[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 87 (Thursday, May 23, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING LAVEDA BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILL FLORES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2019

  Mr. FLORES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Laveda Brown of 
Waco, Texas, who is retiring as the president of the Cen-Tex African 
American Chamber of Commerce.
  Laveda comes from a strong business background and knows the value of 
hard work. Prior to joining the chamber, Laveda worked as a Procurement 
Specialist/Business Consultant at McLennan Community College Small 
Business Center and the Caruth Small Business Development Center at 
Abilene Christian University.
  Her successful history of business development made her a compelling 
choice to lead the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce. 
Laveda's many years of experience in minority business certification, 
purchasing, economic development, and government contracting has helped 
her provide many small businesses with the tools to succeed.
  When Laveda assumed leadership of the Chamber in 2007, its membership 
hovered around 30 members and numbers were dwindling quickly. Thanks to 
her efforts, membership is now above 250 members and their financial 
support has expanded dramatically.
  Some of her biggest contributions, however, go beyond numbers. Under 
Laveda's direction, the chamber opened Esther's Closet, an initiative 
to assist unemployed women by providing interview and workplace 
clothing at no cost. Additionally, Esther's Closet assists with resume 
writing, interview skills, job performance, and financial management. 
Since its grand opening in 2016, Esther's Closet has helped more than 
400 individuals and provided more than 5,000 outfits.
  In addition to her chamber duties, Laveda has been a member of many 
organizations including the Waco Education Alliance, the Baylor 
Research and Innovation Collaborative, the City of Waco Policy Academy, 
and the Junior League Advisory Committee. She also served on the boards 
of the City of Waco Public Improvement and Development, the Texas 
Partnership for Out of School Time, and the YMCA of Central Texas. She 
was also the Vice President of the Texas Association of African 
American Chambers of Commerce.
  She is a person of great courage, faith, insight and wisdom who has a 
very unselfish and loving spirit. She has dedicated her life to sharing 
her wealth of knowledge and experience to enlightening and motivating 
those around her to do their best. Laveda has a way of getting others 
to see the big picture and to overcome their differences in order to 
work together for the common good of all. Her greatest gift is her 
passion for encouraging and empowering others.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Laveda Brown for her many years 
of impactful service to our Central Texas community. I wish her the 
best in her future endeavors and look forward to seeing the Cen-Tex 
African American Chamber of Commerce's continued success.
  I have requested that a United States flag be flown over our Nation's 
Capitol to recognize the community service and accomplishments of 
Laveda Brown.
  I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our 
veterans, for our military men and women who protect us, and for our 
first responders who keep us safe at home.

                          ____________________