[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 51 (Thursday, March 26, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MS. JOSIE BACALLAO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 2015

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Women's History month 
I rise today to honor Ms. Josie Bacallao, an outstanding individual in 
the South Florida community.
   Ms. Bacallao is currently President and CEO of Hispanic Unity of 
Florida (HUF). Founded more than 30 years ago by community leaders, HUF 
was formed to ease the acculturation transition for immigrants from 
other nations. Today, this nonprofit organization provides assistance, 
through 19 programs, to Broward's diverse community. HUF remains the 
county's largest agency dedicated to the immigrant population, 
providing them with the tools they need to build a new life. Having 
been born in Cuba, raised in South Florida, and educated at Florida 
International University, no one is better suited to lead this 
organization.
   Prior to her work at HUF, Ms. Bacallao was Vice President/Marketing 
Director for the Sun-Sentinel Company and worked for The Miami Herald/
el Nuevo Herald as their VP/Marketing for more than 20 years. Beyond 
her professional background and work, she also sits on the board of 
CareerSource Broward, Greater Ft Lauderdale Alliance, and the Advisory 
Board of Florida Blue. She is a member of the Ft Lauderdale Chamber of 
Commerce, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and the Broward Chamber of 
Nonprofit Organizations.
   Throughout her career Ms. Bacallao has been recognized for her 
achievements. She was honored with the Silver Medallion from National 
Conference for Community and Justice; was named to the Broward County 
Women's Hall of Fame; and received United Way of Broward County's Human 
Services Professional Award. Legal Aid and Service of Broward County 
bestowed the Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award on Ms. Bacallao for her 
work in creating pro bono immigration clinics. She also received one of 
the most meaningful awards of her career, The Jim Moran Foundation 
Award, for her work leading a nonprofit organization.
   Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Ms. Josie Bacallao for 
her continued service to South Florida, and I ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing this remarkable individual.

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