[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 165 (Friday, October 18, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF CITY COUNCILMAN DR. JOE LEE SMITH

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                            HON. BILL POSEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 18, 2019

  Mr. POSEY. Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize and 
celebrate the service of Councilman Dr. Joe Lee Smith, who after 36 
years of faithful service to our Rockledge City Council, will enter 
retirement this November.
  Having been elected to the city council twelve consecutive terms, 
serving 3 years as council chairman and as deputy mayor, the city of 
Rockledge owes much to Dr. Smith for his unmatched dedication and 
service to its residents.
  A life-long Brevard County resident, Dr. Smith began his career as an 
educator, having earned his doctoral degree in education from 
University of Florida and serving as the President Emeritus of Brevard 
Community College (BCC) until 2000. He then came out of retirement to 
become provost of the Palm Bay Campus location and served as BCC's 
college ambassador until 2017.
  In both his personal and professional life, he was viewed as a mentor 
for students in the community and his coworkers. He was a founder of 
the Brevard Recreation Association and served on the board of directors 
for many community organizations such as the Salvation Army, Circles of 
Care, Rolling Readers, and the Boys and Girls Club.
  Mayor Tom Price of Rockledge says of Councilman Smith, ``He's the 
definition of a true statesman, someone that you rarely see in politics 
anymore. He's done 36 years of great work on the board and will be 
greatly missed by the City Council.''
  In recognition of his work to advance higher education in the 
community, Dr. Smith has had several educational facilities named in 
his honor such as the Joe Lee Smith Recreational Center in Cocoa and 
the Dr. Joe Lee Smith Teaching Center on the Brevard Community College 
Melbourne Campus.
  A revered and distinguished member of the community, he has been the 
recipient of multiple awards including the Brevard Community College 
Distinguished Servant Award, Onyx Magazine's Humanitarian Award, and 
the United Third Bridge Puerto Rican Taino Award for his work advancing 
the Hispanic community in Brevard.
  Aside from his distinguished role as an educator for the community, 
Dr. Smith has also been honored as an athlete, having been inducted 
into Florida A & M University's Sports Hall of Fame for his 
accomplishments as a talented baseball player in addition to the Space 
Coast Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions in sports program 
development.
  On November 20th, the Rockledge City Council will recognize Dr. 
Smith's long and accomplished tenure. His contributions to the 
community are immeasurable and will surely be felt and appreciated by 
generations of Floridians to come.
  I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives along with 
the residents of Rockledge to join me in saluting his work.

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