[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9155]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DR. BENJAMIN T. DURAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 15, 2012

  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Benjamin 
Duran in the event of his retirement after fourteen years of dedicated 
service as Superintendent/President of Merced Community College 
District.
  Dr. Duran has spent forty years as an educator in Merced County. His 
career began as a high school teacher in Le Grand. He served as Vice 
Principal of Le Grand High School from 1976 to 1980 before becoming the 
Assistant Director of Merced County's migrant education program. He 
returned to Le Grand in 1983 as Superintendent of Schools, a position 
he held until 1991. Dr. Duran's career with Merced College began in 
1991 when he became the Vice President for Administrative Services.
  Dr. Duran chaired the Community College League of California's 2010 
Commission on the Future. He has served as President of the California 
Community Colleges (CCC) Chief Executive Officers Board of Directors 
and President of the CCC Economic and Workforce Development Program 
Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Hewlett/Irvine Foundation 
Task Force on Basic Skills Development, the CCLC Board of Directors, 
and has served as Staff Developer for the California School Leadership 
Academy.
  In addition, Dr. Duran has been involved in numerous community 
organizations and initiatives, among them include the Greater Merced 
High Speed Rail Committee, the Merced County Regional Arts Council, the 
Mercy Medical Center Board of Directors, and the Merced School 
Employees Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. His professional 
associations include the UC Merced Foundation Board of Directors, the 
CSU Stanislaus Community Advisory Board and Center for Public Policy 
Studies. He is a member of the California Association of Latino 
Superintendents and a director of the California Dollars for Scholars 
Program.
  Dr. Duran and his wife, Dr. Rose Mary Parga-Duran have two children 
in college. Dr. Parga-Duran is presently serving as the District 
Superintendent for the Merced City School District. Upon his graduation 
he is looking forward to becoming engaged in the community as well as 
watching his children continue to grow into adulthood. He also is 
looking forward to spending more time with his eldest daughter and two 
grandsons who live in Southern California.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Dr. 
Benjamin Duran for his dedication to Merced College and our community 
as a whole.

                          ____________________