[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 114 (Friday, August 2, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1219-E1220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO PATTY COWNIE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 2013

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and recognize 
Patty Cownie for being named a 2013 Women of Influence honoree by the 
award-winning central Iowa publication, Business Record.
   Each year, Business Record undertakes an exhaustive review to 
identify a standout group of women in the Greater Des Moines area who, 
as the publication notes, ``have made a difference.'' An impressive 
group of inspiring female leaders are selected annually for this 
prestigious distinction, which is based on combined criteria of 
community involvement, career success, and being a role model for other 
women to emulate. The 2013 Women of Influence honorees join an 
impressive roster of more than 130 women who have changed and are 
continuing to change our communities for the better.
   As a leading community volunteer, Patty Cownie has come to personify 
the idea of ``giving back'' and working to help Des Moines provide 
quality educational experiences for children and young adults. After 
college, Mrs. Cownie worked for two years as a social worker, before 
parenting nine children became a full-time job. But she always has 
remained highly active in the community, spending 10 years on the Drake 
University board of trustees and being involved at Dowling Catholic 
High School, which her children attended, as well as St. Augustin 
School, where she was the foundation board chair. She also has been 
president of the Des Moines Metro Opera board, and she has served on 
the Des Moines Arts Festival committee, Civic Music Association board 
and Des Moines Performing Arts board.
   Mr. Speaker, it is a profound honor to represent leaders like Patty 
Cownie in the United States Congress, and I am pleased to recognize her 
for working to better both her community and the great state of Iowa. I 
invite my colleagues in the House to join me in congratulating her on 
receiving this esteemed designation, thanking those at Business Record 
for their great work, and wishing each member of the 2013 Women of 
Influence class continued success.

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