[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 134 (Tuesday, August 27, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    HONORING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK PFISTER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
    RETIREMENT AFTER 33 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE LAKE COUNTY HEALTH 
                 DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 27, 2024

  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Pfister, a 
remarkable community leader and dear friend, for his 33 years of 
service to the people of Lake County and his lifelong dedication to 
public health. Our community celebrates the positive impact Mark has 
had on the health and quality of life of the residents of Lake County 
and beyond.
  Mark grew up in Denver, Colorado. Shortly after graduating from 
Augustana College in 1986, Mark embarked on a career focusing on 
service to others. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he taught biology, 
genetics, botany, and animal science in Bambili, Cameroon. Two months 
into his mission, Cameroon suffered the Lake Nyos Disaster (a limnic 
eruption killing more than 1,700 people). Mark immediately joined 
efforts to help survivors and participated in international initiatives 
to address the onset of food insecurity in the region.
  Mark's Peace Corps experience inspired him to pursue advanced degrees 
in limnology (the study of lakes) and ultimately brought him to the 
Lake County Health Department in 1991. He served 14 years as an aquatic 
biologist and project coordinator in the County's Lakes Management Unit 
before moving into senior leadership positions within the department. 
He was named Interim Director in June 2016 and officially made 
Executive Director in February 2017. Under his leadership, he led and 
inspired approximately 1,000 employees who are serving more than 
700,000 county residents.
  Perhaps his biggest challenge as Executive Director was guiding the 
Lake County Health Department through the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 
thick of the crisis, Mark showed extraordinary vision, dedication, and 
grace. It is impossible to overstate the impact of his leadership to 
building community trust in the public health system in those trying 
times.
  Throughout his 33 years with the department, Mark's unwavering 
commitment to its mission of promoting the health and well-being of all 
who live, work, and play in Lake County resulted in the department's 
consistently being considered among one of the best local health 
departments in the country.
  I have no doubt Mark's legacy of public health leadership and his 
record of innovative accomplishments within the department will 
continue to inspire those at the Lake County Health Department and 
advance their mission for years to come.
  It is with great honor and respect that I commend Mark Pfister for 
his outstanding 33 years of leadership within our community.
  As Mark embarks on this new chapter of life, I wish him a retirement 
as wonderful as his career. May this be an opportunity to cherish time 
with his loved ones and savor the fruits of his labor.

                          ____________________