[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5399]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING LOURDES LEON GUERRERO ON BEING NAMED THE 2007 SMALL 
      BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WOMEN IN BUSINESS CHAMPION FOR GUAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 5, 2007

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and 
congratulate Ms. Lourdes Leon Guerrero on being selected as Guam's 
Small Business Administration's Women in Business Champion for 2007. 
The daughter of Jesus and Eugenia Leon Guerrero, founders of the Bank 
of Guam, Lou succeeds her father and brother Tony as the Bank of Guam's 
president and chairwoman of its Board of Directors. Lou's success began 
many years ago in the halls of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam, where 
she attended high school, and onto the campuses of the California State 
University in Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor of science in 
nursing degree, and UCLA, where she earned a masters degree in public 
health.
  After college, Lou returned to Guam to serve as a nurse. After 
serving for many years as a nursing administrator in one of Guam's 
largest family clinics, Lou began her public service in Guam's 
legislature, where she served as a senator for five terms. As a member 
of Guam's legislative body, Lou pursued policies which have improved 
healthcare services on Guam. She worked with the Commission on Nurse 
Leaders and the Civil Service Commission to secure fair and equitable 
pay for Guam's nurses. A strong advocate for a tobacco-free 
environment, Lou introduced and supported landmark legislation, 
including the Natasha Act, which prohibits smoking in public places on 
Guam. She has initiated the development of programs in order to ensure 
that women, children, the elderly and the disabled are provided 
accessible and affordable healthcare.
  As a healthcare professional, Lou has fought for the viability of 
health insurance programs for the medically indigent and disabled. She 
has supported legislation which encourages the disabled to become self-
sufficient entrepreneurs, and she has fostered policies which ensure 
that dignity and respect are always afforded to the community's senior 
citizens.
  Lou continues to champion for the rights of the indigenous population 
on Guam, and to support Federal legislation which will recognize the 
loyalty and patriotism of the people of Guam during World War II and 
provide reparation for the horrific injustices endured by the Chamorro 
people during the occupation of Guam by Imperial Japanese forces.
  Today, as chairperson of the board and chief executive officer of the 
Bank of Guam, Lou is active and involved with the Bank of Guam's daily 
operations, meeting regularly with the bank's policymakers and 
coordinating with the top management staff. Through her work, Lou 
continues the legacy of fairness, honesty, and trust that her father 
and brother began before her. By continuing this legacy, Lou has proven 
her dedication to serving the people of Guam and ensuring that the Bank 
of Guam continues to be an institution that can meet the unique needs 
of the local community.

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