[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24094]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF CAROL G. WHITESIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 17, 2004

  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Carol G. Whiteside, 
an individual who has dedicated her life to public service at the 
local, state, national, and international levels. Her impressive career 
deserves recognition, and her years of dedicated service to her local 
community of Stanislaus County, the State of California, and our 
nation, warrants tremendous respect. Throughout her successful life, 
Carol has remained equally committed to her family. She is married to 
Superior Court Judge John G. Whiteside. Carol and John are the proud 
parents of two adult sons, Brian and Derek.
  Carol began her career by earning a B.A. in Psychology from the 
University of California, Davis in 1964. Dedicated to her education, 
she pursued postgraduate studies at Golden Gate College in San 
Francisco and continued her studies abroad through the University of 
Southern California in Ramstein, Germany. She entered the business 
world as a Personnel Manager for Emporium Capwell Company in Santa 
Rosa, California in 1964, but it was not long before returning to 
Germany, this time to serve as an Education Counselor at the Army 
Education Center in Landstuhl.
  By the mid-1970's Carol returned to Modesto, California and began to 
build what would become one of the most reputable careers in public 
service known to our community. For the past three decades, Carol 
Whiteside has held various positions with the City of Modesto and the 
State of California. In all arenas of service, and with tremendous 
commitment, Carol rose through the ranks of public office. She began 
her service in the City of Modesto in 1979 as a Modesto City School 
Board Trustee, and by 1987 she was elected the City's Mayor, having 
served as Modesto City School Board President, and as a member of the 
Modesto City Council before her Mayoral victory.
  Continuing to pursue greater and grander opportunities, Carol moved 
on to California State Government in 1991, being appointed to the 
position of Assistant Secretary of the Intergovernmental Relations, 
Resources Agency where she specialized in resource conservation, land 
use and growth management issues. Within two years, she became the 
Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for California Governor Pete 
Wilson on issues of land use, finance, restructuring and economic 
development.
  Throughout the years, Carol has also been extremely involved and held 
numerous positions with countless associations, boards, organizations, 
political committees and international entities. She has served as 
Chairperson for committees within the League of California Cities, U.S. 
Conference of Mayors, and the National League of Cities. Over the last 
twenty years, Carol has been involved in the National Women's Political 
Caucus, as well as several other political committees at the state and 
national level.
  In addition to her tremendous achievements, Carol has found time to 
serve as a Board Member for more than 15 groups which include the 
United Way of Stanislaus County, the American Red Cross, High Speed 
Rail Authority, California Center for Regional Leadership, and the 
Public Policy Institute of California.
  It appears that there is no existing realm of public service that 
Carol Whiteside has not touched. Her career is not limited to the San 
Joaquin Valley, California, or the United States. Since Carol resided 
in Landstuhl, Germany in 1972, she has remained actively involved 
abroad. Her international endeavors have taken her to Poland, Ukraine, 
the Baltic States, Morocco, and Korea.
  It is without question that Carol Whiteside is a remarkable 
individual, professional businesswoman, and motivated entrepreneur, 
characteristics that were most recently demonstrated by her latest 
accomplishment. Today, Carol is the President of the Great Valley 
Center, an organization she founded in August 1997. This organization's 
primary focus is to promote the economic, social and environmental 
well-being of California's Central Valley. Under Carol's leadership and 
guidance, the Great Valley Center has elevated the region's identity 
throughout our state and nation.
  Carol's work ethic, professionalism, and dedication have earned her 
many honors throughout the years, which include the 1990 Soroptimist 
Woman of Distinction in International Relations, the California State 
Assembly Woman of the Year 1991 for the 27th Assembly District, the 
Civic Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002, and the 2004 Excellence in 
Public Service Award. Most recently, the American Legion Post 74 
honored Carol by naming her the 2004 Woman of the Year.
  This recognition that I am offering today before the House of 
Representatives for Carol Whiteside is clearly deserved, and well 
overdue. She is an invaluable member of the community, an exemplary 
civil servant, and an outstanding human being who will leave behind a 
legacy to be admired for generations to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my fellow colleagues join me in honoring 
Carol G. Whiteside for her many years of dedication to public service, 
for her countless contributions to the economic vitality of the San 
Joaquin Valley, and for her continued commitment to a brighter and more 
prosperous tomorrow. I am most certainly honored to call her my friend, 
and it is my pleasure to recognize all of her accomplishments.

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