[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING LAKISHA WASHINGTON AS A DISTINGUISHED LEADER IN CENTRAL 
                    FLORIDA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 21, 2023

  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Ms. LaKisha Washington is the program analyst 
with Group Practice Management under the chief of staff at the Orlando 
VA. In conjunction with her current position, she also serves as the 
OVAHCS African American/Black Employment Program Special Emphasis 
Program Manager, is a member of the Central Florida Blacks in 
Government, and volunteers during her personal time with local non-
profit organizations to render services to the homeless community and 
provide outreach services to local veterans.
  Ms. Washington's occupational achievements have included conducting 
virtual training events to develop and implement special program 
initiatives that will enhance employment--including mock interviews and 
resume writing reviews. She has also collaborated with the assistance 
of her team to conduct financial preparedness for federal employees to 
discuss thrift savings plans, build a financial budgeting plan, and 
plan for retirement. Other achievements include the coordination of 
Martin Luther King Jr, Black History Month, and Juneteenth celebrations 
while also hosting Friday reflection forums to discuss various topics 
in the VA.
  Her personal time is spent giving back to her community by serving 
the homeless with local non-profit organizations including Serving Out 
of Love and One Race Human Race. She's also a dedicated track and field 
mom.
  Prior to her employment at the Orlando VA, Ms. Washington served as a 
U.S. Navy Veteran Hospital corpsman for 8 years and spent 14 years in 
total as a military-trained surgical technician/first assistant. Ms. 
Washington earned her Master's in Business Administration with a 
concentration in healthcare from American Sentinel College of Nursing 
and Health Sciences at Post University in 2022 while balancing fulltime 
employment and single parenting a high school teenager during the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
  Ms. Washington is a woman who has maintained an outstanding 
reputation amongst her peers and has always been praised for her 
outstanding character. She is known to put her heart and soul into 
everything that she does and has a personality that can literally light 
up any room she enters.

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