[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING JANELL EDWARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
trailblazer and the receiver of the 2022 Remarkable Woman Award, Mrs. 
Janell Edwards. Mrs. Edwards has shown what can be done through hard 
work, dedication, and determination.
  Mrs. Janell Edwards moved from Savannah, Georgia to Fayette, 
Mississippi, in 2006. For over a decade, she has been the force behind 
the non-profit, Fayette Community Organization. Due to the COVID-19 
pandemic, and halt to many of her programs, she decided to tum her 
focus and pour her energy into helping the community economically.
  Mrs. Edwards and her husband are known in their community for their 
pecan trees. They pick pecans and sell them to a vendor in Natchez, MS. 
To help their neighbors, adults and children make money in Fayette, MS, 
they began purchasing the pecans from them. Because many of the trees 
are native, the Mississippi Extension Service was helpful in coming out 
to share with the community on how to care for their trees during the 
year, so that they could get the most potential yield during pecan 
season. This was truly a great start to broaden the horizon for 
Fayette, MS.
  Mrs. Edwards is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. She is no 
stranger to leading and being a part of organizations that help make a 
change. She was born a leader and holds the capability to mobilize 
others towards action. She attended Savannah State College, where she 
was engaged in several organizations; leading and supervised many 
activities and was the overseer for many projects.
  With all the work Mrs. Edwards has done and doing, she has been 
recognized and received several awards. Some of them include the 
Outstanding Community Service Award in 2014, Inaugural Award of Rural 
Campions in 2014, and Nominated for the 4th Annual Gulf Coast Gospel 
Music Awards in the category: Radio Personality of the Year Kingdom 
Influencer in 2020, just to name a few. Mrs. Edwards was also the host 
of the Annual FAT to FIT Event in Fayette, MS, in 2011, averaging 500 
attendees per day and she is currently working to make it an ongoing 
and larger event on a local and national level.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. 
Janell Edwards for her outstanding service and leadership in Fayette, 
MS.

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