[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING DERRICK JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 17, 2014

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable public servant, Mr. Derrick Johnson who is State president 
of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP. Elected in 2004, he is the 
youngest State president in the country.
  Mr. Johnson earned his Jurist Doctorate degree from South Texas 
College of Law in Houston, TX and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from 
Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, MS.
  After completing law school Mr. Johnson joined the staff of Southern 
Echo, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Jackson, Mississippi, 
serving as the regional organizer. He provided legal, technical, and 
training support for communities within 6 States across the south 
(Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, and South 
Carolina).
  Mr. Johnson has GIS (Geographic Information System) and Database 
Management training and has provided redistricting services to 
municipal and county governments across the State of Mississippi.
  Mr. Johnson served as a Fellow with the Congressional Black Caucus 
Foundation in Washington, DC, while working in the office of 
Congressman Bennie G. Thompson and as a Fellow with the George 
Washington University Graduate School of Political Management Minority 
Fellowship Program.
  In response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation in Mississippi, Mr. 
Johnson was appointed to serve as vice-chair of the Governor's 
Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal. He has become a 
leading voice for the equitable rebuilding for the working poor in the 
aftermath of the hurricane. He serves on many Boards: the Mississippi 
ACLU, Hope Community Credit Union, and the Advisory Council of the 
Mississippi Economic Policy Center.
  Mr. Johnson was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi 
Access to the Justice Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. 
Derrick Johnson for his dedication to serving others.

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