Tribute to Joy Defenbaugh, Riverside City Council

TRIBUTE TO JOY DEFENBAUGH, RIVERSIDE CITY COUNCIL -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 03, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. KEN CALVERT
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to an individual whose dedication and contributions to the community of Riverside, CA are exceptional. Riverside has been fortunate to have dynamic and dedicated community leaders who willingly and unselfishly give their time and talent and make their communities a better place to live and work. Joy Defenbaugh is one of these individuals.

Joy has represented Ward 3 of the city of Riverside for 12 years and has continually worked for the interests of her constituency. Her area of representation includes the Magnolia Center and the Riverside Municipal Airport.
Joy served as chair of the Development Committee and served on the Finance and Government Affairs Committees. She is a member and past chair of the March Joint Powers Commission for the reuse of March Air Reserve Base. Her commitment to the improvement of the city of Riverside has been steadfast.

Early in her political career, Joy recognized the diversity and cultural differences within the community. At the direction of Colin Powell, Joy spearheaded the Common Ground Task Force which brought different groups of people in the community together regardless of ethnic background and cultural differences in order to relieve tension within the community.

In 1998, a former Riverside City employee broke into the Riverside City Council Chamber during a meeting and seriously injured several people. Despite this incident, Joy persevered and continued public service.

Joy's tireless passion for community service has contributed immensely to the betterment of the community of Riverside, CA. She has had a commitment to the economic growth and has demonstrated leadership by recognizing an immediate need for community initiatives such as railroad crossings and the Vision for Today and Tomorrow. Her patriotic spirit for military and country is admirable. She has been the heart and soul of many community initiatives and
I am proud to call her a fellow community member, American and friend. I know that many community members are grateful for her service and salute her as she retires.

END