[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E79-E80]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE DEDICATED SERVICE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA'S JANIS K. 
                                SIMMONS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 20, 2015

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Northwest 
Florida's Janis K. Simmons upon the occasion of her retirement from the 
Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Santa Rosa 
County Extension Office, after more than thirty-two years of dedicated 
service.

[[Page E80]]

  A lifelong resident of Florida's First Congressional District, Mrs. 
Simmons was born to Easter and Bennie Harris and was raised in 
Chumuckla, Florida. After graduating from Chumuckla High School, she 
attended Pensacola Junior College and began working for her father's 
business, Harris Masonry. After gaining valuable experience at Harris 
Masonry, Mrs. Simmons and her husband, Bobby, established Simmons 
Masonry, which they successfully operated for ten years.
  In 1982, the IFAS Santa Rosa County Extension Office welcomed Mrs. 
Simmons to its team. Mrs. Simmons served as the Jay Office Secretary 
for nearly thirty-three years and assisted the office in a myriad of 
ways. Throughout her career, whether it was through her work with the 
Santa Rosa Pest Management Association, her assistance with local 
farmers in processing their applications, bookkeeping, providing 
financial management, or maintaining permit files and regulations, her 
diligence never wavered, and she proved to be an invaluable asset to 
the Santa Rosa County Extension Service.
  IFAS employees will forever remember Mrs. Simmons for her willingness 
to help others and her famous spaghetti meals. As she leaves behind a 
career that has touched the lives of thousands in Northwest Florida, 
Mrs. Simmons looks forward to continuing to serve her church, Ebenezer 
Church, in a greater capacity, gardening, and most of all, spending 
time with her grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged 
to congratulate Janis K. Simmons on her retirement and thank her for 
her service to Northwest Florida. My wife Vicki and I wish her and her 
husband, Bobby; sons, Steven and Dale; and grandchildren, Lela, 
Brayden, and Makenna all the best.

                          ____________________