[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 28 (Monday, February 28, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MS. DOROTHY DeSUZIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 28, 2011

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Black History Month 2011, I 
rise today to pay tribute to a woman who for forty years has made the 
well-being of her surrounding community her personal responsibility, 
Ms. Dorothy DeSuzia.
  Dorothy was born and raised in New York City and attended public 
schools as a child. Her father was a native New Yorker and her mother 
migrated to the U.S. from the West Indies. In 1965 Dorothy moved into a 
newly constructed, 1,852 unit apartment complex in the Bronx known as 
Concourse Village. Dorothy was among the first tenants to move in, and 
describes the development during those years as a ``beautiful'' space 
with a great diversity of residents.
  Today, Concourse Village is a model of urban homeownership in New 
York City; but we must not forget that the earliest residents of 
Concourse Village, including Dorothy, actually fought and won the right 
to become shareholders. Dorothy helped lead the campaign to have stock 
certificates awarded to residents of Concourse Village back in the late 
1970s; prior to this, no one living in Concourse Village owned their 
home. Then in 1981, after a prolonged effort led by Dorothy and a 
dedicated group of residents, stock certificates were finally awarded 
and the first shareholder Board of Directors was formed. Dorothy served 
on the first board and three years later, in 1984, she was elected 
President of the Board of Directors at Concourse Village; a position 
she held until 1990. She rejoined the Board of Directors six years 
later in 1996 and remains a board member to this day.
  Dorothy has held every position of leadership at Concourse Village, 
from floor captain to Board President. Her record of transparency and 
fair dealing has earned her, above all, the trust of her fellow 
shareholders; and it is safe to say that she has been involved in 
nearly every major capital and quality of life improvement at the 
development for the past four decades; including the creation of 
``Special Adults,'' Concourse Village's senior citizen program which 
plans trips and creates a place for seniors to congregate and feel 
welcome. All of this, however, comes on top of a 38 year career with 
the former New York Telephone Company, NYTel, now Bell Atlantic/
Verizon, from which Dorothy retired in 1992.
  Mr. Speaker, if one considers the number of individuals and families 
who have lived in Concourse Village or have close ties there; and of 
that number, how many enjoyed a safe, nurturing place to grow up or 
knew the joy of homeownership since 1981, one can begin to grasp just 
how impactful Dorothy DeSuzia has been in this community. Her 
commitment has made the lives of thousands of Bronx residents more 
enjoyable and more secure. I ask that my colleagues join me in paying 
tribute to a kind and decent and brave woman whose contributions will 
not soon be forgotten, Ms. Dorothy DeSuzia.

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