[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 103 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        TRIBUTE TO JEANETTE WYNN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2015

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of 
the Fifth Congressional District of Florida and myself, I rise to offer 
a tribute to the life and accomplishments of a great American, Jeanette 
Wynn, who continues to act as a mentor and leader in the community at 
large. On June 21, 2015, Jeanette celebrated her 67th birthday.
  We exalt Mrs. Jeanette Wynn first for the determination and 
perseverance that she has exhibited throughout her life. Jeanette's 
rise to her current title as the president of AFSCME deserves 
recognition. In September 1970, she began work at Florida State 
Hospital in Chattahoochee. Here, in the state's largest public mental 
institution, she treated the mentally ill and criminally insane. Her 
exceptional work was recognized and as a rehabilitative specialist, 
President Wynn was responsible not only for treatment of mentally ill 
individuals but also played a role in the judicial process. Mrs. Wynn 
was given the responsibility of evaluating whether they were competent 
to stand trial. President Wynn was one of the first state employees to 
join AFSCME in 1976. She was a member of Council 79's first executive 
board and was the first secretary/treasurer of Local 1963. In 1981, she 
was elected Local 1963's second president. In 1983, she earned her 
first AFSCME Florida statewide office as Council 79 secretary/
treasurer.
  As Council 79 secretary/treasurer, President Wynn served until 1996, 
the same year she won a spot as International Vice President Caribbean. 
In 1998, President Wynn ascended to Council 79's highest office and has 
distinguished herself in leading fights to help all working families. 
Drawing on her experiences in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, 
President Wynn played a crucial role in forging a coalition of African-
American and Latino farm workers that led to the successful organizing 
drive in 1998 at Quincy Farms. The United Farm Workers later awarded 
President Wynn for her incredible effort. Though President Wynn is 
celebrated for her accomplishments, we must not forget her effect on 
the community at large. The lives of those directly and indirectly 
affected by the actions and oversight of Mrs. Jeanette Wynn are 
undoubtedly better. Today we pay tribute to a strong woman, a 
compassionate leader, and a tireless worker.

                          ____________________