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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E144-E145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PASSING OF SHIRLEY RODRIGUEZ REMENESKI
______
HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor my friend, Shirley
Rodriguez Remeneski, a dear friend and fellow New Yorker who passed
last week. Shirley was an inspiration to all of us, a trailblazer and a
leader. To me, she was a friend. Her passion was for people and
community and her rich career encapsulates those values.
In 1965, she created and directed the first Social Services Unit in
the Bronx Borough President's Office under the leadership of Herman
Badillo and, later, Robert Abrams. Six years later, she became the
District Administrator for then-Congressman Herman Badillo, serving as
a vital bridge between New York City and Washington, D.C.
Shirley's next step was in the Koch Administration, working as
Assistant Deputy Mayor for affirmative action, intergovernmental
relations, and community development in South Bronx, Harlem and other
underdeveloped areas in New York City.
When President Carter visited South Bronx, calling it the nation's
disgrace, Shirley became the Legislative Coordinator for the South
Bronx Development Organization. In that role, she secured funding for
vital programs like Bathgate Industrial Park and the Charlotte Gardens
Housing Development Project. She helped to create the South Bronx Job
Corps Center, and other land revitalization projects. By helping South
Bronx become an Empowerment Zone, she channeled needed business
development and economic opportunity to the area.
Later, as Executive Director of Governor Mario Cuomo's Office for
Hispanic Affairs she initiated the Puerto Rico Exchange of Officials
Program to enhance governmental services to Puerto Ricans on the island
and in New York state. In 2002, Governor Pataki appointed her Senior
Vice President at the Empire State Development Corporation's Economic
Development Division.
While Shirley's professional accomplishments are impressive, to me
she was so much
[[Page E145]]
more. For 35 years she was one of my closest friends. We traveled
together and Shirley's love for people always shined through wherever
we went. She loved entertaining and her house became a gathering place
for all the women she had mentored and empowered. No one could throw a
party like Shirley and I'll remember many nights of food, drink and,
most of all, lots of laughs and warm company in her home. She truly
meant the phrase Your house is my house (Su Casa es mi Casa). She
always said she adored my Tina Turner impression. I'll do it again for
Shirley when I next see her.
I'll miss my dear friend, Shirley Rodriguez Remeneski. Her soul was
infused with a passion for improving her community, for serving others
and for strengthening New York. In every position she served, she
brought a tireless commitment to positive change and an infectious
energy that made those around her feel no obstacle was insurmountable.
I send my prayers and thoughts to Shirley's family. May they take
comfort in knowing our community mourns with them and that our city
will continue paying homage to her myriad contributions.
____________________
