serving both the City of Milford and the State of Connecticut. 
Appointed by the Mayor, he has served for a number of years as a member 
of the Regional Water Authority's Representative Policy Board which is 
charged with the appointment of the five members to serve on the 
Regional Water Authority; the approval of land sales, rate increases, 
bond sales and any capital project with a cost in excess of $2 million; 
the appointment of the Office of Consumer Affairs as well as the 
external auditor; and the ratification of the appointment of the chief 
executive officer. For the last decade he has served as a member of the 
Milford Police Commission, also serving as its chairman for several 
terms. In 2017, he was nominated to a five-year term by then Governor 
Dannell Malloy to serve on Connecticut's Judicial Review Council as one 
of six citizen members. Established in 1976, the Judicial Review 
Council is charged with investigating and acting on allegations of 
misconduct within the state's judicial system. In every facet of his 
service to the community, Rich has leveraged his appreciation and 
excitement for politics and government into making a real difference in 
the lives of others.
  I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Rich for many 
years now and consider myself fortunate to have a friend like him in my 
corner. His leadership and vision have left an indelible mark that will 
continue to inspire generations of new community leaders for years to 
come. I am honored to rise today to extend my heartfelt thanks and 
appreciation to Richard Smith for his outstanding service to the 
community and his dedicated work on behalf of others. I wish him as 
well as his wife, Michelle, and daughters Melissa, Meghan, and Rebecca, 
all the best for many more years of health and happiness.

                          ____________________