[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING THE LIFE OF DOUG HEAD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 20, 2022

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, Doug Head was born in Midland, Michigan. He 
earned a degree in economics at Lawrence University in Wisconsin but 
spent over a year studying at the University of Singapore. He served in 
the Peace Corps in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay before becoming a 
Central Florida resident in the early 1980s. Doug became the Executive 
Director of an organization that lobbied on behalf of AIDS patients, 
which he received recognition for in Forbes magazine calling him one of 
the ten most powerful voices in the insurance industry.
  In the late 1980s, Doug became interested in politics and ran his 
first campaign in 1986. He also volunteered for the local Democratic 
party and worked to modernize their computer database. Soon after, 
Orange County's party registration flipped from a majority of 
Republican voters to a majority of Democratic voters. Doug served as 
Orange County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) Chair from 1992 to 
2004 and as the Orange County DEC's State Committeeman from 2016 to 
2020.
  As Chair, Doug encouraged interest groups to form clubs within the 
party. The first of which was the Orange County Rainbow Democratic 
Club, which was created in 1993 to promote the rights of members of the 
LGBTQ+ community. He also hosted a monthly social event, called ``First 
Friday,'' which became a gathering place for likeminded Democrats in 
Central Florida who attended the event to network and strategize about 
campaigns and registering Democrats.
  Doug later became the chair of County Watch, a local watchdog group, 
that pushed for transparency and accountability in county government 
and agencies. He also worked with local non-profit organizations to 
empower minority committees. Doug was a mentor to many aspiring 
political operatives and community leaders. His wealth of knowledge was 
widely recognized and respected among political leaders across Florida.
  He made several TV appearances, including the Daily Buzz and Central 
Florida news affiliates for FOX (WOFL) and ABC (WFTV), as well as being 
quoted in journals and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, 
The Washington Post, National Underwriter and Chicago Tribune, among 
others.
  Doug Head passed away on the evening of November 13, 2021, in Orlando 
and is survived by his sisters, Meredy Jenkins and Barbara Cornelius, 
and his brother-in-law, Dennis Jenkins. His decades of commitment to 
the Central Florida community and the Democratic Party left a lasting 
foundation for others to build upon. His wisdom and guidance will be 
missed by many.

                          ____________________