[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 12, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1119-H1121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING JOSEPHINE M. HOWARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Soto) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Josephine M. Howard.
  As part of her life journey, Josephine M. Howard has been achieving 
goals, setting high standards, teaching, learning, positively impacting 
lives, and been passionately committed to helping, mentoring, and 
inspiring the lives of children, adults, and the elderly.
  She desired to become a teacher like her mother, Crizell, who, in the 
1950s, mentored and tutored her five sisters and neighborhood children.
  In the 1960s, Josephine graduated from Douglass High School with high 
honors and Florida College cum laude, with a BS degree in elementary 
education, and she subsequently began her career in teaching.
  Josephine loved teaching but wanted to have a greater impact on more 
lives by empowering them with knowledge; therefore, she went back to 
college and earned her master of education degree magna cum laude at 
the University of Central Florida, as well as her educational 
specialist degree summa cum laude at Nova Southeastern University.
  Josephine is a servant leader; a lifetime member of the NAACP; has 
served as a member of the Horizon Housing Board; treasurer, former CEO 
of Howard's Apparel; former chaplain of the NC100BW; board of trustees, 
Heart of Florida Hospital; Head Start Policy Council; and Who's Who 
Among Professional Women.

                              {time}  1815

  She continues to serve as the first vice president deaconess at the 
New Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, where she has been a Sunday 
school teacher for 34 years and has implemented the Mana Food Pantry.
  Her community service and leadership dedication have earned her 
numerous recognitions, honors, and media coverage. She received the Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., Lifetime Achievement Award, Teacher of the 
Year, and Distinguished Volunteer Service Award.
  Josephine is married to her husband, Phillip, of 52 years. They have 
two children, Jonita and Phillip II; three grandchildren, Philip and 
twins Phillip III and Kennedy.
  For that, we honor you, Ms. Josephine Howard.


                Recognizing Reverend Clifton E. Dollison

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Reverend Clifton E. Dollison.
  Reverend Clifton E. Dollison has served the First Missionary Baptist 
Church of Winter Haven, Florida, for 28 years. As the longest serving 
pastor in the church's rich 138-year history, his visionary leadership 
has resulted in the largest building program expansion the church has 
experienced.
  Reverend Dollison has a passion for community service and a fearless 
commitment to confront justice issues in Polk County. That dedication 
finds expression in his roles as past co-chair and current board member 
for the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment, otherwise known 
as

[[Page H1120]]

PEACE, of Polk County, a grassroots social justice organization for 
positive change, and the Direct Action and Research Training Center, 
DART, comprised of PEACE and 20 other affiliated nonprofit, 
congregation-based organizations located across the Nation. DART's 
mission is to build the power of organized people to do justice.
  Reverend Dollison's commitment to social justice, community 
engagement, and spiritual leadership is further demonstrated through 
his varied service positions. He served as past president and current 
vice president of the NAACP-Winter Haven Branch; senior chaplain of the 
Winter Haven Police Department; president of the Interdenominational 
Ministerial Association of Polk County, Inc.; chairman of the Pastoral 
Development Conference for the Progressive Missionary and Educational 
Baptist State Convention of Florida, Inc.; president of the Interfaith 
Ministerial Alliance of Winter Haven; past second vice moderator, First 
South Florida Missionary Baptist District Association; and as president 
and past educational dean of the FSF Congress Number Three.
  Reverend Dollison, a native Hoosier, graduated from Indiana State 
University and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He has 
been married for 38 years to his lovely wife, Valerie Bush Dollison, a 
native of Bartow, Florida. They have three adult children, three 
grandchildren, and eagerly await the arrival of a fourth grandchild.
  For that, Reverend Dollison, we honor you.


