[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2411-2412]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN RECOGNITION OF BRAD LEWIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend San Carlos City Council 
Member Brad Lewis who is leaving the council after filling the 
remaining time in the term of the late and much-beloved Mayor Omar 
Ahmad. Councilman Lewis is an idealist, an artist and a pragmatist all 
rolled into one.
  Mr. Lewis is an idealistic community leader. For example, he served 
for five years on the Parks and Recreation Commission wrestling with 
exploding participation in youth sports activities. The city has little 
ability to find new fields or play space, but Mr. Lewis worked 
diplomatically with residents to ensure that children had a chance to 
participate in sports despite the constraints.

[[Page 2412]]

  In part due to his skills as a Commissioner, he was elected to serve 
four years on the San Carlos City Council from 2005 through 2009. In 
2006 his colleagues elected him as Vice Mayor, and in 2007 they elected 
him Mayor. It was in these positions that he showed his skills as a 
pragmatist.
  For example, during his first term on the city council San Carlos 
took a major step forward in meeting regional medical needs with the 
approval of a new hospital. When the economy nosedived in the wake of 
the global credit crunch of 2008, Mr. Lewis and his colleagues on the 
council took prudent, painful and necessary steps to balance the city's 
budget. He also participated in many other decisions leading to 
economic development within the city, resulting in projects that will 
bear fruit in the years ahead.
  In 2011, San Carlos' Mayor passed away unexpectedly and the city 
council reached out to a seasoned resident--Brad Lewis--to fill the 
remaining months of Mayor Ahmad's term. There is no question that the 
council chose wisely because it took no time at all for Brad Lewis to 
learn the status of current issues and to adapt to council business. He 
is to be highly commended for serving these past few months in this 
challenging, basically volunteer position.
  Mr. Lewis is an artist at heart and as a professional. While Mayor in 
2007, he found time to win an Oscar for producing the Pixar film 
Ratatouille. He co-directed the 2011 Pixar hit Cars 2 and has to his 
credit two Emmys and two Clio Awards. This is a man of unusual talents, 
and obviously one who cuts ribbons opening new businesses in town all 
the while cutting a swath through Hollywood.
  In fact, Mr. Lewis' career has spanned decades in the television and 
animation business, having worked for Pacific Data Images, PDI, for 
over 13 years as vice president of productions, Pixar Animation Studios 
starting in November 2001, and Digital Domain's Tradition Studios 
division in Florida as of July 2011 where he is serving as director for 
a project set to release in 2014.
  As Mr. Lewis said in an interview just a few weeks ago, he moved to 
San Carlos because a close friend lived in the city and because as a 
father he wanted to reduce a lot of the unknowns related to raising a 
child. He has two children, Jackson, age 22, and Ella, age 8\1/2\. His 
wife, Regina, has been an enormous source of support to him during his 
public service.
  Mr. Speaker, San Carlos is a wonderful place to raise children, and 
Mr. Lewis has directly contributed to that family spirit through his 
leadership. He is now leaving the council and, at least for a time, 
leaving San Carlos as he makes his way in this next phase of his 
career. We have no doubt that he will return, however, to full-time 
residence and to the city that he has helped to shape for the 
betterment of all.

                          ____________________