[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1285-E1286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE DEPARTURE OF THE HONORABLE DON HORSLEY FROM THE SAN 
                   MATEO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2022

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize my friend and 
colleague San Mateo County Board President Don Horsley as he departs 
the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors after 12 years in this phase 
of his service to the public. His is a remarkable career.
  Don graduated with honors from San Francisco State University in 
1969. He worked as a juvenile counselor with the San Mateo County 
Probation Department and as a classroom teacher in middle school. When 
he decided to become a police officer, one of his earliest jobs was in 
the City of Pacifica. He subsequently joined the San Mateo County 
Sheriffs Office and began his patrol work in what would eventually 
become the City of East Palo Alto.
  While in the early phase of his career at the Sheriff's office, Don 
helped plan and oversee the construction of a new county correctional 
facility. The new building transformed incarceration in the county, 
featuring mental health and medical facilities onsite. In the jail, he 
promoted direct supervision, a practice in which deputies and 
correctional officers worked directly with detainees. Don's innovative 
work resulted in a substantial reduction in violence.
  Don was elected Sheriff in 1993 in a hard-fought campaign against the 
status quo. After

[[Page E1286]]

his election, he got to work reducing violence in our most vulnerable 
communities. The new Sheriff pledged a multi-jurisdictional law 
enforcement taskforce that helped the City of East Palo Alto to 
dramatically reduce the number of homicides. This support for East Palo 
Alto continued throughout Don's nearly 14 years as Sheriff.
  He later established the Sheriffs Activities League to help kids 
become successful in school and to keep kids out of gangs. He recruited 
qualified women and diverse officers into the department and put them 
into neighborhoods through both patrols and community events.
  When Don retired from the Sheriffs office, he ran for the Sequoia 
Hospital District Board of Trustees. During his service, he advocated 
for increased funding for the North Fair Oaks Clinic and a community 
grant program that supported improved healthcare outcomes, particularly 
for children, throughout the district.
  In 2010, Don ran for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and 
won. He served three times as Board President. His work has been 
extraordinary, focused in part on coastal agricultural issues and 
healthcare.
  He is a staunch advocate of thoughtful public safety. He supported 
the construction of a new county jail facility that allows even more 
space for mental health and vocational services for detainees.
  While all board members support affordable housing, Don and his 
colleague Warren Slocum were assigned to the Jobs Housing Task force. 
Thanks to millions in county funding and an influx of federal and state 
funds during the pandemic, Don and his colleagues purchased five hotels 
and are presently in construction on a 240 bed navigation center. The 
objective is to reach functional zero homelessness by the end of 2022. 
San Mateo County is well on its way to meeting this objective. For 
example, in October 2022, there were 262 more homeless persons 
contacted when compared to October 2021. By 2023, the number of interim 
shelter beds will have increased by 91 percent when compared to 2019. 
Since October of 2021, 733 formerly homeless persons have been moved 
into permanent housing. Starting in 2023, $4 million in county funds 
will be devoted to paying the rent of those facing evictions.
  Don Horsley also serves on the Board of Directors of the Health Plan 
of San Mateo, a Medi-Cal managed health plan. 150,000+ San Mateo 
residents have coverage through this locally managed organization. 
Don's dedication to human dignity is rooted in the basics: health and 
housing. He is also a staunch advocate for sensible gun violence 
prevention and recently led the effort to fund county positions to 
remove guns from the homes of those otherwise prohibited by law from 
owning weapons.
  Madam Speaker, Don Horsley is wise. He is gracious. He is sensible. 
He cares. As he leaves public service for what will likely be the last 
time, we wish him well. The teacher turned lawman turned community 
steward has devoted his life to the people he served. Lives have been 
saved and enriched by Don Horsley. Futures were created because he took 
a moment to offer a thought. We won't find his face chiseled onto a 
mountainside but Don Horsley's impact upon us all will last for 
decades. An overall quiet man, he roared on the field of public policy. 
Now his wife Elaine, his children Matt, David, and Christine, and their 
families will have time of their own with Don. We relinquish him to 
their care with our thanks for a job exceedingly well done.

                          ____________________