[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H6885-H6886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRATULATING IRENE TOVAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cardenas) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate a 
tremendous community leader, a friend of mine, and a friend of the 
community of Los Angeles and beyond, Irene Tovar, for being conferred 
an honorary doctorate from California State University at Northridge, 
otherwise known

[[Page H6886]]

as CSUN, for her decades of public service as an advocate for education 
in the San Fernando Valley, throughout the State of California, and 
across the country.
  I think of a quote from Saint Francis of Assisi: ``Start by doing 
what is necessary; and then do what is possible; and suddenly you are 
doing the impossible.'' That is Irene Tovar.
  Irene's story begins like many of ours: in search of the American 
Dream. Her mother is from Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico, and her father 
is from Jerez, Zacatecas, Mexico. Her parents met in southern 
California, where later they married. They first settled in East Los 
Angeles, where Irene, her sister, and her brother were born, and then 
they moved to Pacoima and lived on Pinney Street.
  Irene was a dedicated student and attended Pacoima Elementary School, 
San Fernando High School, and San Fernando Valley State College, which 
is now known as Cal State University Northridge.
  While attending CSUN, Irene, who earned a bachelor's degree in social 
science from the university in 1969, noticed that the dropout rate for 
Latino students was disproportionately high, so she helped create an 
organization to address the issue.
  It grew into the Latin American Civic Association, known as LACA, 
which administered the first Head Start program in the San Fernando 
Valley. This organization helps thousands of working families access 
quality childcare and education.
  Alongside leaders such as Dr. Rudy Acuna, Irene began to advocate and 
organize for the creation of the Equal Opportunity Program and the 
Chicano Studies Department at California State University Northridge.
  The Chicano Studies Department was established in 1969 with only 100 
students. Now, it is one of the largest Chicano studies departments in 
the country.
  Her advocacy caught the attention of then-Governor Jerry Brown, who, 
during his first tenure, appointed Irene to the State Personnel Board. 
She was the first Mexican American and first person of color to sit on 
the board.
  She was instrumental in implementing policies and procedures that 
removed artificial barriers in the California civil service system, 
including differential pay and affirmative action. She also served as a 
full-time member of the California Public Employment Relations Board, a 
quasi-judicial body she joined in 1974.
  Irene's passion for education and public service continues. She 
currently serves as the CEO of LACA, which now focuses on providing 
multifamily services and affordable housing.
  Irene has played a key role in the history of the San Fernando Valley 
as a founding member of the L.A. Mission College, board member of the 
United Way, board member of the L.A. Urban Coalition, board member of 
the CSUN Alumni Association, and many other organizations.
  She currently serves as a commissioner on the City of Los Angeles 
Human Relations Commission, whose mission is to promote intergroup 
peace-building, equity, and human rights.
  Irene, your service is unparalleled, and this doctorate is a symbol 
of your sacrifice and hard work for the families of the San Fernando 
Valley, the great State of California, and our country.
  Congratulations, Irene, and I am proud to call you Dr. Irene Tovar.


                  Honoring the Life of Rodrigo Garcia

  Mr. CARDENAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a 
trailblazer who made a difference across this country.
  Rodrigo ``Rod'' Garcia, founder of the Society of Hispanic 
Professional Engineers, otherwise known as SHPE, was a man of deep 
conviction and passion. Not only did he commit to his work as an 
engineer, but he opened a door for so many, including myself, to follow 
in his footsteps.
  As one of the only handful of Hispanic engineers during the 1973 tech 
boom, he could easily have gone on to a promising career in the 
sciences. But when he saw a wrong, he set out to right that wrong.
  In gathering a cohort of fellow Hispanic engineers, he was determined 
to diversify the STEM industry across our country, and that is when 
SHPE was born.
  While Rod Garcia was an incredible man, his legacy in SHPE is equally 
incredible. Now, the organization has grown into the largest Hispanic 
STEM association nationwide, with 13,000 members and 286 chapters 
across the country.
  An engineer to his core, Mr. Garcia attributed the success of SHPE as 
such: ``We were engineers. We drew up the plan. . . . To see it take 
off the way it has, it is really special.'' And special it is.
  SHPE's impact is only growing. In the 2021-2022 academic year, SHPE 
awarded scholarships to over 200 students across the country, 
distributing over $1.3 million.
  Rod has passed on, and he will be sorely missed, but his reputation 
and his memory will live on forever.

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