[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 156 (Friday, September 10, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF MRS. VIVIANA MEDELLIN

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                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 10, 2021

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, it is with a deep sense of gratitude that 
I rise today to memorialize the significant contributions of Mrs. 
Viviana Medellin, an individual who went above and beyond to serve our 
KC Latino community. She poured her heart and soul into the empowerment 
of Latino voices, leveraging her Chicana roots and producing so many 
far-reaching programs that will carry her legacy forward while sharing 
her culture with many within the Greater Kansas City region.
  Before her public service, Mrs. Medellin followed her dream of 
working with renowned cardiologists Dr. G. Hartzler and Dr. Barry 
Rutherford in the Cardiovascular lab at St. Luke's Hospital. Prior to 
working in the Cardiovascular lab, she started at St. Luke's as a 
nursing assistant and eventually retired after nearly 48 years of 
service and dedication to public health. It was during that 48 years 
that she met her amazing and loving husband, Richard Medellin, and 
together raised their children: Monica Holman, Robert A. Frias, Sophia 
Byers, and Ricardo Medellin.
  Viviana not only was committed to public health in Kansas City, but 
she was also a devout Catholic, as a long-time parishioner of St. Agnes 
Catholic Church. Having graduated from Redemptorist Catholic High 
School in 1965, Viviana was charged at an early age to give back. She 
also served the Altar and Rosary Society and as a member of the Our 
Lady of Guadalupe Circle.
  It is because of her pursuits to advance the celebration of her 
Mexican American culture that Viviana served as the President of Azteca 
de Greater KC and as Vice-President of The Greater Kansas City Hispanic 
Heritage, advancing several amazing programs over the years. Of those 
programs, Viviana was a significant contributor to the Fiesta Hispanic 
celebration that started in 1984 and has been a beacon of Hispanic 
celebration and acknowledgement for decades. In addition, Viviana has 
been a host on Kansas City Community Radio station, KKFI 90.1 FM's 
Taste of Tejano, where she combined her love of Tejano music and that 
of sharing her culture through the airwaves. She was certainly an 
amazing person, sharing her passion for her community with all of 
Kansas City, and for that she deserves great recognition.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing 
Mrs. Viviana Medellin for the tremendous accomplishments throughout her 
career and her tireless efforts in providing Kansas City with 
celebration of the rich Mexican American culture, thriving within our 
amazing City. Her contributions to our community have made a 
significant impact on Missouri's Fifth District and I speak on the 
behalf of the entire district when I say thank you to Viviana.

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