[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING STATE ATTORNEY KATHERINE FERNANDEZ RUNDLE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Women's History Month, 
I rise to honor State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, an 
outstanding individual serving the South Florida community.
  Mrs. Fernandez Rundle was appointed to her position in 1993, and has 
subsequently been re-elected five times. Throughout her career, she has 
served South Florida admirably and has been a stalwart supporter of the 
community. Over the past two decades, she has served Miami-Dade County 
with distinction and has worked diligently to maintain the safety of 
our community. Her leadership has been critical in the creation of 
numerous programs dealing with issues that affect our area such as teen 
truancy, domestic violence, child support, and victim's rights.
  Mrs. Fernandez Rundle served as the first and only Hispanic female on 
the State Constitutional Revision Council. Her passion and interest in 
public service is in large part due to the inspiration of her father, 
Dr. Carlos Benito Fernandez, one of Miami's first Hispanic Judges and a 
founding member of the Cuban American Bar Association, the largest 
Hispanic legal organization of which Mrs. Fernandez Rundle was elected 
its first female President in 1991.
  Additionally, the State Attorney's office is the fourth largest 
district attorney's office in the nation with over 1,200 employees, 300 
of them prosecutors also known as Assistant State Attorneys. Her office 
is the only prosecutor's office in the state that protects the rights 
of children with the creation and enforcement of a strict child support 
program. Other programs that have been established under her direction 
are the Juvenile Gun Offenders Program, the S.T.A.R.T. Program, and the 
Second chance Sealing and Expungement Program. Amongst her duties as 
State Attorney, she is also a founding member and Vice-President of 
Women of Tomorrow, a mentoring program that looks to inspire and 
motivate young at-risk high school women. In addition, Mrs. Fernandez 
Rundle is also very active in other organizations including City Year 
Miami, Amigos for Kids, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to State Attorney Katherine 
Fernandez Rundle for her continued service to the South Florida 
community and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
remarkable individual.

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