[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 98 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JEFFREY MILLER

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 23, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, 
Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Jeffrey 
Miller.
  Jeffrey currently serves as the President of the Holocaust Memorial 
Research and Education Center of Florida. In 2010, he was instrumental 
in conceiving and implementing the Upstanders Stand Up to Bullying 
Initiative. This ongoing and highly recognized program has since been 
implemented in the public middle schools of Orange, Osceola, and 
Seminole counties.
  The Upstanders Initiative is a multi-year program which has served 
thousands of Central Florida students by teaching them to safely 
recognize bullying behavior, report it to teachers, parents, and 
counselors, and, most importantly, learn ``upstander'' rather than 
``bystander'' behavior. Jeffrey has been responsible for raising 
significant amounts of money for the funding of this program through a 
partnership with David Yurman, the luxury jewelry retailer, as well as 
by representing the Center before grant-making agencies. In the schools 
where this program has been implemented, a significant percentage of 
students have reported that they have learned to identify bullying 
behavior and are willing to take steps to prevent it. School officials 
have reported a significant change in the percentage of students who 
are willing to be ``upstanders.''
  Jeffrey and his husband, Ted Maines, have served as the Co-Chairs of 
the Holocaust Center Dinner of Tribute in 2012 and 2013 and as Co-
Chairs of the 2013 Inaugural Gala for the Orlando Ballet. These events 
raise significant amounts of money for the operational expenses of the 
organizations. Jeffrey has served as an Honorary Host for the United 
Cerebral Palsy fundraising gala in 2014, is on the Host Committee for 
the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Grand Opening in 2014-
15, and will once again serve as the Ballet Gala's 2014 Co-Chair. 
Jeffrey has also served on the Steering Committee of the Equality 
Florida annual gala and as Chair of the Table Committee for the Hope 
and Help Headress Ball.
  Jeffrey and Ted have hosted fund raisers in their home for the 
Orlando Ballet and Planned Parenthood, as well as numerous political 
fund raisers, including the Orange County Democratic Executive 
Committee Spring fund raiser in 2012. Jeffrey has been consistently 
named to the 50 Most Powerful list by Orlando Magazine. Together with 
Ted, has also been recognized as the Number One Power Couple by that 
publication--the first gay couple to achieve that recognition.
  Jeffrey is a member of and contributor to the Human Rights Campaign 
Federal Club, the Gift of Life Circle for Hope and Help of Central 
Florida, and the Acquisition Trust of the Orlando Museum of Art. In 
addition to the Holocaust Center, Jeffrey has served on the Board of 
the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida and as Treasurer of Temple 
Israel.
  I am happy to honor Jeffrey Miller, during LGBT Pride Month, for his 
work on behalf of youth and the arts as well as his outstanding civic 
engagement in the Central Florida community.

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