E1260 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks June 26, 1998 graduated from Cortez High School and Grand led to developments in monitoring and improv- stitute for the Arts chose Redondo Union High Canyon University. It was in Arizona that he ing the safety of our food supply, maintaining School as a County Center of Excellence in first discovered his love for banking. the quality of health care delivery, defending Fine Arts. The award-winning Health, Fitness In 1989, Ron was appointed Executive Vice against biological weapons, and to the appli- and Sport Academy promotes fitness and ca- President/Chief Administrative Officer of cation and development of alternative methods reer opportunities. And, the Center for the Ad- Desert Community Bank and President/Chief of energy production and waste recycling, bio- vancement of Arts and Entertainment is the Executive Officer in 1990. Ronald is very dedi- technology, bioremediation of environmental focal point of the district's visual and perform- cated to the banking business and as acting problems, and even new sources of food. In ing arts curriculum. CEO, he has achieved unprecedented suc- addition, microbiological research has led to Beverly's leadership inspired invention and cess for Desert Community Bank. In addition, the development of new antibiotics and vac- confidence among students, parents and Ron has also received a number of awards cines for diseases that have saved millions of teachers. Students manage BeachNet, the dis- which he has shared with the Bank and its lives and billions of dollars. trict's Wide Area Network. Ninth graders and employees. In addition to the importance of these sci- teachers have laptop computers to begin full These extraordinary entrepreneurial skills, entific applications of Microbiology, the eco- high school participation in wireless, wall-free however, are not all Ron has given to the nomic impact of a wide range of United States learning. KnowledgeNets is on-line 24 hours a community. At present, Ron serves on the employers who rely on the microbiological day. And, high school students thousands of Board for Victorville Rotary, St. Mary Founda- sciences can not be underestimated. These miles apart produced a musical, then per- tion, Partnership in Academic Excellence employers include medical centers and clinical formed together in Redondo Beach. Foundation/Academy of Academic Excellence, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, bio- Among Bev's other contributions and profes- United Way, Apple Valley Care Center, Victor technology firms, food products manufactur- sional affiliations are membership on the Ex- Valley Union High School District and San ers, colleges and universities, government lab- ecutive Council of the Technology for Learning Bernardino County Fair Board. Ronald also oratories, and national, state and local agen- Initiative, The National School Board Associa- writes a weekly newspaper column for the cies have made the United States a world tion Institute for Transfer of Technology to Daily Press and hosts a weekly television leader in biomedical research and develop- Education, and IBM's ArtsEdTech 100 Con- interview shown on Channel 64 and two cable ment, and generates a positive balance of ference. stations. Clearly, Ronald L. Wilson's service is trade for our country. Mr. Speaker, Bev Rohrer will be fondly re- a model of outstanding citizenship. Microbiological research creates high-skill membered for her exhaustive efforts to ad- Mr. Speaker, it is people like Ron that make jobs, helps retain U.S. leadership in bio- dress the challenges of educating adults and our community a better place to live. I ask that medical research, protects the environment, teaching young people in a world of constant you join me, our colleagues, and the California and provides great hope for effectively treat- and demanding change. But most importantly, Inland Empire Council of Boy Scouts of Amer- ing, curing and preventing disease. she can look about the community and see a ica in recognizing Ron Wilson as 1998 Citizen In conclusion, I wish to commend the Micro- legacy made of the thousands of children, par- of the Year. biological Sciences and in particular the Amer- ents, teachers and administrators whose lives f ican Society for Microbiology for their contribu- she touched. It is a legacy for which she can tion to science and public health and con- be immensely proud. RECOGNIZING ADVANCES IN THE gratulate the Society on an enormously suc- f MICROBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES cessful century of public service. f AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOP- HON. JOHN EDWARD PORTER MENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMIN- OF ILLINOIS BEVERLY J. ROHRER, ED.D.: A DIS- ISTRATION, AND RELATED TINGUISHED RECORD AS SUPER- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS INTENDENT OF SCHOOLS FOR ACT, 1999 Thursday, June 25, 1998 THE REDONDO BEACH UNIFIED Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recog- SCHOOL DISTRICT SPEECH OF nize the extraordinary scientific contribution HON. BART STUPAK advances in Microbiological Sciences have HON. JANE HARMAN OF MICHIGAN made to the United States over the past cen- OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tury. These advances have improved the na- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tion's health, economy and environment for all Thursday, June 25, 1998 Americans. I'm recognizing these contributions Thursday, June 25, 1998 The House in a Committee of the Whole on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to House on the State of the Union had under founding of the American Society for Microbi- recognize Dr. Beverly J. Rohrer on her retire- consideration the bill (H.R. 4101) making ap- ology, the oldest and largest single life science ment as Superintendent of Schools for the Re- propriations for Agriculture, Rural Develop- organization in the world. dondo Beach, California, Unified School Dis- ment, Food and Drug Administration, and Some of the greatest scientific achieve- trict. Her retirement ends a distinguished and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal ments of humankind have come from micro- visionary career which began in the classroom year ending September 30, 1999, and for other biologists like Harold E. Varmus, J. Michael in 1960. purposes. Bishop, Jonas Salk, Rosalyn Yalow, David Since Beverly became Superintendent in Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to Baltimore, Daniel Nathans, Hamilton Smith, 1990, the Redondo Beach schools have led further clarify my position on the Wildlife Serv- Arthur Kornberg, James Watson, Baruj the nation in innovative approaches to the use ices program at the Department of Agriculture. Benacerraf, Paul Berg, Selman Waksman, of technology in education. For example, she Today Mr. BASS and Mr. DEFAZIO offered an Joshua Lederberg, and many others. In fact, helped create the ADTECH Consortium, a co- amendment to H.R. 4101 which reduces the two thirds of all Nobel Prizes awarded in the alition of 12 Los Angeles South Bay School appropriation for Wildlife Services by $10 mil- past decade in Physiology or Medicine have Districts, community colleges, universities and lion, to $28.8 million. been awarded in the microbiological sciences. businesses which resulted in an innovative The intention of the Bass-DeFazio amend- All life on earth is inextricably intertwined high-technology training and learning center ment is to prevent Wildlife Services from using with microorganisms; without microorganisms called the ``Futures Academy.'' I was proud to controversial procedures and inefficient prac- all other life forms would cease to exist. Our participate in the ribbon-cutting for the Acad- tices for killing predators in western states. own knowledge of fundamental life processes emy, which has become a ``technology school- The activities that have occurred in western has been substantially advanced through the house'' for educating teachers, students and state have been heavily criticized for their in- study and research of microorganisms. the community. Technologically-proficient discriminate killing programs. The program de- Microbiological research contributes not only teachers, in turn, prepare youth for high- signed to kill coyotes, for example, kills many to the treatment, prevention and cure of infec- skilled, tech-driven jobs of our new economy. pets and endangered species. Additionally, the tious diseasesÐthe leading cause of death Beverly also instituted many advanced edu- program has been criticized for its wasteful worldwideÐbut also to treatments and cures cational programs. Standford University se- spending practices in the west. In New Mex- for emerging diseases of humans, plants and lected Redondo Beach as the first district in ico, for instance, Wildlife Services spent more animals that pose an increasing threat to pub- the country to implement their pilot Acceler- than $2 million to kill predators that had in- lic health. Microbiological research also has ated School Program. The Getty Education In- flicted $167,000 to ranchers. I oppose these