[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 159 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNITION OF DON GEDDIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 30, 2022

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Don Geddis 
upon the occasion of his being named Citizen of the Year for 2022 by 
the Associated Parents' Group of Hillsborough. His service to our 
community is so enormous that I think of Don as being one of the 
towering eucalyptus trees that populate the town . . . . . without, of 
course, all the shedding bark.
  When Don's children entered Hillsborough schools in 2006, he 
immediately took a leadership role by joining the School Site Council, 
placing him on the West Parent Group executive board. For many years he 
was a highly qualified judge of the West iLab Tech Challenge, bringing 
his PhD in artificial intelligence and computer science from Stanford 
to bear on the work product of student tinkerers. He also served for 
two years as the West Parent Group's trustee representative, giving him 
extensive exposure to the operations of the school board.
  Don took the plunge and ran for school board in 2013. He has served 
every year since, four times as board president. He combines this 
volunteer job with service on the recreation commission, a joint powers 
authority between the school district and the town of Hillsborough. He 
also serves as trustee liaison to the Associated Parents' Group.
  The pandemic hit every school district hard, and every district 
scrambled to create remote work. The biggest challenge, however, was 
the creation of a back-to-school safety plan. Don and the District Core 
Return to School team created testing and other protocols that 
permitted Hillsborough schools to be one of the first in the state to 
return to full-time, in-person instruction. As a major leader in the 
town, Don explained the plan to countless parents and advocated for it 
at the board. He located testing solutions and helped plan the 
district's testing policy. The students and parents of Hillsborough 
will be forever grateful to Don for his dedication to education and to 
public health.
  Measure H was a $140 million school facilities bond measure that 
recently passed due in no small part to Don's leadership. It paves the 
way for modern schools in Hillsborough for decades to come. As a school 
board member, he's also served on the board's negotiation team, 
mentored new trustees, and been active in the San Mateo County School 
Boards Association.
  Don is not all about work or even civic endeavors. If you visit his 
website, you'll immediately see a list of 18 major life 
accomplishments, starting with his bachelor's in computer science at 
Stanford and ending with his current status as a board member and 
recreation commissioner.
  However, arrayed below that list is another list of ``Completed 
Bets.'' For example, in 2015 he apparently bet on whether then-Judge 
Kavanaugh would be appointed to the Supreme Court. He lost a buck. In 
the 2017 match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor, he bet 
$10 and won. He's obviously a better boxing fan than reader of Senate 
tea leaves. Between 2002 and 2020 he bet 34 times on various events 
paying out donuts (2019) or that dollar, and winning lobster or 
truffles. Altogether, he's won 21 times, had one draw and there's one 
bet still outstanding (fusion power, 100MW+ in 20 years from 2018). His 
site also lists his four other current websites and five previous 
websites, including one that he says was a joke.
  As this list demonstrates, Don is a brainiac, but I can honestly 
state that he's one of the most personable, and earnest, people that 
I've ever met. In case you doubt his driven nature, he participates in 
both Aiki and Brazilian Jiujitsu and has third-degree black belts in 
both forms of martial arts. As the holder of a brown belt in judo, the 
conclusion that I draw from his website is that you probably come out 
better betting cash with Don, and losing, than fighting him and losing.
  Despite Don being something of a rocket scientist by nature, he is 
about as down to earth as they come. For this and many more reasons he 
will always be an honored resident of our community, and it is my honor 
to note his contributions to America in today's record of the 
proceedings of the House of Representatives. Congratulations to Don, 
his wife Laura and their family on his remarkable achievements. His 
neighbors and countless friends are betting he'll be a leader for many 
more years to come. We're not going to lose that bet.

                          ____________________