[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 29 (Monday, February 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Tribute to Ty Holmes

  Mr. President, let me start with Ty Holmes, our first honoree. I am 
proud to honor Ty as a fellow resident of Scranton, and the President 
of the Lackawanna branch of the NAACP. Ty Holmes is well known in 
Scranton as an avid volunteer and advocate for diversity and inclusion 
through his work with multiple community organizations, including as a 
Penn State advisory board member, the vice president of the Scranton 
Rotary, and as a Lackawanna County Democratic Committee member.
  Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, community members were 
inspired to make change in Northeastern Pennsylvania and establish the 
Lackawanna County NAACP. Since its founding in 2020, this NAACP branch 
has grown to 131 members. Under Ty Holmes' leadership, the branch is 
working to be a voice for underrepresented groups and serve as a bridge 
between them and the broader community in Scranton.
  Ty also has a particular interest in bettering the lives of young 
people in Scranton, leading him to run for the Scranton School Board. 
This past November, he was elected to the board and sworn in last 
month. With his election, Ty Holmes becomes the first African American 
to ever be elected to public office in the city of Scranton. He also 
serves as a board member for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Youth 
Shelter, which provides quality emergency shelter and related services 
to unaccompanied youth, ages 14 through their high school graduation.
  The Northeastern Pennsylvania Youth Shelter has a specific focus on 
social justice and advocacy and is welcoming to young people from all 
backgrounds, especially LGBTQ+ youth in the area.
  Ty Holmes' life has been one of service, both to his community and to 
his country. He retired after 25 years of Active Duty in the U.S. 
military, where he received numerous decorations from both the U.S. 
Navy and the U.S. Army. He began his military career in 1991 with the 
Navy and served in various duty stations throughout the South Pacific 
and the Middle East.
  In 2003, he crossed branches and entered the U.S. Army, deploying in 
the Middle East. He also worked as part of the support and rescue 
operations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
  Through his work with many community organizations and his role on 
the Scranton School District Board of Directors, Ty continues to build 
the Scranton institutions that provide support to people and those 
institutions that lift them up during times of adversity.
  So I look forward to seeing Ty Holmes' continuing contributions to my 
hometown for years to come.