Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a loving family man, a great friend, a veteran, a civil rights leader, and former Fresno City Council member, Joe Williams. Joe passed away last week at the age of 79. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He dedicated much of his life to public service. No matter whether you were a good friend or you hardly knew Joe, he had a way of making everyone feel important and special. In 1968, he started a 26-year career at the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission. After 2 years of serving as the director of the Fresno County Head Start, Joe was promoted to serve as the executive director for Fresno EOC. During his tenure at the Fresno EOC, he established 35 new programs, with a budget starting at $1.8 million, growing it to $37 million. With the help of over 670 employees in the Fresno EOC, he was able to implement so many important programs, such as the Women, Infants, and Children program, otherwise known as WIC; opened the first rural health clinic in Fresno County; and started Meals on Wheels programs for seniors. But he didn't stop there. Joe was a doer. He created a sanctuary program for homeless youth, which was established and later named in his honor upon Joe's retirement. Under his leadership, the Fresno EOC became a model for similar programs around the Nation, one of the truly outstanding leaders in terms of community action agencies in the country. Joe made that happen.…”