David L. Crow

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David L. Crow

TRIBUTE TO DAVID L. CROW

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the distinguished public service of David L. Crow. After 15 years at the helm of the largest air-pollution control district in the Nation, he will soon retire as the air pollution control officer and executive director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, SJAPCD. During his tenure, the district grew from a fledgling union of regional air boards into one of the Nation's most active air-pollution control districts.

After completing his undergraduate and graduate studies at California State University, Fullerton, David built a solid resume in public service before he assumed the leadership of the SJAPCD in 1991. He served as the acting city manager for Foster City, CA, budget director and director of policy development for Fresno County, as well as deputy county administrative officer for Fresno County before lending his considerable talents to improving air quality in the Central Valley.

David accepted the challenge to address and solve the air-quality issues in a region that perennially rank among the worst nationwide in summertime smog and wintertime particulate pollution. Under his stewardship, the Valley air basin has made great strides in reducing ozone exceedances, as it has seen a 50-percent reduction in the emissions from statutory sources. The SJAPCD has implemented programs such as the ``Check Before You Burn'' winter wood-burning restriction program; a system to reduce smoke emissions from agricultural burning, and creating cost-effective rules to encourage conservation management practices for farms.

During his tenure as the head of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, David has earned a reputation as a skilled consensus- builder who forged partnerships between interests which seldom agreed. Under his leadership, the air-pollution district has distributed over $100 million to implement a myriad of projects to reduce serious air pollution in the region. David Crow's efforts, and those of the talented staff that he helped build, are helping to improve the air quality in California's Central Valley, one of the fastest growing regions in the Nation.

Throughout his career, David Crow has proven to be a highly effective administrator who was committed to protecting the public's health. As he gets set to spend more time with his wife Vicky and sons, Ryan and Matthew, I wish him continued success and good luck in all his future endeavors.