                      Recognizing Michael D. Smith

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I would 
like to recognize Michael D. Smith.
  Michael D. Smith, Sr., is employed as a captain and paramedic for the 
Polk County Fire Rescue, where he has served the citizens of Polk 
County for the past 10 years.
  Captain Smith is responsible for supervising a fire company crew in 
all aspects of fire, technical rescue, and emergency medical rescue. 
Michael also serves as a licensed funeral director with Epps Memorial 
Funeral Home in Lake Wales, Florida, where he assists families during 
their time of bereavement.
  He is a graduate of Frostproof High School, Bethune-Cookman 
University, St. Petersburg College, and South Florida State College.
  Michael is the son of Lieutenant Dave and Faye Smith. He is married 
to Carmencita. He is the father of Michael, Jr., Preston, Trinity, 
Christopher, and Joshua.
  Captain Smith is actively involved in the community, where he 
passionately participates in the annual Willie Bush Toy Drive. He 
enthusiastically coaches and mentors youth for the Lake Wales Little 
League football team.
  Captain Smith shares his time with the Polk County community by 
volunteering at the Candlelight Christian Academy. He is an active 
member of Allen Temple AME Church, where he serves as the president of 
Usher Board Number 1.
  He is also a member of the Lake Wales branch of the NAACP; a Bethune-
Cookman alumni; a member of the Polk County Professional Firefighters 
Local 3531; Lakeland Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.; Boaz 
Lodge 212 in Daytona Beach, Florida; St. Paul Lodge 77 in Lake Wales, 
Florida; Florida Morticians Association; Independent Funeral Directors 
of Florida; and the National Funeral Directors and Morticians 
Association.
  Captain Smith has been a trailblazer for African Americans in the 
Polk County firefighter department.
  For that, Captain Smith, we honor you.


                      Recognizing Eddy Jean Rivers

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Eddy Jean Rivers.
  Eddy Jean Rivers is a community leader who started her work life at 
McCrory's in downtown Lake Wales as the first African American employed 
in a downtown business and the first African American to be employed by 
a banking industry in the area.
  She obtained her degree in early childhood education and worked for 
Janie Howard Wilson Elementary for 16 years. Passionate about 
education, Rivers continues her teaching with Family Literacy Academy 
in Lake Wales.
  She has served as a member of the Roosevelt Alumni Association, PTO 
of the Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, MAD DADS Association, Drug 
Awareness Council of Lake Wales, Red Cross Association, Lake Wales 
Business and Profession Women's Club, Lake Wales MLK Committee, and 
Lake Wales Recreation Committee. She also served as an active board 
member of the Lake Wales NAACP since 1956.
  She has received awards for Sunday School Teacher of the Year and the 
Music Ministry Award from the First Institutional Baptist Church, an 
award from the Lakeland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority 
for outstanding service, and the Lake Wales NAACP Community Leader 
Award.

  For that, Ms. Eddy Jean Rivers, we honor you.


                        Recognizing Joanne Cobbs

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Joanne Cobbs.
  Ms. Joanne Cobbs is a native of Williamsburg, Virginia. She is the 
proud mother of three sons, Troy, Al, and Wayne Johnson.
  She relocated to Florida in 1983 when her husband, Master Sergeant 
Robert Cobbs, was reassigned to Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, 
Florida.
  After her husband's retirement from the U.S. Army in 1985, the family 
remained in Florida. The family moved to Orlando, Florida, in Orange 
County in 1992.
  During the time Joanne has lived in Florida, she has worked in 
several positions in private industry and worked at Northlake Park 
Elementary School as a substitute teacher. She has also worked for the 
U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force.
  Joanne's last position was at the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, otherwise known as NASA, where she was in the Human 
Resources Directorate at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where she 
retired as a personnel management specialist.
  She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Central 
Florida, where she majored in psychology.
  Joanne's volunteer service includes past and current work with the 
Hispanic Caucus of Orange County; the Orange County Black Caucus; the 
American Cancer Society; the central Florida breast cancer foundation; 
Organizing for America, the Obama campaign; the Hillary Clinton 
campaign; and the Charlie Crist campaign. She provided support for 
candidates running for office in her house district and other districts 
within the county.
  She currently serves on the Orange County Democratic Executive 
Committee as a precinct committeewoman for Precinct 544. Joanne is a 
member of the Democratic Women's Club of Florida, the East Orange 
Democratic Women's Club, and the Progressives of East Orange.
  For that, Ms. Joanne Cobbs, we honor you.


