[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 118 (Monday, July 18, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3335-S3336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JENNIFER VIDRINE

 Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to one 
of our strongest and valued leaders in municipal government from my 
home State of Louisiana, Mayor Jennifer Vidrine. On July 30, Mayor 
Vidrine will be become the first African-American woman to lead the 
Louisiana Municipal Association--LMA. She will also be the third woman 
to serve in this prestigious position in the LMA's 96 years of service 
to municipal government in Louisiana.
  While Mayor Vidrine will undoubtedly lead this fine organization for 
the next year with great loyalty and enthusiasm, she will also continue 
to serve her most beloved residents of Ville Platte. Since her election 
in 2011, Mayor Vidrine has not stopped working to bring improvements 
and investments to her city. She remains at the forefront of local 
government officials developing new approaches to solving complicated 
problems.
  Mayor Vidrine is a woman of great faith who believes in serving her 
community wholeheartedly. She is a lifelong member of her hometown 
congregation of the Ninth Missionary Baptist Church, where she serves 
and assists in a number of leadership roles.

[[Page S3336]]

Her commitment to the elderly and youth are quite noteworthy and deeply 
rooted in her beliefs. Among her many accomplishments, she is the 
founder of the Ville Platte Girls and Boys Place where afterschool and 
summer programs teach children culinary skills, music appreciation, 
improved communications, and writing techniques. During the summer, 
Mayor Vidrine is a regular presence at the Girls and Boys Place 
offering encouragement to the children to expand their thinking, 
explore their passions and to be a good citizen. She works tirelessly 
to provide unique opportunities for these young minds, many of which 
come from very low-income homes. This, in turn, allows parents to feel 
more hopeful that their children will have a better life.
  When it comes to technology, Mayor Vidrine has practically taken her 
community from ``worst to first'' as she likes to say, by developing 
critical partnerships with public and private broadband providers. In 
the very near future, the city of Ville Platte will begin enjoying 
internet speeds like they have never seen before, thanks in large part 
to the mayor's efforts. She knows the importance of technology and how 
it has an immediate impact on the lives of every resident.
  I consider Mayor Jennifer Vidrine as a most accomplished stateswoman, 
and I am extremely proud to call her a friend.
  I ask all of Louisiana to join me in congratulating Mayor Vidrine for 
reaching this important milestone in her career.

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