[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 51 (Friday, March 22, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING MATTHEW HYMEL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 22, 2024

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Matthew 
Hymel upon his retirement from the County of Marin after more than two 
decades of extraordinary public service.
  Raised in Western Pennsylvania during the economic hardships of the 
late 1970s and early 1980s, Matthew has long been interested in how the 
government can shape public policy to support struggling communities. 
In high school, his family moved to California, where Matthew obtained 
a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California, 
Santa Cruz. After graduating in 1988, he attended John F. Kennedy 
School of Government at Harvard University, earning his master's degree 
in public policy.
  Matthew returned to California and took a position at the Legislative 
Analyst's Office in Sacramento. After six months, government-wide 
layoffs prompted Matthew to relocate to the Bay Area, where he worked 
as a budget analyst for the city manager of Oakland and then for the 
controller's office in San Francisco. In 1997, newly elected Mayor 
Willie Brown was impressed by Matthew's budget development work and 
hired him as his budget director. Matthew worked his way up through the 
City and County of San Francisco to the role of Chief Assistant 
Controller, before joining Marin County in 2002 as Chief Assistant to 
County Administrator Mark Riesenfeld. In 2005, the Board of Supervisors 
chose Matthew as his successor and at the young age of 38, Matthew 
assumed the role of Marin County Administrator, a role he has held for 
almost two decades
  As Marin County Administrator, Matthew successfully managed a 
multimillion-dollar annual budget, supervised administrative work for 
the county's 2,000 employees, and provided the board of supervisors 
with timely research and recommendations. He led with intelligence and 
stability during the economic challenges of the 2008 through 2010 
recession, pension obligations, and the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked 
closely with other agencies, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and the 
Marin County Office of Education to establish a cohesive approach to 
minimizing the pandemic's impact on the community.
  Upon his retirement, Matthew leaves the county with a strong fiscal 
position and administrative plan focused on integrating cross-
departmental initiatives that address racial equity, capital 
improvements, behavioral health, affordable housing, and homelessness. 
Beyond his outstanding budget management, Matthew is known by his 
colleagues and the Marin County Board of Supervisors for his 
collaborative work style and humble demeanor. He is an exemplary public 
servant.
  Mr. Speaker, as Matthew Hymel retires after 22 years of service to 
Marin County, I respectfully ask that you join me in expressing 
heartfelt gratitude to Matthew for his innumerable achievements in 
improving the quality of life for the staff and residents of Marin 
County and in sending him best wishes on his next endeavors.

                          ____________________