February 12, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 29 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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HONORING JOSEPHINE M. HOWARD; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 29
(House of Representatives - February 12, 2020)
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[Pages H1119-H1121] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING JOSEPHINE M. HOWARD The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) for 30 minutes. Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Josephine M. Howard. As part of her life journey, Josephine M. Howard has been achieving goals, setting high standards, teaching, learning, positively impacting lives, and been passionately committed to helping, mentoring, and inspiring the lives of children, adults, and the elderly. She desired to become a teacher like her mother, Crizell, who, in the 1950s, mentored and tutored her five sisters and neighborhood children. In the 1960s, Josephine graduated from Douglass High School with high honors and Florida College cum laude, with a BS degree in elementary education, and she subsequently began her career in teaching. Josephine loved teaching but wanted to have a greater impact on more lives by empowering them with knowledge; therefore, she went back to college and earned her master of education degree magna cum laude at the University of Central Florida, as well as her educational specialist degree summa cum laude at Nova Southeastern University. Josephine is a servant leader; a lifetime member of the NAACP; has served as a member of the Horizon Housing Board; treasurer, former CEO of Howard's Apparel; former chaplain of the NC100BW; board of trustees, Heart of Florida Hospital; Head Start Policy Council; and Who's Who Among Professional Women. {time} 1815 She continues to serve as the first vice president deaconess at the New Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, where she has been a Sunday school teacher for 34 years and has implemented the Mana Food Pantry. Her community service and leadership dedication have earned her numerous recognitions, honors, and media coverage. She received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lifetime Achievement Award, Teacher of the Year, and Distinguished Volunteer Service Award. Josephine is married to her husband, Phillip, of 52 years. They have two children, Jonita and Phillip II; three grandchildren, Philip and twins Phillip III and Kennedy. For that, we honor you, Ms. Josephine Howard. Recognizing Reverend Clifton E. Dollison Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Reverend Clifton E. Dollison. Reverend Clifton E. Dollison has served the First Missionary Baptist Church of Winter Haven, Florida, for 28 years. As the longest serving pastor in the church's rich 138-year history, his visionary leadership has resulted in the largest building program expansion the church has experienced. Reverend Dollison has a passion for community service and a fearless commitment to confront justice issues in Polk County. That dedication finds expression in his roles as past co-chair and current board member for the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment, otherwise known as [[Page H1120]] PEACE, of Polk County, a grassroots social justice organization for positive change, and the Direct Action and Research Training Center, DART, comprised of PEACE and 20 other affiliated nonprofit, congregation-based organizations located across the Nation. DART's mission is to build the power of organized people to do justice. Reverend Dollison's commitment to social justice, community engagement, and spiritual leadership is further demonstrated through his varied service positions. He served as past president and current vice president of the NAACP-Winter Haven Branch; senior chaplain of the Winter Haven Police Department; president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Association of Polk County, Inc.; chairman of the Pastoral Development Conference for the Progressive Missionary and Educational Baptist State Convention of Florida, Inc.; president of the Interfaith Ministerial Alliance of Winter Haven; past second vice moderator, First South Florida Missionary Baptist District Association; and as president and past educational dean of the FSF Congress Number Three. Reverend Dollison, a native Hoosier, graduated from Indiana State University and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He has been married for 38 years to his lovely wife, Valerie Bush Dollison, a native of Bartow, Florida. They have three adult children, three grandchildren, and eagerly await the arrival of a fourth grandchild. For that, Reverend Dollison, we honor you. Recognizing Michael D. Smith Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I would like to recognize Michael D. Smith. Michael D. Smith, Sr., is employed as a captain and paramedic for the Polk County Fire Rescue, where he has served the citizens of Polk County for the past 10 years. Captain Smith is responsible for supervising a fire company crew in all aspects of fire, technical rescue, and emergency medical rescue. Michael also serves as a licensed funeral director with Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales, Florida, where he assists families during their time of bereavement. He is a graduate of Frostproof High School, Bethune-Cookman University, St. Petersburg College, and South Florida State College. Michael is the son of Lieutenant Dave and Faye Smith. He is married to Carmencita. He is the father of Michael, Jr., Preston, Trinity, Christopher, and Joshua. Captain Smith is actively involved in the community, where he passionately participates in the annual Willie Bush Toy Drive. He enthusiastically coaches and mentors youth for the Lake Wales Little League football team. Captain Smith shares his time with the Polk County community by volunteering at the Candlelight Christian Academy. He is an active member of Allen Temple AME Church, where he serves as the president of Usher Board Number 1. He is also a member of the Lake Wales branch of the NAACP; a Bethune- Cookman alumni; a member of the Polk County Professional Firefighters Local 3531; Lakeland Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.; Boaz