[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 162 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1435-E1436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING MAUDE FORD LEE ON HER 80TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 14, 2016

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Maude Ford Lee on 
her 80th birthday. After a grassroots groundswell of support for her 
fearless leadership at the helm of Palm Beach County's Community Action 
Agency, Maude Ford Lee answered the call and made history in 1990 as 
the first African American elected to the Palm Beach County Board of 
County Commissioners. However, that is not the only reason why she is a 
trailblazer.
  During her time on the Commission, from 1990 to 2000, she demanded to 
review everything within the County's jurisdiction, its programs and 
services, hiring and contracting, and all matters pertaining to the 
health, safety, and welfare of the people. Commissioner Lee's undaunted 
advocacy for inclusionary policies and programs often drew criticism, 
as it was disruptive to the systems put in place over the previous 80 
years. However, her persistence yielded tremendous results and 
achievement against the odds.
  As Commissioner, she organized a coalition of local and national 
black business advocacy organizations, even walking out of a log jammed 
Commission meeting until securing the adoption of the Minority and 
Women's Business Enterprise Ordinance, which established policy and 
best practices of goals and timetables to ensure racial equity and 
diversity in procurement. She also created the County's Economic 
Development Office, providing programs and funding to create jobs for 
people who live in lagging regions. Her work provided access to capital 
and disbursement of millions in funding for loans and grants for small 
business and community development projects, particularly African 
American, Latino, and women-owned enterprises not served by traditional 
banks.
  She successfully implemented the equitable allocation of funding to 
build recreational and park facilities such as pools and community 
centers in overlooked urban areas, including West Palm Beach, Riviera 
Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Lake Worth. Through her housing 
initiatives, hundreds of families, most notably working poor families, 
became homeowners and thousands of children and families in need were 
connected with community-based organizations providing valuable 
services through her fiscal sponsorship.
  After retiring, Commissioner Lee continued serving the community as 
President of the West Palm Beach Branch of the NAACP from 2002-2008. 
She is an active and devoted member of Trinity United Methodist Church, 
Florida A&M Alumni Association, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and a Life 
Member of NAACP. Maude Ford Lee is a trailblazer and living legend for 
her daughters Debra and Vanessa,

[[Page E1436]]

her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all of Palm Beach County 
because she stepped up to history and honored it with an unyielding 
commitment to service with strong and positive results.
  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pride to honor Maude Ford Lee on her 
80th birthday. She is not only an outstanding role model for our 
community and this nation, but somebody that I am extremely proud to 
call a good friend. I wish her many more years of success and 
happiness.

                          ____________________