OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Congratulating Pasquale T. Deon, Sr., on His Retirement

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 7, 2024
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the retirement of a remarkable constituent from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Pasquale T. Deon, Sr., who retired from the board of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority on January 25, 2024.

Pat is the longest tenured chairman and board member in SEPTA history, serving the residents of greater Philadelphia since 1995. During his tenure at SEPTA, Chairman Deon was committed to securing budgetary stability for the transportation authority through the use of innovative financial mechanisms.

Chairman Deon revitalized the transit authority and contributed to 22 years of balanced budgets and the growth of SEPTA into the fifth- largest public transportation system in the Nation.

Moreover, Chairman Deon boasts an impressive record of bipartisan success for SEPTA, having worked with six Governors, five Philadelphia mayors, numerous county commissioners and councilmembers to secure the resources integral to SEPTA's continued operation and success.

Under his leadership, Chairman Deon advocated for the development and implementation of new technologies that put SEPTA on the cutting edge of efficient public transportation, including the introduction of the SEPTA Key, the integration of the SEPTA control center, a centralized command station, and the implementation of the Positive Train Control, a system designed to advance and improve rail safety technologies.

Moreover, Chairman Deon oversaw numerous technological advancements dedicated to making SEPTA a more sustainable system, including the introduction of hybrid buses into the fleet.

SEPTA is now a committed partner of the MACH2 hydrogen hub proposal, a project aimed to use existing technologies to generate clean hydrogen energy with the goal of transitioning the SEPTA fleet to zero-emission by 2040.

Madam Speaker, we congratulate Chairman Deon on his retirement and wish him the best in the future.

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