[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E708-E709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN RECOGNITION OF MARCY SYMS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 22, 2018

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 
the extraordinary contributions of Marcy Syms, a strong

[[Page E709]]

businesswoman, a philanthropist and an activist who has worked 
tirelessly to open doors for women. Ms. Syms is receiving the Carolyn 
Maloney Leadership Award tonight from our great Assemblywoman Rebecca 
Seawright. Not only is Ms. Syms a corporate leader, but she has 
generously given of her time, experience and resources to leveling the 
playing field and helping other women find success.
  President and founder of the Sy Syms Foundation and former CEO of the 
Syms Corporation, Ms. Syms has played key roles in both private and 
non-profit companies. She was one of the youngest women ever named 
President of a publicly-traded New York Stock Exchange company.
  At a time when many entrepreneurs were grooming their sons for 
leadership but overlooking their daughters, Ms. Syms was fortunate 
enough to have a father who gave her opportunities and encouraged her 
to learn the business. Ms. Syms started working at Strauss 
Communications WMCA and Channel 13 before joining Syms Corporation. She 
joined Syms Corporation in 1978 when the company expanded into women's 
clothing. At first, she was invited to be the voice of the company in a 
radio commercial, but then used her marketing skills to create a media 
plan for the company. She realized quickly that she loved the business 
and that she wanted to spend her career working for the company her 
father had created. Benefitting from the trust and support of her 
father, she took increasingly prominent roles in the company and 
eventually became its CEO.
  Ms. Syms also has served as the Chair of the Small Business and 
Agricultural Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 
Ms. Syms has served as a director of Rite Aid Corporation.
  Throughout her career, Ms. Syms has been dedicated to helping open 
doors for other women. She has been a leader in speaking out for 
women's rights and encouraging the passage of an equal rights amendment 
to the US constitution, a cause that is very dear to my own heart.
  Ms. Syms has been a member of New York Women's Foundation, whose 
grants to underserved women and girls are helping to address 
longstanding inequities. She has been a generous supporter of Ms. 
Foundation and was an early chair of its Take Our Daughters to Work 
Day. She has supported the Women's Campaign Fund and the NOW Legal 
Defense and Education Fund (now known as Legal Momentum). She was a 
founding member of the Womensphere Global Network, an organization 
dedicated to closing gender gaps, and in empowering women and girls to 
create the future through leadership, innovation, sustainability, 
entrepreneurship, education. She is a member of C200, a networking 
organization for women in business that encourages members to support 
one another's professional and personal growth while inspiring and 
advancing future women business leaders. She has been a board member of 
both Veteran Feminists of America and the ERA Coalition. In all of 
these activities, Ms. Syms has played a critical role in helping women 
network and breech barriers that stood in the way of their success.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
extraordinary achievements of Marcy Syms, a dynamic and hardworking 
leader who has made a difference throughout her career.

                          ____________________