[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11678]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MARY ALICE O'CONNOR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 18, 2012

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my 
colleagues, Congressman Jerry McNerney and Congressman John Garamendi, 
to recognize Mary Alice O'Connor as she retires after 7 years as 
Executive Director of the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center.
  Mary Alice, born in Chicago, Illinois, was ordained a minister by the 
Unity of the Spirit Ministry School in 1991 and earned her bachelor's 
in business administration from Golden Gate University in 2002. After 
many years working for industry leaders in the communications sector, 
Mary Alice joined the Peace and Justice Center as executive director in 
2005. Over the past 7 years, her work has embodied the Peace and 
Justice Center's mission ``to work for a culture of peace through 
education, advocacy and community building,'' while at the same time 
increasing business operations and doubling the Center's operational 
budget in just 3 years.
  Under Mary Alice's leadership, the Peace and Justice Center planned, 
expanded, and promoted a number of invaluable community programs that 
have raised awareness for both local and global issues of social 
justice. The ``Speakers' Forum'' hosts distinguished individuals to 
address global peace, issues of environmental justice, gun violence, 
and the politics of crime and punishment that affect quality of life in 
local communities. The ``Art and Writing Challenge'' encourages 
awareness and discussion among Contra Costa County students of the 
environment, economic inequality and the promotion of non-violence. The 
first ``Creating Peaceful Schools Conference'' brought together over a 
hundred local educators to develop strategies for promoting non-
violence in the classroom and encouraging children to focus on ways to 
promote a more peaceful and just environment. Furthermore, through 
peaceful public protests against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and many 
educational forums developed by Mary Alice and her board of directors, 
the Center has become a well-known hub for thoughtful discussion of 
current events in the East Bay Area.
  Mr. Speaker, we invite this chamber to join us in honoring Mary Alice 
O'Connor for her tireless and dedicated service to the people of Contra 
Costa County. We join her family, colleagues, and friends in 
congratulating her on a successful and fulfilling career at the Mt. 
Diablo Peace and Justice Center, and wish her the very best on her 
future endeavors.

                          ____________________