[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 191 (Thursday, December 8, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING MRS. SONIA PEREZ, PRESIDENT, UPON HER RETIREMENT AND 43 
               YEARS OF SERVICE AT AT&T--SOUTHEAST STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2022

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Mrs. Sonia Perez as she prepares to retire after 43 successful years of 
service. Throughout her long career, she ultimately was responsible for 
leading and executing the overall strategic direction of AT&T's 
corporate initiatives throughout Louisiana and Kentucky. Her teams 
engage the collective governmental ecosystem at the state, local, and 
federal level to build technology infrastructure that solves economic 
challenges faced by urban and rural communities.
  Based in Baton Rouge, Sonia has led on strategy, governance and 
social responsibility issues within the private sector and the non-
profit organizations she has chaired since she moved to Louisiana as 
the AT&T state president in 2010, and previously in Texas. Outside of 
her work AT&T Sonia serves as an Independent Director for Hancock 
Whitney Corporation (NASDAQ: HWC), and on the executive committees of 
The University of Texas Foundation, the Louisiana Board of Regents, and 
The National WWII Museum.
  Sonia remains engaged with her alma mater, The University of Texas at 
Austin, and was selected as a 2017 Distinguished Alumnus; having also 
previously received the Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award. In 2006, she 
was the first Latina elected president of the Texas Exes, the 
university's alumni association. Among her proudest distinctions is a 
1996 presidential appointment by President Bill Clinton to the Advisory 
Council of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, a binational 
organization supporting the sustainable development of environmental 
infrastructure on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. She was also 
recognized in 2006 with the El Abrecaminos Award from the Texas Mexican 
American Legislative Caucus.
  She has chaired various boards including the Louisiana Association of 
Business and Industry, the state's business roundtable known as the 
Committee of 100, and the Board of Trustees of my Alma Mater, Xavier 
University of Louisiana. She also led Governor John Bel Edwards' 
Economic Development Transition Team and is a member of the governor's 
Resilient Louisiana Commission. In 2018, Sonia was named to the Merit 
Selection Panel for the United States District Court Eastern District 
of Louisiana. She has also served on the national board of the Public 
Broadcasting Service, PBS.
  Prior to being named the first woman president of AT&T Louisiana in 
2010, Sonia worked in various capacities in Houston and South Texas, 
including as a vice president of AT&T Texas, where she was responsible 
for the company's initiatives throughout the Houston region. During 
that time, she was named the Houston Hispanic Chamber's Female Senior 
Executive of the Year, and served on the Houston board of J.P. Morgan 
Chase, and the executive committees of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of 
Commerce and the Greater Houston Partnership. She was also a member of 
the Memorial Hermann Hospital System Board of Directors.
  Sonia has received numerous awards and distinctions including Top 100 
Most Influential Latinas in 2020 by Latino Leaders Magazine, 
LatinaStyle Magazine 2014 Corporate Executives of the Year, 2013 
Inspiracion Award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, 
2015 Weiss Award from the New Orleans Council for Community and 
Justice, 2015 Role Model from the Young Leadership Council of New 
Orleans.
  On a more personal note, Ms. Perez was someone I truly appreciated 
working with across New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and her leadership 
will truly be missed. Congratulations to Sonia as she enjoys the best 
days of her life in retirement.

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