[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 11618] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING ARABELLA MARTINEZ ______ HON. BARBARA LEE of california in the house of representatives Thursday, May 26, 2005 Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Arabella Martinez, a legendary figure in Oakland and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For almost four decades, Arabella has been a tireless advocate for community and economic development within Oakland and beyond, and the scope of her exemplary work on behalf of her community is truly unparalleled. I take pride in adding my voice to those of my constituents in honoring Arabella today on the occasion of her retirement. A student of social welfare, Arabella received both her BA and MA from the University of California at Berkeley. After receiving her degrees she became involved with the Community Service Organization, a Latino civil rights group. In 1967, Arabella became the first executive director to the Spanish Speaking Unity Council. She is best known for her position as CEO of this council and for developing programs to build responsibility and economic preparedness in the Latino community. During this time, she helped build this organization into a strong economic development and community organization with considerable assets. In 1974, Arabella took an absence from her work at the Unity Council and joined the Carter administration as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. After her term in 1980, she returned to Oakland and worked for almost a decade as the President of the Center for Policy Development. In 1992, Arabella returned to the Spanish Speaking Unity Council and helped the organization through complex financial problems. During her second term she spearheaded the Fruitvale BART project and sponsored the Fruitvale Community Collaborative. Both of these projects were formed to bring together residents, community groups, churches, schools, merchants, and agencies to improve the quality of life for children and families in the Oakland area. Arabella is also involved with many organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, the Drug Abuse Council, The Women's Initiative for Self-Employment, the Oakland Business Development Corporation, the Bank of America's Police Advisory Committee, the Oakland Housing Authority, the Oakland Parks and Recreation Commission and the University/Oakland Metropolitan Forum. She has received numerous awards for her work, such as the Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Professional A ward, the 1993 MTC Award, the David C. Lizarraga Community Development A ward, and the Oakland Citizen of the Year Award. It is clearly evident through Arabella's activism that she is an extraordinary leader, friend and advocate for her community. Her exemplary humanism is an inspiration to us all, and it with great pride that I join the Oakland community in celebrating her accomplishments. On behalf of the 9th Congressional District, I salute and thank Arabella Martinez for the truly invaluable contributions and she has made to our community, and for the example she leaves for future generations to follow. ____________________