[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 103 (Friday, July 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING PHYLLIS BUSANSKY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 10, 2009

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of my 
friend Phyllis Busansky. Phyllis served my community in so many ways. 
Her last post was the Supervisor of Elections for Hillsborough County, 
Florida. Phyllis will always be remembered in our hearts for her brave 
leadership, for her open, gregarious style and for her ability and zeal 
to fix problems that were tough to tackle.
  Phyllis served under Florida Governors Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush and 
established the Welfare-to-Work program, which helped the state's poor 
find employment and financial stability.
  After graduating from Wheaton College, Phyllis earned her master's of 
business administration from Brandeis University. She taught leadership 
and coalition building at Columbia University's School of Public 
Health. A native of Connecticut, Phyllis lived in Tampa for nearly 
three decades, and she and her husband, Sheldon, raised their three 
children there.
  Before being elected Supervisor of Elections for Hillsborough County 
in 2008, Phyllis served our seniors as director of Hillsborough's 
Department for Aging Services and our entire community on the 
Hillsborough County Hospital Authority. In 1988 she was elected to 
serve two terms as a County Commissioner. There Phyllis led the fight 
to provide innovative and visionary county-wide health care for poor 
and working folks. Her legacy as the primary author of the Hillsborough 
County Health Care Plan lives on every day in the improved health of 
our neighbors and our community. She was truly passionate about making 
sure those who could least afford health care or had limited access had 
a fighter on their side. She was already showing her same passion as 
Supervisor of Elections, working tirelessly to guarantee that voters' 
rights were protected.
  Phyllis was proud to be a ``happy warrior'' for so many causes. It is 
especially poignant to lose her during this crucial time when the 
Congress struggles to make health care a reality for all our neighbors. 
We will all need to draw on her energy and commitment and, being 
mindful of the huge gap she has left us, vow to work even harder.
  Phyllis' big heart resulted in her describing many in our community 
as ``fabulous'', but the truth is that few are or ever will be as 
fabulous as Phyllis.
  Madam Speaker, my thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Sheldon, 
and all her family. She will be sorely missed.

                          ____________________