Lodge 212 in Daytona Beach, Florida; St. Paul Lodge 77 in Lake Wales, Florida; Florida Morticians Association; Independent Funeral Directors of Florida; and the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association. Captain Smith has been a trailblazer for African Americans in the Polk County firefighter department. For that, Captain Smith, we honor you. Recognizing Eddy Jean Rivers Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Eddy Jean Rivers. Eddy Jean Rivers is a community leader who started her work life at McCrory's in downtown Lake Wales as the first African American employed in a downtown business and the first African American to be employed by a banking industry in the area. She obtained her degree in early childhood education and worked for Janie Howard Wilson Elementary for 16 years. Passionate about education, Rivers continues her teaching with Family Literacy Academy in Lake Wales. She has served as a member of the Roosevelt Alumni Association, PTO of the Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, MAD DADS Association, Drug Awareness Council of Lake Wales, Red Cross Association, Lake Wales Business and Profession Women's Club, Lake Wales MLK Committee, and Lake Wales Recreation Committee. She also served as an active board member of the Lake Wales NAACP since 1956. She has received awards for Sunday School Teacher of the Year and the Music Ministry Award from the First Institutional Baptist Church, an award from the Lakeland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for outstanding service, and the Lake Wales NAACP Community Leader Award. For that, Ms. Eddy Jean Rivers, we honor you. Recognizing Joanne Cobbs Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Joanne Cobbs. Ms. Joanne Cobbs is a native of Williamsburg, Virginia. She is the proud mother of three sons, Troy, Al, and Wayne Johnson. She relocated to Florida in 1983 when her husband, Master Sergeant Robert Cobbs, was reassigned to Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida. After her husband's retirement from the U.S. Army in 1985, the family remained in Florida. The family moved to Orlando, Florida, in Orange County in 1992. During the time Joanne has lived in Florida, she has worked in several positions in private industry and worked at Northlake Park Elementary School as a substitute teacher. She has also worked for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. Joanne's last position was at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, otherwise known as NASA, where she was in the Human Resources Directorate at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where she retired as a personnel management specialist. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida, where she majored in psychology. Joanne's volunteer service includes past and current work with the Hispanic Caucus of Orange County; the Orange County Black Caucus; the American Cancer Society; the central Florida breast cancer foundation; Organizing for America, the Obama campaign; the Hillary Clinton campaign; and the Charlie Crist campaign. She provided support for candidates running for office in her house district and other districts within the county. She currently serves on the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee as a precinct committeewoman for Precinct 544. Joanne is a member of the Democratic Women's Club of Florida, the East Orange Democratic Women's Club, and the Progressives of East Orange. For that, Ms. Joanne Cobbs, we honor you. Recognizing Mark Canty Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Mark Canty. Undersheriff Mark Canty has deep roots in Orange County. He grew up in Pine Hills, and after graduating from Northwestern University in 1994, he came home to Orlando, where working in a residential group home for the Urban League made him realize that a career in law enforcement was his calling. He was driven by a desire to make a bigger impact in the community and beyond, by making connections with young people before they were in trouble. That led him to the Orlando Police Department, where, over his 22-year career, he rose through the ranks and was appointed deputy chief in 2017. Throughout his career, Canty's devotion to improving community and police relations in his hometown has been his driving ideal. Canty's hallmark is leadership by example. That leadership was in the spotlight most in June 2016 when a deranged gunman killed 49 people and injured scores more in an act of terror and hate at the Pulse nightclub. As commander of the Orlando Police Department's SWAT team, Canty directed team members while they rescued survivors and helped to ensure no more innocent people were killed. Over the years, Canty's community involvement strides have been just as important as those he made in crime-fighting. In March 2019, Sheriff John W. [[Page H1121]] Mina, appointed Canty as the Undersheriff of Orange County Sheriff's Office. The Office of Undersheriff provides direct managerial oversight of the Operational Services Bureau, Administrative Services Bureau, Fiscal Management Section, CFIX-Criminal Intelligence Section, Legal Services, and Strategic Communications. Undersheriff Canty has the vision, skill, and desire to further the excellence of this nationally accredited law enforcement agency. For that, Undersheriff Mark Canty, we honor you. Recognizing Richard DeLoach Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Richard DeLoach. Richard DeLoach is a passionate, dedicated, and determined leader who has been serving our youth football coach leagues for over 35 years. DeLoach is a pastor at a church in Leesburg. He is married to Diane and is a father of nine children. After playing semipro ball for a season, he decided he wanted to coach. He is a founding member of the Mid-Florida Youth Football Conference and an inaugural member of the Mid-Florida Youth Football and Cheerleaders Hall of Fame of 2018. He started the Mid-Florida Youth Football League in 1984 with four teams and now has 356 players and cheerleaders involved in the program. He is a compassionate and committed coach, a team player who led his team to 14 league super bowls and won 11 of them. He works well with kids of all ages, loves sports, and has a passion for competition. DeLoach has always helped