[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   JACKIE KENDALL AND STEVE MAX: CELEBRATING LIFETIMES OF ACHIEVEMENT

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 8, 2010

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate two 
extraordinary individuals: Jackie Kendall and Steve Max. This week, 
they will receive the 2010 Midwest Academy Lifetime Achievement award, 
in recognition of their decades of work on behalf of economic and 
social justice.
  Jackie and Steve will continue their work in the years to come, but 
they have already accomplished so much. It is not just their own 
lifetimes that deserve to be honored, it is the impact that they have 
had on thousands of other lifetimes. Through their work at the Midwest 
Academy--a non-profit training organization that teaches organizing 
skills--they have empowered tens of thousands of individuals who have 
gone on to make tangible improvements in their communities, our country 
and the world.
  My dear friend Jackie Kendall has been the executive director of the 
Midwest Academy for 29 years. She is retiring this year from that 
position. I know she is looking forward to spending time with her 
fabulous husband, Jerry, and her children and grandchildren. But I 
cannot imagine Jackie sitting by quietly when she sees problems that 
need solving nor can I imagine that those who have come to rely on her 
for strategic guidance will let her alone.
  Jackie is one of the most passionate and most creative people I know. 
I first met Jackie in the grocery store near my home in 1969. The 
butcher was red-faced and yelling at her and a few other women who had 
the audacity to ask him the age of the meat he was selling. His answer 
was, ``Go shop somewhere else, or I'll throw you out on your fannies, 
you geeks.'' This seemed unacceptable, though quite exciting, to me, so 
I went to find out. I immediately became involved in this housewives' 
campaign to get freshness dates on food, and immediately fell in love 
with Jackie Kendall. The rest is history. Dates on food products are 
nearly universal and Jackie Kendall went on to organize and inspire 
many, many more successful campaigns.
  At the Midwest Academy, Jackie has had a partner in Steve Max, a 
denizen of the upper West Side of New York City, who helped get the 
Midwest Academy started in 1973. Working with Heather and Paul Booth, 
he helped design the original training curriculum--which includes the 
famous Midwest Academy strategy chart. Steve's clear economic 
analyses--peppered with the lessons he learned from his rabbi and 
shares with his listeners--have educated, inspired and entertained 
generations of activists.
  Steve Max quite deservedly has a fan base across the country. He has 
worked with students and seniors, patients and scientists, with New 
Yorkers and Nebraskans, Pennsylvanians and Arizonans. Steve brings to 
his work not just an in-depth understanding of historic and 
macroeconomic forces but an ability to understand very local and 
distinctive concerns and problems, all seasoned with a unique and 
hilarious sense of humor. With those talents, he is able to craft 
specific strategies that work locally and globally.
  Jackie and Steve have given individuals and organizations the skills 
and the confidence needed to make a difference in people's lives. They 
recognize that in today's world it is not always easy to take on 
powerful interests or to understand how large and complicated entities 
can be challenged successfully. The Midwest Academy was founded on the 
principle that--given the right training and tools--individuals can 
come together and build power. Over the years, they have trained 
student groups fighting for affordable tuition, seniors opposed to 
Social Security privatization, and rural groups eager to develop wind 
power.
  In those and so many other efforts, Jackie, Steve and the Midwest 
Academy give people the tools they need to effectively participate in 
their communities and their government.
  Jackie and Steve are true fighters for progressive change. They have 
built a foundation that will stand for generations to come.

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