[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DONNA PALERMO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOU BARLETTA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2014

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Donna E. Palermo on her 
retirement from the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce after 26 years 
of exceptional service.
   Ms. Palermo began working for the Chamber as an executive secretary 
in 1988 and continued to move through the ranks of the organization, 
serving as an administrative assistant, vice president, and interim 
president. In May 2001, she became the first woman in the Chamber's 
120-year history to serve as president, a position she held for 13 
years.
   Beyond her work with the Chamber, Ms. Palermo is an active member of 
the Hazleton community, serving in numerous leadership roles including 
President of the Northeastern Chamber of Commerce Services 
Organization, Chair of the Luzerne County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 
and Chair of the Greater Hazleton Area Civic Partnership. She is also a 
member of the Greater Hazleton Health Alliance (now Lehigh Valley 
Hospital-Hazleton), Leadership Hazleton, Lackawanna/Luzerne County 
Metropolitan Planning Organization, and CAN BE.
   In addition to her involvement with many of the areas organizations 
and charities, she has undertaken several special projects, including 
an effort to bring back a health insurance program for the Chamber. As 
a result of her collaborative efforts, this health insurance program 
has grown beyond the Greater Hazleton Chamber to 17 additional 
Northeast Pennsylvania Chambers of Commerce.
   Mr. Speaker, having had the pleasure to work with Ms. Palermo on 
many projects centered on community service and economic development, I 
can attest to her integrity and strong sense of community pride. 
Therefore, I commend Donna E. Palermo for her years of committed 
service to her community and the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, 
and I wish her continued success in the future.

                          ____________________