[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1075-E1076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE AWARD RECIPIENTS OF THE 2024 CENTREVILLE IMMIGRATION 
               FORUM'S ANNUAL CELEBRATE DIVERSITY BANQUET

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 25, 2024

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Centreville 
Immigration Forum on its 7th Annual Celebrate Diversity Dinner. The 
theme of this year's gala is ``Celebrating a Community United for 
Justice'' and will recognize the rich diversity of cultures in Northern 
Virginia. The Centreville Immigration Forum has done tremendous work in 
Northern Virginia to support our immigrant community by implementing 
sustainable programs that provide immigrants in need with the means to 
improve their lives and become more integrated into the community.
  Northern Virginia is blessed by its diversity. In Fairfax County, 
nearly one in four residents are foreign born. More than 200 languages 
are spoken in our schools, and we are home to more minority-owned 
technology firms than anywhere else in the nation. Our variety of 
cultures and heritages do not divide us, they make us stronger.
  Three exceptional individuals will be honored during this gala who 
have gone above and beyond in ensuring that everyone, regardless of 
their country of origin, has full access to the benefits and 
opportunities this community and our Nation provide. I am pleased to 
include in the Record the names of the following 2024 Annual Dinner 
honorees:


                             Elena De Leon

  Elena De Leon is a Mayan Ixil woman from Nebaj, Guatemala. She is an 
entrepreneur, creator, and designer who makes clothing using 
traditional weaving. Elena combines her traditions with modem trends to 
design unique looks. Her clothing celebrates her culture, history, and 
preserves traditional loom weaving techniques. She brings life to her 
designs and her work brings visibility to her culture and traditions. 
She has traveled around the country to show her fashion, and she even 
had an opportunity to show in Dubai. She lives in Centreville, VA, and 
has been a member of Centreville Immigration Forum since 2018.


                         Juan Andres Mascunana

   Juan Andres, a citizen of Spain and a Pharmacist from the University 
of Alcala de Henares, worked as a Pharmaceutical Executive for over 35 
years in several countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, the 
United States (three time periods), Puerto Rico, and Switzerland.
  His career in developing and manufacturing medicine included work 
with Eli Lilly (18 years), Novartis (12 years) and Moderna (6 years). 
After leading the global Novartis Manufacturing unit in Switzerland, 
Juan and his family moved to the Boston area to work for Moderna where 
he led the technical development and the manufacturing of the Covid 
vaccine for the world. As Moderna's VP and then President for Strategic 
Partnerships and Enterprise Expansion, Juan led his team in 
establishing the highest-quality production of more than 800 million 
doses of COVID-19 vaccine in one year, 2021.
  Juan continues to be passionate about medicine, vaccines, and 
treatments for cancer since his retirement in 2023.


                        Karol Escalante Herrera

  Karol is the Fairfax County Director of Immigrant Community Affairs. 
She is part of the One Fairfax team and has more than 15 years of 
experience working with key topics related to immigration, community 
engagement, public policy, diversity, inclusion, and strategic 
planning.
  Karol is currently developing and implementing a comprehensive 
countywide plan for ensuring that Fairfax County is a welcoming 
community for immigrants with opportunities for integration, community 
well-being and economic success.
  She served as a diplomat in the Foreign Service of Honduras for 
approximately 8 years, and her last post was in Chicago, IL, as Consul 
General of Honduras. During that time, she worked on daily bases 
supporting the Honduran community and developed new strategies to be 
able to create programs that will have a positive impact on Hondurans 
in areas like immigration, human and labor rights, education, and 
financial literacy.
  Mr. Speaker, the efforts of these individuals are noteworthy not only 
because they are rooted in an appreciation for our region's cultural 
and ethnic diversity, but also because they help to strengthen the 
bonds of friendship

[[Page E1076]]

and cooperation in our community. I congratulate them on their awards 
and ask my colleagues to join me in commending them for their service 
to the Northern Virginia region.

                          ____________________