[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 49 (Thursday, March 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E459-E460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 27, 2014


            recognizing the contributions of nancy robbinson

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History 
Month, to recognize Nancy Robbinson. A native of Orlando, Mrs. 
Robbinson has served on the Orange County School Board representing 
District 6 since 2008. As a School Board Member, she serves on the 
Communications and Legislative Committees. She also represents the 
Central Florida School Boards Coalition on the Congress of Regional 
Leaders through myregion.org. Mrs. Robbinson became a Florida School 
Board Association (FSBA) Certified Board Member in June 2010, and 
serves on the FSBA Board of Directors and Legislative Committee.
  Mrs. Robbinson grew up in the district she represents and attended 
Orange County Public Schools. She graduated from Auburn University with 
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations/Speech Communications. 
She is also a member of the. inaugural class of the Orlando Business 
Force's Central Florida Political Leadership Institute.
  Passionate about serving her community, Mrs. Robbinson is on the 
Board of Directors for the Urban Think! Foundation, which supports 
literacy programs for inner-city Orlando students. She has also served 
on the Destiny Foundation's Greater Orlando Food Outreach Advisory 
Board, the Mayor's Education Action Council, Orange County Public 
School Foundation's ``Count Me In'' Steering Committee, and the 
Edgewater High School Task Force for Renovation. Mrs. Robbinson has 
been involved in the schools that her children have attended for the 
past 19 years as both a PTA officer and mentor.
  Mrs. Robbinson's family lives in the College Park area of Orlando. 
She and her husband, Bill, have three children, one who recently 
graduated from the University of Georgia, one who attends Auburn 
University, and an Edgewater High School student.
  I am happy to honor Nancy Robbinson, during Women's History Month, 
for her contributions to the Central Florida community.


    Recognizing the Contributions of Kathleen ``Kat'' Butler Gordon

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History Month, to 
recognize Kathleen ``Kat'' Gordon. Mrs. Gordon is a former South 
Carolina and Orange County, Florida educator. She was elected to the 
Orange County School Board in November 2000 and became School Board 
Vice Chair in 2013.
  Mrs. Gordon has been a resident of Orange County since 1968. She was 
a librarian and counselor in Orange County for 25 years. She has also 
taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida 
(UCF) and at Valencia College. In addition to her career in education, 
Mrs. Gordon worked full-time in the business world for six years as a 
licensed mortgage broker, life insurance agent, and a registered 
securities representative.
  In 2005, she earned Board Member Certification from the Florida 
School Boards Association (FSBA) and also served on FSBA's Board of 
Directors. Mrs. Gordon is a former Board Member of the National School 
Boards Association (NSBA) Black Caucus and is the former Chairman of 
the Nominating Committee.
  Mrs. Gordon has been honored by numerous organizations. In 2006, she 
received the Junior Achievement's Educator of the Year Award. In 
addition, she received the Humanitarian Award at the 2006 Annual 
Scholarships and Volunteers Awards Dinner sponsored by Orange County 
Mayor Richard T. Crotty and the Board of County Commissioners.
  In 2007, Mrs. Gordon was named Teacher of the Year for the New 
Beginnings Education Center in Osceola County. She also received the 
Distinguished Dove Award for being selected Osceola County's Vocational 
Teacher of the Year, the Denn John MS Minority Educator of the Year 
award, and Osceola County's Ida S. Baker Minority Educator of the Year 
award. In October 2007, the College of Education at UCF named Mrs. 
Gordon as one of its ``Alumni of the Decades'' as part of its 40th 
anniversary celebration.
  In 2008, Mrs. Gordon received an award from the Osceola Classroom 
Teachers Association for her dedication and service to cultural 
diversity within Osceola District Schools.
  Mrs. Gordon has served on the Governor of Florida State Dropout Task 
Force. In 2009, President Obama appointed her to be a member of the 
Selective Service System Local Board in the state of Florida serving 
Region II. Also in 2009, Mrs. Gordon received the General Daniel 
``Chappie'' James, Jr. Four Star Major Award for community service.
  In addition, Mrs. Gordon has been awarded by her church, Saint Mark 
A.M.E., and by the

[[Page E460]]

Carter Tabernacle CME Church for her civic and social involvement.
  Mrs. Gordon received her bachelor's degree in library science from 
South Carolina State University, and her master's degree in guidance 
and counseling and certification in administration and supervision from 
UCF. Mrs. Gordon is currently pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy in 
Education with a Specialization in Organizational Leadership.
  Mrs. Gordon is the widow of the late Reverend James D. Gordon, Jr., 
and the mother of three Jones High School graduates.
  I am happy to honor Kat Gordon, during Women's History Month, for her 
contributions to the Central Florida community.


