[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2366-2367]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          LEADER IN EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2005

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Dr. 
Pete Mehas, of Fresno California. Dr. Mehas has been Fresno County's 
Superintendent of Schools since 1990, and is being honored by the 
Kremen School of Education and Human Development.
  Dr. Mehas was born and raised in Fresno, graduated from Fresno High 
in 1957, and earned his Bachelor's degree from California State 
University, Fresno. He continued his education at University of 
California, Los Angeles, where he received his Master's degree, and 
went on to University of Southern California, where he secured a 
Doctorate in Education.
  Pete has served the public for many years as an educational advocate. 
He was Secretary of Education to Governor George Deukmejian, and also a 
member of the California State Board of Education and Board of 
Governors for California Community Colleges.
  His efforts have not gone unnoticed--Dr. Mehas has been appointed by 
four presidents

[[Page 2367]]

and three governors to major commissions, boards, and advisory 
committees committed to making education a priority throughout our 
Nation. He has appeared on national television's NBC's ``Today'' show 
and ABC's ``Good Morning America,'' and was the only educator invited 
to address the National Republican Convention in Houston, Texas in 
1992.
  Dr. Mehas' accomplishment list is long and includes USC School of 
Education Distinguished Lecturer, CSU Fresno School of Social Science 
Distinguished Alumni Award, Honorary Life Member in the National 
Congress of Parents and Teachers, NAACP Presidents Award, Rose Ann 
Vuich Ethical Leadership Award, and most recently the Kremen School of 
Education and Human Development ``Noted Alumni Recipient'' for 
significant contributions in the field of education.
  His efforts have been exhaustive, and we are continually lucky that 
his family, wife Demi and daughters Alethea and Andreanna have been 
willing to share all that Dr. Mehas has to offer--he has made an 
amazing impact on our community.

                          ____________________