[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 177 (Friday, October 24, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1000-E1001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT AND CAREER OF STACEY MORTENSEN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOSH HARDER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 24, 2025

  Mr. HARDER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my 
colleague, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, to recognize and celebrate the 
retirement and career of Stacey Mortensen, whose visionary leadership 
has transformed public transportation across the Central Valley and 
Northern California.
  For more than three decades, Stacey has championed investments in 
passenger rail that have connected communities, expanded opportunity, 
and laid the groundwork for a more sustainable future. As Executive 
Director of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, she led the 
launch of the Altamont Corridor Express--ACE--in 1998, uniting San 
Joaquin, Alameda, and Santa Clara Counties through a first-of-its-kind 
commuter rail partnership. This complex initiative required building 
infrastructure and relationships across three different regions, a 
challenge Stacey met with innovation and unwavering determination. 
Through her work, Stacey helped establish the San Joaquin Joint Powers 
Authority and spearheaded the Valley Rail Program, securing nearly $2 
billion in funding and enabling major infrastructure projects such as 
the Stockton Diamond Grade Separation.
  Under her leadership, ACE has continued to evolve to meet modern 
needs, including the recent launch of a specialty train service to 
Levi's Stadium for San Francisco 49ers games--an example of the 
flexible, community-responsive transit vision she has cultivated. Her 
efforts brought together more than 20 local and regional agencies to 
develop a shared vision for passenger rail in the Central Valley.
  In 2024, Stacey helped launch the Rail Academy of Central California 
(TRACC), a critical workforce development program that prepares young 
people for careers in the rail industry. Her deep commitment to the 
next generation is reflected in this initiative, which ensures the 
continued success and sustainability of our region's transit systems by 
investing in talent right here in the Valley. What truly sets Stacey 
apart is her deep belief in partnership and public service. Her 
collaborative approach has not only built rail lines--

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it has built trust across counties, cities, and communities. Thanks to 
her leadership, thousands of Central Valley residents now have better 
access to jobs, education, and opportunity.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Stacey Mortensen for her 
extraordinary contributions and for her steadfast commitment to the 
people of California's Central Valley.

                          ____________________