[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 43 (Friday, March 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 A TRIBUTE TO SHELLI-ANNE COUCH--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF 
                                THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 14, 2014

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional 
District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Shelli-Anne 
Couch of Atwater Village.
   As President of Friends of Atwater Elementary, Ms. Couch has led the 
turnaround of this Title I public elementary school, bringing new life 
to the volunteer support group which serves nearly 400 families in the 
Atwater Village area. She found innovative ways to generate new revenue 
streams, raised over $100,000 in support of enrichment, educational and 
capital improvement programs for Atwater Avenue Elementary School, and 
created strategic partnerships with local, national and international 
businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals. Ms. Couch has 
founded and produced many events and programs that support the 
elementary school, including the First Annual Day of the Dead Festival 
with celebrity chef Curtis Stone which drew close to one thousand 
attendees and raised a substantial amount of money for the school.
   Ms. Couch also formed a partnership with executives from Paul 
Mitchell Hair Products and Enrich LA to sponsor the school's first 
outdoor classroom program, which provides free tuition for students to 
learn how to make healthy life choices by gardening, eating seasonal 
produce, and composting. She also led the effort for school uniforms 
and created a ``Care Closet'' for families in need. In addition, she 
forged partnerships between the school and local organizations such as 
the Northland Village Church, which provides free weekly tutoring 
called ``Homework Helpers,'' and the local Lions Club, which provides 
scholarships and free eye tests to students.
   Prior to her dedicated volunteer work in Atwater Village, Ms. Couch 
was an international business and media executive with over twenty-five 
years of experience transforming how companies and people build their 
commerce, content and community, guiding clients like Universal 
Studios, Diane Von Furstenburg, and the Australian Consulate. She co-
founded Billion Dollar Babes, the world's first global designer fashion 
sales event. Her agency's showrooms in Los Angeles, New York and London 
pioneered celebrity dressing and editorial placement. An award-winning 
journalist, Ms. Couch, who moved from her native Australia to Los 
Angeles in 1997, has been featured in magazines and newspapers such as 
Vogue, The New York Times, The LA Times, and People, and on the 
television show, Good Morning America.
   I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of 
California's 28th Congressional District, Shelli-Anne Couch.

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