any child who desires to participate in youth sports attain that goal, regardless of their ability to play. He uses sports to teach about and instill in youth work ethics and integrity. His work ethic stems from his father teaching him and his three brothers how to mow yards and clear lakes every day after school. He has made positive impacts on so many young people and is credited with the success of several Polk County football players now playing in the NFL. He is the president of the Lake Wales Youth Football Association, a member of the Lake Wales Recreation Advisory Committee, and owner of the Polk County War Eagles. Due to his commitment and leadership to youth and community, the Lake Wales mayor proclaimed June 4, 2019, as Richard DeLoach Day. For that, Coach DeLoach, we honor you. Recognizing LeWayne Johnson Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Chief Warrant Officer LeWayne Johnson. Chief Warrant Officer Robert LeWayne Johnson, also of the United States Army Reserve, joined the Air Force as a navigational aids equipment specialist in August 1983 with an initial duty assignment at the Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. {time} 1830 In 1987, Mr. Johnson joined the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1988 Mr. Johnson reclassed to a legal specialist and was assigned to the 86th United States Army Reserve Command in Forest Park, Illinois. Chief Johnson also served as a court reporter in several units which included a deployment in Saudi Arabia with the 21st Support Command. Mr. Johnson applied for a warrant officer appointment because he wanted to use his knowledge and skills to assist commanders in maintaining unit readiness. Mr. Johnson also wanted to mentor, counsel, and assist soldiers. During a 33-year career of exceptionally meritorious service, Mr. Johnson distinguished himself in positions of increasing responsibility with the United States, with the U.S. Army Reserve and with the U.S. Air Force, as well. Significant positions of leadership include: Senior legal administrative officer, a G-7 level; United States Army Reserve Legal Command; legal administrative officer, 174th Legal Operations Department; administrative officer, 9th LSO; senior court reporter/ amnesty recorder, 22nd Support Command in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; legal specialist for the 21st Headquarters Company at TAACOM; legal specialist, headquarters 7th Judge Advocate General Detachment at Fort Sheridan, Illinois; and also served as a navigational aids electronic specialist, United States Air Force for Pope Air Force Base. Chief Johnson has earned a doctorate from Walden University in public policy and administration and a juris doctorate degree from Barry University, and an LLM in international taxation from Saint Thomas University. Additionally, Chief Johnson has completed the warrant officer senior education program at Fort Rucker, Alabama. And for that, Chief Warrant Officer Robert LeWayne Johnson, we honor you. Recognizing Ronald McCrimon Mr. SOTO. In honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Ronald McCrimon. Ronald McCrimon is a lifelong resident of Osceola County, Florida. Ronald is the son of Mrs. Louise McCrimon and the late Mr. David McCrimon. He is married to Doravia L. McCrimon and has three daughters, Desheria, Ronnetta, and Chantel. Ronald is the proud grandfather of Eris and Aiden. As a member of the family of God, Jesus Christ is his Lord and savior. Ronald is a man of deep faith. Mr. McCrimon was educated in the school system of Osceola County. He was a member of the football, wrestling, and track teams and lettered in each. Ronald was a member of the Osceola class of 1981. After graduating from high school, Ronald attended Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, under a football scholarship. There Ronald obtained a bachelor's in marketing and a minor in criminal justice. Mr. McCrimon served in the Army Reserve from 1986 to 1994 in the 174th Judge Advocate General Detachment unit as a legal specialist. Upon completion of college, Mr. McCrimon became a dispatcher with the St. Cloud Police Department. In 1989, Mr. McCrimon enrolled in the police academy and became employed by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office. This was the beginning of a 28-year career with the agency. During his tenure with the agency, he served as a patrol deputy, two tours as a member of the Osceola County investigation bureau, a sniper on the SWAT team, and a captain over court administration in the Osceola County Courthouse. In 2017, he retired from the agency. Mr. McCrimon served as an instructor of TECO Police Academy for 15 years and is a part-time instructor at Valencia College. Mr. McCrimon was an honoree at the Martin Luther King banquet for Osceola County. Ronald served as a local board member for Habitat for Humanity and a member of the Community Development Block Grant Program. And for that, Mr. Ronald McCrimon, we honor you. Recognizing Dorothy Scott Wilson Mr. SOTO. In honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Dorothy Scott Wilson. Dorothy Scott Wilson is of Lake Wales, Florida. Dorothy has been a community leader for years. Dorothy earned her bachelor's degree from Florida A&M University and maintains her Rattler Pride to this day as a member of the Florida A&M board of directors in Polk County. Dorothy has worked at the Florida State Department of Revenue for over 35 years and now serves the community through her work at Scott's Medical Transportation and Advocacy, a local provider of medical services for students with special needs. Dorothy Scott Wilson has served on the board of directors of several organizations, including the Polk County chapter of the Florida A&M University, the Dr. Joseph A. Wiltshire Scholarship Foundation, the Unity in the Community organization, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund of Lake Wales organization, the Lincoln Ave. Redevelopment Council, the Ray Jones, Jr. Wellness Project, 2019, and she has also served as the development director for the Lake Wales Hospital and is a member of the NAACP. And for that, Ms. Dorothy Scott Wilson, we honor you. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________
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