         Recognizing the Contributions of Tiffany Moore Russell

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History Month, to 
recognize Commissioner Tiffany Moore Russell. A native of Orlando, 
Florida and a product of Orange County's public school system, 
Commissioner Moore Russell is an alumna of Dr. Phillips High School. 
She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of South 
Florida and a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.
  In November of 2006, she made history by becoming the youngest County 
Commissioner ever elected to serve on the Orange County Commission. In 
her role as the Commissioner for District 6, she oversees a budget of 
over $5 billion and more than 8000 employees. Commissioner Moore 
Russell is committed to remaining accountable and accessible to each 
and every constituent, increasing recreational and career opportunities 
for youth, creating stable and viable neighborhoods, and strengthening 
Orange County's economy by increasing the availability of jobs and 
minority business opportunities.
  Commissioner Moore Russell has been a community advocate for many 
years, both as an elected official and a private citizen. Prior to her 
role as Commissioner, she served on the Orange County Community Action 
Board, where she was elected Chairman and Vice Chairman. She also 
accepted volunteer appointments to both the Orange County Board of 
Zoning and Adjustments and the Orange County Citizens Review Board. She 
has also served on numerous boards including Orange County's Commission 
on Aging, Value and Adjustment Board, Youth and Family Services Board, 
the Downtown Orlando CRA/DDB Board, African American Chamber of 
Commerce, 2008 Electoral Canvassing Board, International Drive Master 
Transit and Improvement District, METROPLAN, and the Florida 
Association of Counties.
  Her love for the Central Florida community is evident through her 
desire to initiate local community programs. Family Hope Day is a 
program designed to promote community partnerships, neighborhood unity, 
and a safer, more caring community for the residents of the Washington 
Park neighborhood. The Annual Summer Safety Event was established to 
prepare students for a safe, positive, and productive summer vacation. 
The Pine Hills Clean Sweep is organized to remove debris and trash from 
the streets in an effort to make the Pine Hills neighborhood a better 
place to live. The Commissioner's W/MBE Townhall Meetings are citizen 
driven forums that allow local business owners to discuss topics 
related to doing business in Orange County. In addition, Commissioner 
Moore Russell initiated the E-Zone Workshop, ``School Days Are Here 
Again'' Back to School Rally, ``Holiday Senior Brunch,'' and ``Holiday 
Extravaganza'' programs.
  Commissioner Moore Russell is a member of the local chapter of the 
NAACP, the Florida Bar, the Orange County Bar Association, the Virgil 
Hawkins Chapter of the National Bar Association, the Paul C. Perkins 
Bar Association, the Central Florida Women's Lawyer Association, Alpha 
Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Life Center Church of Eatonville, 
Florida. In addition to serving on the commission she is an Associate 
Counsel with the Law Offices of John DiMasi. Commissioner Russell is 
married to Anthony K. Russell, Jr. and they are the proud parents of 
Anthony K. Russell, III.
  I am happy to honor Commissioner Tiffany Moore Russell, during 
Women's History Month, for her contributions to the Central Florida 
community.


     Recognizing the Contributions of Nancy Carola Platte Jacobson

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History Month, to 
recognize Nancy Carola Platte Jacobson. Nancy was born at the end of 
World War II. Her father, William Neal Platte, a metallurgical research 
engineer, worked in the aircraft industry. She is a first-generation 
German-American, as her mother, Ursula Carola Brunhilt Bruck, was born 
in Germany. Her German grandparents were present in her life for many 
years. From them, Nancy acquired a deep appreciation for our democracy 
and America's place in history.
  Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Nancy received an excellent 
public education. She remains grateful to mentors like her world 
history teacher, Ronald Hoover, who recognized her capabilities and 
pushed her to achieve, and Frau Martha Rose, who taught Nancy her 
mother tongue, German, in high school.
  Nancy went on to major in German, with minors in French and English, 
at the University of Pittsburgh, finishing Magna Cum Laude in 1966. It 
was her great good fortune and honor to be awarded a Fulbright 
Scholarship to study in Germany for the year following her graduation. 
World War II had ended barely 20 years earlier, and the Berlin Wall had 
been up for only a few years. During her time in Germany, Nancy spent a 
life-changing week in East Berlin.
  Nancy lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area in 1968, a 
tumultuous time in American history. After moving to Florida in 1969, 
she became a certified paralegal and managed a law office. In mid-life, 
Nancy returned to school and obtained her law degree from the 
University of Florida in 1984.
  Although Nancy acknowledges the fortunate circumstances of her birth, 
she has often said she was less fortunate to be born female at a time 
when women's choices were restricted by law and social convention. 
Nancy believes that we as a country lose when society stereotypes and 
restricts any segment of our population based on race, gender, 
ethnicity, orientation, or other labels.
  Now retired, Nancy has devoted the past decade of her life to civic 
activism and citizen lobbying to achieve social and economic justice 
for all and to restore and strengthen our democracy. Galvanized by the 
contentious election of 2000, Nancy worked with many others on election 
integrity and protection issues in Florida. She later worked to pass 
the ``Fair Districts'' amendment to Florida's state constitution in 
order to reduce the disenfranchisement of Florida's citizens through 
gerrymandering.
  Nancy is also an elected member of the Democratic National Committee, 
representing Florida since 2008. Nancy has always been grateful to her 
husband, James R. Lussier, for his support of her civic and political 
activism. Without his support, Nancy would not have been able to 
accomplish a fraction of what she has achieved and what she hopes to 
achieve going forward.
  I am happy to honor Nancy Carola Platte Jacobson, during Women's 
History Month, for her civic activism and efforts toward social and 
economic justice.

                          ____________________