[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 20517-20518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          IN APPRECIATION OF JOHN CARVER'S LIFETIME OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 2009

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, mention John Carver's name on the San 
Francisco Peninsula and, odds are, you will be met with a smile. The 
long-time resident, business executive and philanthropist has helped 
more people than even he is aware and has shaped his community through 
his generosity, his leadership and his time.
  John was born in Oakland and moved to the Peninsula with his family 
as a boy. After graduating from Stanford University, he married the 
love of his life, Susan Haigh Carver. Together, they raised three 
children, Thomas, Amy and Jonathan and have since been blessed with 
seven grandchildren: Jessica, Matthew, Christian, Ian, Caleb, Danika 
and Liam. This year, John and Susan will celebrate fifty years of 
marriage.
  To know John Carver is to be in awe of him. His sense of humor is 
legendary and, while I did not know him as a young man, seeing John at 
75 makes me only wonder what energy and passion he must have exhibited 
in his twenties and thirties.
  John worked in retail most of his professional career, serving stints 
at Macy's, JC Penney and Bullock's. But John's home and heart was with 
the Gap, helping build the locally-based retailer into the global 
powerhouse it is today. For more than 25 years, John served in a 
variety of positions and it is through his work at the Gap that so many 
came to know his generosity, good-nature and phenomenal leadership 
abilities.
  Madam Speaker, I have come to know John well in recent years, being 
privileged to serve with him on the board of the Philanthropic Ventures 
Foundation, an organization that is responsible for pumping more than 
$70 million into worthy causes and non-profits around the Bay Area. But 
John's community involvement hardly stops there. He has also given his 
time, resources and knowledge to organizations as diverse as the 
Thacher School, Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation, Family Service 
Agency of San Mateo County, Hillsborough Beautification Foundation, SF 
Jobs for Youth, Coyote Point Museum, American Cancer Society, and A 
Better Chance.
  John's greatest impact, however, might very well be the thoughtful 
and patient mentoring he has provided for dozens of Bay Area men and 
women. Whether it is career advice, help in making an important 
decision, or just sharing the wisdom of a man who has done it all, John 
is eager to help and always more than generous with his time.
  Madam Speaker, I am privileged to call John Carver my friend and 
fortunate to represent him in the United States Congress. My only wish 
is that our earth was blessed with more John Carvers.

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