[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 13 (Tuesday, February 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E77-E78]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTES TO BARBARA JAEHNE, TRACY BRAINARD, CATHY BOUDREAU, CELIA 
                       SZELWACH AND KENDALL JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KATHERINE HARRIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 7, 2006

  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize five extraordinary 
women whose diligence and determination have led them to pinnacles of 
their chosen professions. Despite their numerous successes, it often is 
the case that their contributions are never recognized.
  One goal of my Women In Business Initiatives is to highlight positive 
role models, engage them in the community and applaud their worthy 
contributions. To achieve this end, I asked my constituents to nominate 
a business woman whom they believed deserved recognition.
  A woman whose compassion and charity has been invaluable in lifting 
others to greater heights. These women represent the very best our 
State and Nation has to offer. It truly is an honor and a pleasure to 
serve as their Representative in Congress.
  Woven from unique backgrounds, their histories share a common 
thread--a refusal to allow obstacles placed in their way by outdated 
thinking or unpredictable circumstance to delay the pursuit of their 
dreams.
  A wife, a mother, a medical professional, and an active member of the 
community, Barbara Jaehne could have found equal success as a juggler 
if her passions had not led into the field of medicine. Currently, 
Jaehne serves as chairman of the board of speech language in the 
Department of Pathology and Audiology at the Florida Department of 
Health.
  Her work managing two offices in Venice and Englewood and her 
involvement with initiatives to improve the lives of the hearing 
impaired have not confined Jaehne to professional pursuits. The 
Republican Executive Committee of Sarasota County, as well as the 
Manatee Community College, is one of the varied organizations on whose 
behalf she volunteers her energy and her time.
  Tracy Brainard is literally the ground-breaker of this distinguished 
group. In her role as office manager, Brainard is an integral member of 
the team at Coastal Construction Southwest, a construction company 
owned and administered by women. Coastal Construction President Evelyn 
Treworgy has made note of her ``most unbelievable work ethic,'' an 
invaluable quality in any field.
  Recognizing the indispensable role she holds within the company, 
Treworgy has stated that Brainard is ``respected, trusted and 
absolutely depended upon by not only the principals but also fellow 
employees.''
  It has been said of Cathy Boudreau that she ``works until all of her 
duties are completed'' and her tasks are ``always handled with complete 
professionalism.'' If there were a key to Cathy's success, it certainly 
is the single-minded commitment she brings to every endeavor. From the 
front desk, where Boudreau began her career at the Palm Island Resort, 
to the office of the President, Boudreau has earned the high praise and 
respect of her colleagues and peers.
  Another individual not content to limit her horizons, Cathy also 
functions as event and group planner and assistant to the director of 
sales and marketing.
  In 2000, when Celia Szelwach launched her own company--Creative 
Collaborations Consulting--there were no surprised faces to be found. 
After graduating in 1990 from West Point, Celia earned distinction as a 
senior parachutist and subsequently, her captain's bars while she led 
relief missions in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.
  The skills which served her as a logistics specialist in the Army 
were an asset in her various roles with the Tropicana Corporation. 
Determined to positively impact others, Celia shares her 
entrepreneurial vision through her column for The Maddox Business 
Report, a Tampa Bay business magazine with a focus on diversity.
  More importantly, Celia recognizes the power of her position as a 
role model within the Hispanic community. This commitment earned her 
recognition by the Girl Scouts Gulf Coast of Florida branch, which 
awarded her the President's Merit Award for service above and beyond 
expectations, particularly in the area of Hispanic outreach. It has 
been said of Celia that she possesses ``tremendous personal strength 
and unlimited potential,'' qualities which have sustained her through 
difficult life challenges.
  Kendall Jones. In the words of her business partner, Anand Pallegar, 
Jones is ``driven by the love of this community and a desire to make it 
better.'' As editor of the S2 Report, the only free digital daily 
business news report in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Jones recognizes 
that the business community is hungry for information, yet starved for 
time. Her success in reaching a balance is evident in the publication's 
growing readership, not to mention the first-place award she received 
from the Gulf Coast Business Review for in-depth writing.
  The audience Jones places the greatest priority on reaching is an 
audience of one--her daughter, whom she single-handedly raises. When 
she is not keeping the business community up to speed on events, Jones 
is busily trying to keep up with her daughter's Brownie troop.
  As separate and distinct as the stories of these five successful 
business women may be, all serve to illustrate the power of the 
individual to reach a goal, the value of hard work and the necessity to 
never give in or give up.

[[Page E78]]

It is a pleasure to honor these five extraordinary women and to 
highlight their contributions to their businesses, their neighbors and 
their communities.

                          ____________________