                         Recognizing Mark Canty

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Mark Canty.
  Undersheriff Mark Canty has deep roots in Orange County. He grew up 
in Pine Hills, and after graduating from Northwestern University in 
1994, he came home to Orlando, where working in a residential group 
home for the Urban League made him realize that a career in law 
enforcement was his calling.
  He was driven by a desire to make a bigger impact in the community 
and beyond, by making connections with young people before they were in 
trouble. That led him to the Orlando Police Department, where, over his 
22-year career, he rose through the ranks and was appointed deputy 
chief in 2017.
  Throughout his career, Canty's devotion to improving community and 
police relations in his hometown has been his driving ideal. Canty's 
hallmark is leadership by example.
  That leadership was in the spotlight most in June 2016 when a 
deranged gunman killed 49 people and injured scores more in an act of 
terror and hate at the Pulse nightclub. As commander of the Orlando 
Police Department's SWAT team, Canty directed team members while they 
rescued survivors and helped to ensure no more innocent people were 
killed.
  Over the years, Canty's community involvement strides have been just 
as important as those he made in crime-fighting. In March 2019, Sheriff 
John W.

[[Page H1121]]

Mina, appointed Canty as the Undersheriff of Orange County Sheriff's 
Office. The Office of Undersheriff provides direct managerial oversight 
of the Operational Services Bureau, Administrative Services Bureau, 
Fiscal Management Section, CFIX-Criminal Intelligence Section, Legal 
Services, and Strategic Communications.
  Undersheriff Canty has the vision, skill, and desire to further the 
excellence of this nationally accredited law enforcement agency.
  For that, Undersheriff Mark Canty, we honor you.


                      Recognizing Richard DeLoach

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Richard DeLoach.
  Richard DeLoach is a passionate, dedicated, and determined leader who 
has been serving our youth football coach leagues for over 35 years.
  DeLoach is a pastor at a church in Leesburg. He is married to Diane 
and is a father of nine children.
  After playing semipro ball for a season, he decided he wanted to 
coach. He is a founding member of the Mid-Florida Youth Football 
Conference and an inaugural member of the Mid-Florida Youth Football 
and Cheerleaders Hall of Fame of 2018. He started the Mid-Florida Youth 
Football League in 1984 with four teams and now has 356 players and 
cheerleaders involved in the program.
  He is a compassionate and committed coach, a team player who led his 
team to 14 league super bowls and won 11 of them. He works well with 
kids of all ages, loves sports, and has a passion for competition.
  DeLoach has always helped any child who desires to participate in 
youth sports attain that goal, regardless of their ability to play. He 
uses sports to teach about and instill in youth work ethics and 
integrity.
  His work ethic stems from his father teaching him and his three 
brothers how to mow yards and clear lakes every day after school.
  He has made positive impacts on so many young people and is credited 
with the success of several Polk County football players now playing in 
the NFL.
  He is the president of the Lake Wales Youth Football Association, a 
member of the Lake Wales Recreation Advisory Committee, and owner of 
the Polk County War Eagles.
  Due to his commitment and leadership to youth and community, the Lake 
Wales mayor proclaimed June 4, 2019, as Richard DeLoach Day.
  For that, Coach DeLoach, we honor you.


                      Recognizing LeWayne Johnson

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I want to 
recognize Chief Warrant Officer LeWayne Johnson.
  Chief Warrant Officer Robert LeWayne Johnson, also of the United 
States Army Reserve, joined the Air Force as a navigational aids 
equipment specialist in August 1983 with an initial duty assignment at 
the Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina.

