[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4789]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING JOSE ARREDONDO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 27, 2007

  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
career of Jose Arredondo. Jose has served as the Executive Director of 
the Spanish Speaking Citizen's Foundation (SSCF) in Oakland since 1986. 
Throughout his career, Jose has been known for his tireless work on 
behalf of the Latino community and the community at large. This year 
Jose celebrates his retirement after 20 years of unparalleled service 
to the SSCF, and many more to the entire Bay Area community.
  Jose holds a B.A. in sociology and an M.S. in counseling from 
California State University, East Bay. Over the years, Jose has served 
the residents of the 9th Congressional District in a number of 
different roles, and his professional expertise is supplemented by his 
deep commitment to building and maintaining the spirit of community.
  Jose came to the Spanish Speaking Citizens' Foundation in 1985. Under 
his leadership, the SSCF evolved into an organization that facilitates 
inclusiveness by reducing barriers to economic opportunity, healthcare 
and education for Latinos in our community. Jose broadened the scope 
and vision of the SSCF to empower the individual and the community to 
improve the quality of life, while enriching the cultural heritage of 
Latinos. By working with other agencies, he has not only expanded the 
SSCF's network of contacts, but also worked to further the 
organization's services. Jose's leadership has been crucial here in 
Oakland, and has made education, social services and healthcare vastly 
more available and accessible to all members of our community.
  In addition to his stellar work leading the SSCF, Jose has been and 
continues to be heavily involved in a number of other boards and 
organizations here in the Bay Area and elsewhere. He has served the 
community through his involvement with organizations such as the 
Oakland Community Organizations (OCO); Educational Coalition of 
Hispanic Organizations (ECHO); Latinos for Affirmative Action; and the 
Spanish Speaking Unity Council.
  Furthermore, Jose has been recognized for his exceptional service 
with numerous awards, such as the Marcus Foster Alumni Award; a 
Personnel Administration Certificate from California State University, 
East Bay; and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Professional Community 
Service Award.
  Today the friends, family and colleagues of Jose Arredondo have come 
together to celebrate not only his retirement, but also his legacy of 
service and his permanent and positive impact on our community. On this 
very special day, I join all of them in thanking and saluting Jose for 
his profound contributions to California's 9th Congressional District, 
our country and our world.

                          ____________________