The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING MATT CONSTANTINE'S RETIREMENT AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH
SERVICES IN KERN COUNTY
______
HON. KEVIN McCARTHY
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, March 19, 2021
Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague David G. Valadao, to honor Matthew Constantine for his nearly three decades of public service to our community. After dedicating 27 years of his life to government service, and protecting the health and safety of the people of Kern County, an area that I represent, Matt is concluding his tenure this month as the Director of Kern County Public Health Services Department for Kern County, a position he has held since 2009.
Matt was born and raised in Bakersfield, California and earned both his bachelor's and graduate degree from California State University, Northridge. His family has had roots in Bakersfield for five generations, and he has worked at various levels of government, including with the Federal Indian Health Service and the State of California. In 2006, he was hired as Kem County's Director of Environmental Services. In 2009, Matt spearheaded the merger between two different departments and became the Director of Public Health Services for the county.
Matt had already informed the Kern County Board of Supervisors of his intent to retire as the Director of Public Health Services when the Coronavirus pandemic hit. But instead of retiring, Matt stayed on to serve our community and began crafting a plan to reduce patient caseloads at local hospitals and keep the people of Kern County healthy and safe. During his time with the Department of Public Health Services, Matt always displayed leadership, especially over the course of this stressful past year, by balancing local needs with state mandates while never shying away from making tough decisions. Despite many early days and long nights, Matt's work ethic has been critical for our local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was exemplified by the routine COVID-19 updates he gave to the residents of the county over the last 12 months, and despite the State of California's constantly changing guidance for residents and public health officials, Matt always had one goal in mind--to create and execute a plan to combat the transmission of the virus in our community and keep mortality rates in Kern County down until a vaccine was able to be offered to every resident who wanted one.
Matt is more than just the leader of our local public health response; he is an active member of the Kern County community. He serves on the board of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and the Kern County Network for Children, where his vision and expertise have been influential in making decisions and impacting others.
I always appreciated Matt's insight and wisdom on the public health matters affecting our community, and although we are going to miss Matt, I am confident that his record of success will continue to benefit our county for years to come. On behalf of the people of the 23rd Congressional District of California, and the people of Kern County as a whole, I want to thank Matt for his service to our community, and I wish him only the best as he embarks on the next chapter in his life.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 52
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