                              {time}  1830

  In 1987, Mr. Johnson joined the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1988 Mr. 
Johnson reclassed to a legal specialist and was assigned to the 86th 
United States Army Reserve Command in Forest Park, Illinois. Chief 
Johnson also served as a court reporter in several units which included 
a deployment in Saudi Arabia with the 21st Support Command.
  Mr. Johnson applied for a warrant officer appointment because he 
wanted to use his knowledge and skills to assist commanders in 
maintaining unit readiness. Mr. Johnson also wanted to mentor, counsel, 
and assist soldiers.
  During a 33-year career of exceptionally meritorious service, Mr. 
Johnson distinguished himself in positions of increasing responsibility 
with the United States, with the U.S. Army Reserve and with the U.S. 
Air Force, as well. Significant positions of leadership include: Senior 
legal administrative officer, a G-7 level; United States Army Reserve 
Legal Command; legal administrative officer, 174th Legal Operations 
Department; administrative officer, 9th LSO; senior court reporter/
amnesty recorder, 22nd Support Command in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; legal 
specialist for the 21st Headquarters Company at TAACOM; legal 
specialist, headquarters 7th Judge Advocate General Detachment at Fort 
Sheridan, Illinois; and also served as a navigational aids electronic 
specialist, United States Air Force for Pope Air Force Base.
  Chief Johnson has earned a doctorate from Walden University in public 
policy and administration and a juris doctorate degree from Barry 
University, and an LLM in international taxation from Saint Thomas 
University. Additionally, Chief Johnson has completed the warrant 
officer senior education program at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
  And for that, Chief Warrant Officer Robert LeWayne Johnson, we honor 
you.


                      Recognizing Ronald McCrimon

  Mr. SOTO. In honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize Ronald 
McCrimon.
  Ronald McCrimon is a lifelong resident of Osceola County, Florida. 
Ronald is the son of Mrs. Louise McCrimon and the late Mr. David 
McCrimon. He is married to Doravia L. McCrimon and has three daughters, 
Desheria, Ronnetta, and Chantel. Ronald is the proud grandfather of 
Eris and Aiden. As a member of the family of God, Jesus Christ is his 
Lord and savior. Ronald is a man of deep faith.
  Mr. McCrimon was educated in the school system of Osceola County. He 
was a member of the football, wrestling, and track teams and lettered 
in each. Ronald was a member of the Osceola class of 1981. After 
graduating from high school, Ronald attended Jacksonville State 
University in Jacksonville, Alabama, under a football scholarship. 
There Ronald obtained a bachelor's in marketing and a minor in criminal 
justice.
  Mr. McCrimon served in the Army Reserve from 1986 to 1994 in the 
174th Judge Advocate General Detachment unit as a legal specialist.
  Upon completion of college, Mr. McCrimon became a dispatcher with the 
St. Cloud Police Department. In 1989, Mr. McCrimon enrolled in the 
police academy and became employed by the Osceola County Sheriff's 
Office. This was the beginning of a 28-year career with the agency.
  During his tenure with the agency, he served as a patrol deputy, two 
tours as a member of the Osceola County investigation bureau, a sniper 
on the SWAT team, and a captain over court administration in the 
Osceola County Courthouse. In 2017, he retired from the agency.
  Mr. McCrimon served as an instructor of TECO Police Academy for 15 
years and is a part-time instructor at Valencia College.
  Mr. McCrimon was an honoree at the Martin Luther King banquet for 
Osceola County. Ronald served as a local board member for Habitat for 
Humanity and a member of the Community Development Block Grant Program.
  And for that, Mr. Ronald McCrimon, we honor you.


                    Recognizing Dorothy Scott Wilson

  Mr. SOTO. In honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize 
Dorothy Scott Wilson.
  Dorothy Scott Wilson is of Lake Wales, Florida. Dorothy has been a 
community leader for years. Dorothy earned her bachelor's degree from 
Florida A&M University and maintains her Rattler Pride to this day as a 
member of the Florida A&M board of directors in Polk County. Dorothy 
has worked at the Florida State Department of Revenue for over 35 years 
and now serves the community through her work at Scott's Medical 
Transportation and Advocacy, a local provider of medical services for 
students with special needs.
  Dorothy Scott Wilson has served on the board of directors of several 
organizations, including the Polk County chapter of the Florida A&M 
University, the Dr. Joseph A. Wiltshire Scholarship Foundation, the 
Unity in the Community organization, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Scholarship Fund of Lake Wales organization, the Lincoln Ave. 
Redevelopment Council, the Ray Jones, Jr. Wellness Project, 2019, and 
she has also served as the development director for the Lake Wales 
Hospital and is a member of the NAACP.
  And for that, Ms. Dorothy Scott Wilson, we honor you.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________