[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 44 (Monday, March 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING ELLEN GOLDEN AND DR. BARBARA WOODLEE

 Mr. KING. Mr. President, I wish to honor two remarkable women, 
Ellen Golden and Dr. Barbara Woodlee, who are new inductees to the 
Maine Women's Hall of Fame. Like all members of this prestigious group, 
Ellen and Barbara have had a tremendous impact on the lives of family 
and friends in their communities and on women throughout the State of 
Maine. Indeed, to be considered for the Maine Women's Hall of Fame, 
nominees' achievements must have had significant statewide impact, must 
have improved the lives of women in Maine, and must have made 
contributions with enduring value for women. I am pleased to say that 
Ellen and Barbara have not only met these criteria, they have far 
exceeded them.
  Ellen Golden, from Woolwich, ME, is the senior vice president and 
founder of the Women's Business Center at Coastal Enterprises, Inc., 
CEI. She has played a leading role in supporting women business owners 
and microenterprise growth through research, policy, and program 
development. She has also been at the forefront of expanding small 
business opportunities for minorities and immigrants in Maine. Ellen's 
efforts through CEI and a number of other boards and civic 
organizations have provided financial and career possibilities that 
would otherwise have been unavailable to many Mainers. Ellen's work 
truly embodies the spirit of American opportunity.
  Dr. Barbara Woodlee, from Vassalboro, ME, was the president of 
Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield, ME for nearly 30 years. 
A trailblazer in her field, she served as the first woman president 
within the Maine Community College System. Throughout her presidency, 
Barbara strove to increase educational opportunities for Maine women by 
developing programs, particularly in the health care field, that met 
the needs of the many women who used the college to launch their 
careers. Her efforts to open up opportunities for women to access 
higher education, and the well-paying jobs that come with it, are 
commendable. But it is not just women at the college who have benefited 
from her work; thanks to her, Maine community college students pay the 
lowest in-state tuition and fees in all of New England. She kept costs 
low while facing difficult budget challenges--a task with which we here 
in Congress can sympathize.
  Congratulations to both Ellen and Barbara for their induction into 
the Maine Women's Hall of Fame. With this well-deserved honor, they 
join the likes of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who in 1950 
courageously stood here, on the Senate floor, to denounce McCarthyism. 
I thank Ellen and Barbara for all that they have done for Maine women 
and for our State as a whole. Maine is fortunate to have such tireless 
advocates promoting education and fighting for economic 
opportunity.

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