[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 62 (Thursday, April 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF MARK GHILARDUCCI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 13, 2023

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Ghilarducci on his 
retirement from his position as the Director of the California 
Governor's Office of Emergency Services. He served in this role since 
2012 and retired at the end of 2022 and is an extraordinary public 
servant.
  Mark Ghilarducci grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and began 
responding to emergencies when he was 16 years old as a volunteer on a 
mountain rescue team. A graduate of UC Davis, he decided to become a 
paramedic at age 19, leading to his lifetime of coordinating resources, 
caring for people and cleaning up after various community catastrophes. 
He worked in Asia, including China and Indonesia, and that work helped 
shape his career. Responding to the earthquake in Humboldt County, a 
cyber-attack on the California Department of Finance, dreadful fires 
and disastrous floods were all part of his job and his mission.
  In 2020, when the Santa Cruz Mountains were set ablaze by the CZU 
Lightning Complex Fire, Mark was instrumental in coordinating with 
federal and local partners to help put out the fires and get thousands 
of displaced residents back on their feet. He was steadfast when my 
constituents needed it the most, and he was one of our strongest 
advocates in Sacramento, pushing for resources to be allocated to our 
region during one of the worst fire seasons in recent history. After 
the fires, Mark met with me personally to solve individual 
constituents' problems, which helped Santa Cruz County to rebuild. It 
was Mark's unique combination of courage and compassion that made 
responding to this catastrophe possible.
  Mark has been a dedicated and dependable partner in working to update 
California's emergency communications infrastructure. He supported the 
adoption of FirstNet in California, advocated strongly for implementing 
the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and has worked closely with me to 
secure federal funding for California and other states to transition to 
Next Generation 9-1-1.
  Mark loved his work and he loved the people he worked with. 
Retirement won't come easily to him and we know he'll be there for us 
when he's needed. It's now time for him to take some well-earned rest 
and spend some uninterrupted time with his family.
  Governor Newsom trusted Mark to tackle the state's most difficult 
crises, and he reflected on Mark's distinguished service with the 
following statement:

       ``For more than a decade, Mark has expertly guided our 
     state through some of the most complex and challenging 
     disaster conditions in the nation--coordinating California's 
     emergency response to unprecedented wildfires, severe 
     drought, earthquakes and cybersecurity threats, as well as 
     our nation-leading efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
       ``Mark's tireless work to improve and modernize our 
     emergency management, preparedness and recovery efforts has 
     protected communities across California and better positioned 
     the state to respond to a myriad of challenges now and into 
     the future. On behalf of all Californians, I thank Mark for 
     his tremendous leadership, perseverance and committed 
     service. Our state is stronger and more resilient because of 
     his efforts.''

  Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in 
thanking Mark Ghilarducci for his extraordinary service. California is 
better and stronger, and our Nation is greater because of Mark 
Ghilarducci and his superb work. He is a national treasure.

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