[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7210]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE GERALD D. ``JERRY'' COCHRAN OF CRESCENT CITY, 
                                   CA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 4, 2006

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
Honorable Gerald D. ``Jerry'' Cochran on the occasion of his retirement 
as the Del Norte County Assessor, an office he has held for the last 36 
years.

  Mr. Cochran has been a dedicated advocate for the citizens of Del 
Norte County since first being elected to office on November 3, 1970. 
He is a tenacious public servant with a reputation for being 
forthright, open and responsive to the needs of the community. He has 
been a consistent advocate for working families and for those less 
fortunate. I consider him a true friend and counselor, someone I rely 
upon to advise me about issues affecting the most northern coastal 
county of California, home of the Smith River National Recreation Area 
and Redwood National Park.

  Over the last three decades in Del Norte County, Mr. Cochran has 
provided outstanding and resourceful leadership during critical, 
watershed events for the region. He was a fierce advocate on behalf of 
the county leading up to the expansion of Redwood National Park in 
1978. He led the local effort to site a California correctional 
facility in Del Norte County in 1980's. He has fought for highway 
improvement projects, protected the county's interest in state and 
federal land acquisitions and always focused on ways in which to help 
build the local economy to secure good-paying, long-term jobs.

  Mr. Cochran moved to California from the state of Wisconsin when he 
was five years old, one of five children of Tom & Alvina Cochran. He 
attended Humboldt State University and joined the United States Air 
Force, serving our nation for four years with duty in Japan, Vietnam 
and at the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama.

  Mr. Cochran has served on numerous local boards, including Sutter 
Coast Hospital, Rural Human Services, Humboldt State University 
Advisory Board, and the Wild Rivers Community Foundation. He currently 
serves on the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the 
prestigious Golden Gate Bridge District Board of Directors.

  He is an active member of Rotary International of Crescent City, the 
Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee and was recently asked to 
serve as the Del Norte County Veterans Service Officer. In 2005 he 
received the ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' from the Crescent City/Del 
Norte County Chamber of Commerce.

  Jerry married the lovely Jacqueline Cochran 41 years ago; they have 
one daughter, Marcy, son-in-law Darin Bradbury, and a beloved grandson, 
Dalton.

  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Gerald 
D. ``Jerry'' Cochran for his vision, leadership and commitment to a 
healthy and vibrant Del Norte County and for his extraordinary record 
of public service to the people of the North Coast of California.