[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7514]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO JANICE AND RICHARD OLIPHANT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MARY BONO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2006

  Mrs. BONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding 
contributions of two individuals in California's 45th Congressional 
District--Janice and Richard Oliphant. Jan and Dick are well-known 
throughout the Inland Empire for their commitment to bettering the 
community and their devotion to education. I am pleased to join the 
Indian Wells Rotary Club, which established the ``Dick Oliphant 
Scholarship Endowment Fund,'' in recognizing Jan and Dick for their 
exemplary work in our community.
  Since moving to the desert in 1962, Jan and Dick Oliphant have been 
valued members of our community. The time and effort these two 
individuals have devoted to the valley is highly commendable and will 
have a lasting impact for years to come.
  As a leader in the construction and development business, Dick's 
projects, including designing golf courses, retirement communities, 
apartment complexes, and commercial and medical centers, have earned 
him international recognition, including some of the highest awards one 
can achieve in the building industry. Among his first projects in the 
desert was the development and construction of Palm City, later named 
the Palm Desert Country Club, which was California's first retirement 
community and winner of 21 National Awards.
  Both Jan and Dick Oliphant are firm believers in giving back to their 
community and are known for their philanthropic work in Southern 
California, especially in the area of education. Their service in 
numerous nonprofit organizations and community service projects has 
made them invaluable assets to our region. Additionally, Dick has 
served over two years as an Indian Wells Planning Commissioner, six 
years as a councilman, two years as the vice mayor and eight years as 
mayor. He is the founding chairman of the Coachella Valley Economic 
Development Conference and State of the Valley, the founder and 
chairman of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, and the founding 
Chairman of the Lincoln Club of the Coachella Valley.
  Jan and Dick have truly enhanced our community with their support of 
and involvement with education. Jan has served as president and founder 
of several parents clubs, including the Katherine Finchy Parents Club 
in Palm Springs and the John F. Kennedy Parents Club in Indio. Both Jan 
and Dick are actively involved on countless advisory boards and 
committees, truly extending themselves to promote education in the 
Coachella Valley.
  For over sixteen years, Dick has been a member of the California 
State University, San Bernardino Advisory Board, and he is also a co-
chair in fundraising for a public/private partnership with the 
California State University, San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus. He has 
been named a ``fellow'' by the A. Gary Anderson School of Business at 
the University of Riverside, where he spent a year lecturing and 
counseling graduate students on campus. Furthermore, nearly every city 
in the Coachella Valley has designated a ``Richard R. Oliphant Day'' 
because of his extensive work on valley-wide issues. For their 
outstanding contributions, in 1996, Jan and Dick were named the 
``Distinguished Citizens of the Year'' by the Boy Scouts of America.
  Both Jan and Dick Oliphant have graciously offered their resources 
and services to the benefit of our community and are well-deserving of 
our praise. Devoted to their family and to each other, Jan and Dick are 
truly exemplary citizens, and I am honored by their friendship and to 
serve as their representative in the 45th Congressional District of 
California.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring and 
recognizing Jan and Dick Oliphant, for their unwavering dedication, 
integrity, and outstanding public service. Their energy and passion to 
build our community and to foster learning and education, continues to 
benefit Palm Desert and our entire community.

                          ____________________