[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 69 (Wednesday, June 7, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E905-E906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        STATE REPRESENTATIVE PHYLLIS MUNDY RECEIVES ATHENA AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2000

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to State 
Representative Phyllis Mundy of the 120th Legislative District in 
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, who will receive the prestigious ATHENA 
Award from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce of Business and 
Industry at its annual Business Awards Luncheon on June 8.
  The ATHENA honor is presented to a person who has attained 
professional excellence, devoted time and energy to the community in an 
meaningful way, and assisted women in attaining their full potential. 
That description certainly applies to Representative Mundy.
  Phyllis is one of the hardest working, most effective, and more 
committed legislators in Pennsylvania, and I am proud to consider her a 
friend as well as a colleague. I consider her a valued partner and a 
true asset and leader for the community, as well as for the entire 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  She is a strong leader who has done an outstanding job encouraging 
women in Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the state. From her 
support of programs like WILL--Women in Legislative Leadership--to the 
assistance she provides to lower-income working women and their 
children, she exemplifies the qualities recognized in the ATHENA Award.
  She has authored many legislative proposals to assist women, 
including bipartisan legislation to establish the ``Ounce of 
Prevention'' home visiting initiative to provide early

[[Page E906]]

intervention services for at-risk women and children.
  Her monthly luncheons for women encourage business networking and 
friendship. She has served as a mentor for Leadership Wilkes-Barre and 
as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Domestic Violence Center, 
the Board of Sponsors for Wilkes University's School of Business, 
Society and Public Policy and the Wyoming Area Kiwanis Club. As a 
volunteer, she has worked with the Junior League, Domestic Violence 
Service Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Volunteers for Literacy. 
She has also served two terms as President of the League of Women 
Voters of the Wilkes-Barre Area.
  Among her many honors, Representative Mundy has received the Guardian 
of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent 
Business, the Legislator of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Mental 
Health Counselors Association, the Distinguished Service Award from 
Bloomsburg University, the John Heinz Friend of Nursing Award, and the 
Pathfinder Award from the Wyoming Valley Women's Network.
  In her work as Representative from the 120th District, she serves on 
the Education, Commerce and Economic Development and Appropriations 
Committees of the House. A strong advocate for the taxpayers, she is 
well known in Harrisburg for her thorough questioning of high state 
officials during the annual hearings on the budget. She also uses her 
committee assignments to promote the economic health of our region and 
all of the state, and to advocate for common-sense policies and 
priorities that will bring the greatest benefit to the greatest number 
of children. As she is fond of pointing out, for every one dollar 
invested in early childhood development programs, we can save up to 
seven dollars over the lifetime of an individual in the areas of 
education, health care, and crime.
  Joined by numerous advocates for children, she has worked tirelessly 
and in a bipartisan manner to ensure that lower income working families 
would continue to receive a state subsidy that enables them to keep 
working and place their children in quality day care. On this issue, 
she has been second to none.
  Representative Mundy resides in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and is the 
parent of a son, Brian, who lives in Walnut Creek, California, with his 
wife, April, and son, Mason.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber in 
honoring Representative Mundy. I send my best wishes for her continued 
success and my thanks for her hard work on behalf of our shared 
constituents.

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