[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 7, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H522-H523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATING PASQUALE T. DEON, SR., ON HIS RETIREMENT

  (Mr. FITZPATRICK asked and was given permission to address the House

[[Page H523]]

for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
retirement of a remarkable constituent from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 
Pasquale T. Deon, Sr., who retired from the board of Southeastern 
Pennsylvania Transportation Authority on January 25, 2024.
  Pat is the longest tenured chairman and board member in SEPTA 
history, serving the residents of greater Philadelphia since 1995. 
During his tenure at SEPTA, Chairman Deon was committed to securing 
budgetary stability for the transportation authority through the use of 
innovative financial mechanisms.
  Chairman Deon revitalized the transit authority and contributed to 22 
years of balanced budgets and the growth of SEPTA into the fifth-
largest public transportation system in the Nation.
  Moreover, Chairman Deon boasts an impressive record of bipartisan 
success for SEPTA, having worked with six Governors, five Philadelphia 
mayors, numerous county commissioners and councilmembers to secure the 
resources integral to SEPTA's continued operation and success.
  Under his leadership, Chairman Deon advocated for the development and 
implementation of new technologies that put SEPTA on the cutting edge 
of efficient public transportation, including the introduction of the 
SEPTA Key, the integration of the SEPTA control center, a centralized 
command station, and the implementation of the Positive Train Control, 
a system designed to advance and improve rail safety technologies.
  Moreover, Chairman Deon oversaw numerous technological advancements 
dedicated to making SEPTA a more sustainable system, including the 
introduction of hybrid buses into the fleet.
  SEPTA is now a committed partner of the MACH2 hydrogen hub proposal, 
a project aimed to use existing technologies to generate clean hydrogen 
energy with the goal of transitioning the SEPTA fleet to zero-emission 
by 2040.
  Madam Speaker, we congratulate Chairman Deon on his retirement and 
wish him the best in the future.

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