[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E680-E681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE DR. IRENE H. BRODIE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2013

  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated 
public servant from my district, The Honorable Dr. Irene H. Brodie, 
Mayor of the Village of Robbins. As Mayor Brodie retires after 24 years 
of service to the Village I wanted to take this opportunity to 
recognize her many achievements.
   Irene Brodie began her career in Robbins as a teacher at Kellar 
Elementary School where she worked alongside her husband, J. Edmon 
Brodie, who served as the school's principal. Through her hard work and 
diligence she later became Assistant Principal at Turner Elementary 
School. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Brodie 
continued to be a loving and devoted wife and mother. While doing this, 
and in spite of her busy schedule, she earned her Doctorate in 
Education at Northeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
   Now a recognized educator in the region, Dr. Brodie joined the staff 
of a small junior college that, at the time, had only a few buildings 
to accommodate its 12,000 students. After two years of serving as a 
professor, Dr. Brodie became the first African-American Dean at Moraine 
Valley Community College. During her tenure, Moraine Valley grew to 
become the second largest community college in Illinois with a student 
population that now numbers well over 30,000.

[[Page E681]]

   Despite her having left the field, Dr. Brodie's dedication to 
education has never ceased. She has hired, financially supported, 
tutored, counseled, and graduated hundreds of residents from Robbins 
and the surrounding communities. Additionally, under her tutelage, the 
Mayor's Scholarship Fund has funded tuition costs for hundreds of 
students through the years and her individual efforts have produced 
teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and educators around the world. 
Her contributions to education were recognized when Moraine Valley 
named the ``Dr. Irene H. Brodie Academic Skills Center'' in her honor. 
This center serves as a critical area of academic enrichment for 
Moraine Valley students.
   During her tenure at Moraine Valley, Brodie also served as Village 
Clerk for the Village of Robbins for 12 years. Her service there led 
her to be recognized as a leader by a group of constituents who asked 
her to lead Robbins as its Mayor. Her election as Mayor marked her 
retirement from Moraine Valley and a shift in her career from educator 
to elected leader.
   Mr. Speaker, throughout her career Dr. Brodie has served in such 
leadership positions as Vice-President of the Illinois Municipal 
League, Executive Board Member and Assistant Secretary of the National 
Conference of Black Mayors, and Chair of the Education and Scholarship 
Committee for the National Conference of Black Mayors. Additionally she 
has served as a member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, numerous 
Gubernatorial Transition Teams, various state and federal advisory 
boards, and as a member of President Clinton's Environmental Think Tank 
Group.
   In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank Mayor 
Brodie for her decades of service and congratulate her on her 
retirement.

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