[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 68 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO JOAN PETERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Joan Peterson in 
recognition of her substantial contributions to her community.
  Upon gazing on their beautiful baby girl, parents Emily Cole and John 
Stafford named her Joan, celebrating the namesake of both grandmothers.
  Joan spent her early years of elementary education at Clio Public 
School where her grandmother, Joan Guice taught first grade, her mother 
taught 10th grade and her grandfather Professor Charles Guice served as 
principal for 50 years. Her latter years were spent at St. Joseph 
Catholic School where she graduated 8th Grade. Upon completing 
elementary school, she attended Holy Rosary High School in Lafayette, 
Louisiana and graduated with honors.
  Joan attended college at Tuskegee University with a major in Nursing 
Education. However, when her mother moved the family to Brooklyn, New 
York, she enrolled at Medgar Evers College and completed her education 
in Business Management. She later attended New York University and 
received a certificate as an Administrative Assistant.
  Joan worked with the United Negro College Fund as an Employee 
Associate where she began to develop a format that would bring together 
all graduates of other black colleges to participate in a job market. 
This has now evolved as a site on the Internet for job placements.
  Joan later met and married hometown friend, David Peterson, Jr. From 
their union, two children, Danielle and David Peterson III, were born. 
The children attended St. Paul Community Christian School where Joan 
became very involved in her children's education and participated in 
all fundraising activities. When the children transferred to P.S. 308, 
Joan continued to be active and was the Financial Secretary for the 
P.T.A. until her daughter Danielle graduated. Joan joined the Concerned 
Women of Brooklyn in which she is still an active member. In 1997, 
Joan's husband became ill and passed away. Subsequently, Joan bought a 
house and moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, where she immediately joined the 
Block Association where she now serves as Financial Secretary.
  Joan presently works for the Health and Hospital Corporation as a 
Senior Systems Analyst. In her sixteen years of service, she has worked 
in several areas, Office of Affiliations, Construction Management, 
Kings County Reconstruction Project, Elmhurst Modernization Project, 
Accounting Department and presently she is in the Receiving Department 
at Queens Hospital.
  As a recipient of several awards as an Outstanding Leader in her 
community and school, Joan is interested in developing a program that 
would address young males, ages 10-18 years. Joan is a member of St. 
Paul Community Baptist Church, where Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood is the 
senior pastor.
  Mr. Speaker, Joan Peterson has actively participated in improving her 
community through various volunteer positions. As such, she is more 
than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues 
to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

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