[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ANGELA CONNOLLY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID YOUNG

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2016

  Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and 
recognize Polk County (Iowa) Supervisor Angela Connolly for being 
honored as a 2016 Iowa Women's Hall of Fame recipient by the Iowa 
Commission on the Status of Women.
  Angela Connolly, a native Iowan, was born to second-generation 
Italian immigrants and cultivated a strong work ethic at her parents' 
small Italian restaurant. She attended college in Kansas, returning to 
Iowa and marrying her husband, Tom, raising three children and 
overseeing the development of the next generation with four 
grandchildren.
  Ms. Connolly began her career in the Polk County Public Works 
Department, working for nearly 20 years before being elected a Polk 
County Supervisor in 1998. She is only one of three female Supervisors 
ever elected in over 150 years to the Polk County Board of Supervisors 
and still serves in that post today.
  ``Community engagement'' is the key phrase for Ms. Connolly. 
Evidenced by her dedication to civic activities, she currently serves 
as Co-Chairman of The Tomorrow Plan and is Tri-Chairman for Capital 
Crossroads: A Vision for Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa as well as 
Chairman for Rebuilding Together. She aptly represents the Polk County 
Board of Supervisors on a long list of boards and commissions.
  Ms. Connolly has played a leadership role in many significant efforts 
to improve the lives of area residents. She advocates for mental health 
issues, domestic violence victims, homeless challenges, and most 
visibly in recent months, the efforts to stop hunger in Polk County. 
She is a proponent of the Des Moines downtown revitalization efforts as 
well as updating the historical Polk County Courthouse complex. She 
never stops and works tirelessly for all Iowans.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a profound honor to represent leaders like Angela 
Connolly in the United States Congress and it is with great pride that 
I recognize and applaud her for utilizing her talents to better both 
her community and the great state of Iowa. I invite my colleagues in 
the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating 
Angela Connolly on receiving this esteemed designation and in wishing 
Ms. Connolly a long and successful career.

                          ____________________