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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E94-E95]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING MS. PATRICIA GARDNER
______
HON. ZOE LOFGREN
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, January 25, 2019
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Patricia Gardner
and commend
[[Page E95]]
her on her career and contributions to our community.
Ms. Gardner worked as a nonprofit executive manager for over two
decades before she joined Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
(``SVCN'') as CEO in 2001. Under her leadership, SVCN followed its
mission to foster and magnify the influence and contribution of
nonprofit agencies and business in Santa Clara County. SVCN works to
help our community by assisting individuals and families who are
disenfranchised and who struggle to meet basic needs. SVCN also helps
guide our local nonprofits through difficult financial times and to
build up their capacity to become better service providers. As SVCN
increasingly became an important voice with the nonprofit sector, local
foundations, and local and state governments, it expanded from a small
group of fewer than 50 agencies and a budget of under $100,000 to
representing over 200 agencies and a budget of over a million dollars.
In addition to her role with SVCN, Ms. Gardner was actively involved
in a variety of local concerns to our community. Among other things,
she served on a number of key policy committees, including the Blue
Ribbon Committee on Housing and Homelessness, the City of San Jose and
County Senior Nutrition Task Forces, the Juvenile Justice Systems
Collaborative, the City of San Jose General Fund Structural Deficit
Committee, and the Measure A-Hospital Bond Oversight Committee.
Ms. Gardner received recognition for her service in our community.
Senator, then-Assemblyman, Jim Beall, selected her as Woman of the
Year, and the local nonprofit, United Way, named her Community Builder
of the Year in 2011. The following year, Community Solutions awarded
the Community Builder Award to SVCN for Ms. Gardner's advocacy to
preserve funding for essential services. In 2018, Ms. Gardner received
the Siempre Award from Grail Family Service and the Alumni of the Year
award from the San Jose State University's College of Social Sciences--
Political Science. The San Jose Business Journal added Ms. Gardner to
its Women of Influence list, and she is generally known across our
state as one of the leaders in nonprofit advocacy.
I have known Ms. Patricia Gardner for over forty years. She is
efficient, capable, organized and a leader. But most of all, she is a
caring human being whose passion for justice and compassion have led
her to a life of service to others. I feel privileged to know her as a
friend and fortunate to live in a community that is healthier and more
fair because of her service.
I wish to congratulate Ms. Gardner on her career. Today we honor her
for her leadership and advocacy in our community. I wish her the best
of luck in exploring her next chapter as she transitions to her next
pursuit.
