[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 148 (Tuesday, December 5, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CENTRAL NEW JERSEY RECOGNIZES LESLIE DAVIS POTTER FOR HER SERVICE TO 
                             OUR COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 5, 2000

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Leslie Davis 
Potter and her ongoing dedication to serving the growing needs of 
central New Jersey families. I applaud the achievements she has made 
working to address the family planning, educational, and outreach needs 
of our community.
  For over 65 years, Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area 
(PPAMA) has been providing high quality reproductive health care, 
education and support to women and families throughout Mercer County. 
Since its modest beginnings in a tiny three-room clinic, PPAMA has 
evolved into a full-service agency with four centers that provide a 
comprehensive range of reproductive health services and educational 
programs to the community.
  Leslie Potter has served central New Jersey families as the Executive 
Director of PPAMA for seventeen years. Throughout her tenure, Leslie 
Potter has worked to increase access to reproductive health services 
for low-income women, to ensure the reproductive rights of all women 
and address the growing needs of Mercer County's Latina population with 
affordable bilingual/bicultural health care. It was under Leslie 
Potter's direction that the 65-year-old chapter became a certified 
HealthStart prenatal care provider.
  Successfully directing such an active health care organization 
requires great managerial ability, as well as considerable skills to 
enlist and motivate thousands of volunteers and supporters who make a 
community-based organization like PPAMA possible. Leslie Potter has 
shown that ability and skill to an extraordinary degree. She has also 
shown great political skill as a public speaker for women's health and 
women's rights.
  Before taking the helm at PPAMA Leslie spent five years as the 
Director of Planning for Central New York Health Systems Agency. It was 
here that she worked to establish family planning and primary health 
care centers throughout upstate New York.
  Once again, I applaud the efforts of Leslie Davis Potter and ask all 
my colleagues to join me in recognizing her steadfast commitment to 
serving our community.

                          ____________________