[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 4 (Thursday, January 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E13]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING SENATOR GWEN MARGOLIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW, JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 27, 2000

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Honorable 
Senator Gwen Margolis from Aventura, FL, who will be honored on March 
4, 2000, by her synagogue, Both Torah Adath Yeshurun and by the 
Northeast Dade community at-large.
  Senator Margolis began her public service career in the Florida 
Legislature when elected to the House in 1974. She was subsequently re-
elected to the House for three consecutive terms. Her career in the 
Florida Senate began in 1980 where she was appointed Chair of the 
Finance, Tax and Claims Committee and subsequently the Appropriations 
Committee where she assisted in leading the state out of recessions and 
budgetary crises.
  On November 20, 1990, she was sworn in as President of the Florida 
State Senate, making her the first woman in the United States to serve 
as President of any Senate. She spearheaded the passage of landmark 
legislation touted as the toughest ethics legislation in the nation, as 
well as a constitutional amendment that opened all government records 
and meetings to the public.
  She currently serves as Chairperson of the Miami-Dade County 
Commission, appointed by Mayor Alexander Penelas, and is the first 
woman to serve in this position. Senator Margolis also serves on the 
Board of Directors of the Holocaust Documentation Center at Florida 
International University. Her name appears in Who's Who of Women in the 
World, Who's Who in Business and Industry, and Megatrend for Women. In 
addition to her outstanding career in public service, which she devotes 
a full time schedule, Senator Margolis was also a successful Real 
Estate Developer and Business Executive in her private, professional 
business career.
  She has received numerous awards for her leadership and dedication to 
the community in which she serves. She was named ``Woman of the Year'' 
by the North Dade Regional Chamber and Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce. 
She has also received the Florida Chamber of Commerce ``Legislator of 
the Year'' award, and the Dade League of Cities ``Good Government'' 
award to name a few.
  Although Senator Margolis and I were once opposing candidates, I am 
glad to call her my friend and colleague, and am equally delighted to 
share in this celebration in her honor.

                          ____________________