[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 21755-21756] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]A TRIBUTE TO ANNA M. CABALLERO ______ HON. SAM FARR of california in the house of representatives Friday, September 29, 2006 Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of Anna Caballero. Anna first moved to Salinas in 1982 and started a law office specifically to provide excellent legal representation for working people. She promptly became active in town, and due to her immense enthusiasm she was quickly recognized as a community leader. She served on the city council for seven years, including four years as Vice Mayor. In 1998 Anna was elected as the first female Mayor in the 126 year history of the city of Salinas, and has hence served four terms. During her tenure as city Mayor, Anna was a driving force in improving life for the people of Salinas. Some of her most successful projects were the diversification of Salinas's economic base, improving the affordability of local housing, the redevelopment of historic downtown Salinas, and ensuring the permanent funding of the Salinas library. The key to her success was her innate ability to sit people down, get straight to the issue and have them reach a consensus. Furthermore, Anna [[Page 21756]] used her talents to streamline the Mayor's office and develop partnerships with neighborhoods, parent groups, labor groups, school districts, local businesses and the greater Salinas community. Anna's accomplishments in the community have not gone unnoticed. In 1996, Anna was honored with the ``Athena'' award for ``entrepreneurial excellence'' by the Salinas Area Chamber of Commerce, the most prestigious honor the Chamber can bestow upon a fellow businessperson. In 2000, the Monterey Country Lawyers Association granted Anna the Justice Ribbon Award, the Association's highest award for members who bring distinction to the legal profession through commitment to public service. Anna has continued to reach out to the community. She is an avid volunteer coach for local baseball and soccer teams. She works with the Mexican-American Women's National Association, ``MANA'', to raise scholarship money for young women continuing to higher education. Anna is also an Executive Director of the non-profit Partners for Peace, dedicated to developing multi-disciplinary partnerships, which share community resources to bring about community change. Mr. Speaker, I rise once more to applaud Anna Caballero's many accomplishments. On behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to congratulate her on her successful career, and express my sincere gratitude for her commitment to the community. ____________________