[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12665]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING RAQUEL GONZALEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 2008

  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Raquel 
Gonzalez, for her commitment to the small business community in Laredo, 
Texas, and her tenure as the longest-serving member of the board of 
trustees at the Laredo Community College.
  Raquel spent her early years learning the value of hard work at her 
father's business, J.B. Gonzalez Garage. Upon graduation from high 
school, she became the full-time manager of her father's business, 
which she turned over to her brothers so she could concentrate on other 
ventures. Raquel invested in real estate, forming the Southgate 
Subdivision to develop affordable housing in South Laredo, and also 
invested in oil and gas wells in South Texas. In 1980, Raquel began 
serving as a trustee on the Trustee Board of the Laredo Community 
College, and has honorably worked to promote the value of education in 
empowering the lives of young people in Laredo, Texas. Her dedication 
and hard work helped the Laredo Community College become one of the 
most acclaimed community colleges in the nation.
  Ms. Gonzalez has also received many acclaims from the business 
community in Laredo for her successful entrepreneurship and civic 
involvement. She was the first female director of the Laredo Chamber of 
Commerce in 1983, served as the Director of the Falcon National Bank, 
and was recognized by the Republican National Hispanic Assembly for 
exceptional service to the community. She also received the 
Congressional Certificate of Merit in 1992, and was named the Small 
Business Person of the Year and inducted into the Laredo Women's Hall 
of Fame in 1995. Ms. Gonzalez remains an active member of the Financial 
Women International, Rotary Under Seven Flags, the Texas Land Title 
Association, and the Women's City Club.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the 
dedication of Ms. Raquel Gonzalez to the small business community in 
Laredo, Texas, and her contributions to higher education as a member of 
the Board of Trustees at Laredo Community College.

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