[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9515]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JOAN BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2011

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joan Brown and 
recognize her contribution to volunteerism and community involvement in 
Marin County, California. Ms. Brown is retiring as Manager of the Civic 
Center Volunteers, CCV, program after more than 32 years of fostering 
citizen participation in local government.
  After graduating from Northwestern University, Joan continued a 
legacy of service begun by her family. Her initial work as an 
elementary school teacher greatly inspired her career path, and the 
professional standards she cultivated as a teacher carried over into 
the environment she created at CCV. A trip to the Soviet Union in 1973 
focused her passion for service on participation in local government. 
Her official guide on the trip insisted that the Berlin Wall was 
nonexistent, just U.S. propaganda, reminding Joan that citizen 
involvement is essential for democracy.
  The CCV was established in response to Proposition 13, which reduced 
tax revenue to the counties. Joan was hired temporarily and quickly 
became a permanent employee in the Personnel Department as she helped 
to create a place where women, retirees, and recession-impacted 
professionals could dedicate their skills through volunteerism. Through 
her leadership, the CCV grew from zero in 1979 to 8,400 in 2010.
  Marin County would be a very different place were it not for Joan's 
success with citizen involvement in each county department, saving the 
Marin taxpayers millions in the process.
  Joan's knack for volunteer management extended beyond the reach of 
the CCV. She took on the challenge of co-founding the National 
Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government which included 
both national and international training. With Community Mental Health, 
she engineered volunteer development in her successful 10-year Job 
Coach program. And she also promoted employee effectiveness by creating 
a newsletter for employees by employees and establishing an employee 
recognition event.
  For her accomplishments both within Marin County and beyond, she 
earned the First Acts of Caring Award from the National Association of 
Counties and the Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award from the 
international Association for Volunteer Administrators.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in commending Joan Brown's 
contributions of over 32 years to the people of Marin County. Joan 
leaves our county more enriched through her innovative vision of 
volunteerism and community service. I wish her an enjoyable retirement 
with her family and success in her continued service commitments.

                          ____________________