[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING TAMPA BAY'S LOCAL TRAILBLAZER, DR. DAVINA JONES, IN HONOR 
                         OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 2023

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great 
educator and leader in the Tampa Bay community, Dr. Davina Arleen 
Jones.
  Dr. Jones is one of six children, born and raised in the Tampa Bay 
area. Her mother worked for the county library as a book processor and 
her father was a city bus operator while also serving as a full-time 
pastor. Dr. Jones' parents instilled in her and her siblings the 
importance of commitment, leadership, and the spiritual faith--values 
she holds close to this day. At the early age of 13, a young Davina 
Jones gave her first public speech at a Church of God in Christ (COGIC) 
youth convention.
  When she was a young student. Dr. Jones was enrolled in Exceptional 
Student Education (ESE) in Hillsborough County Public Schools due to 
the many challenges in her life, but the challenges would only reveal 
her drive for education and excellence. Through hard work and 
perseverance, Dr. Jones went on to graduate from Bethune-Cookman 
University with a bachelor's degree in speech communication. She later 
went on to receive her master's degree in interpersonal communications 
and her doctorate in communication studies from Bowling Green State 
University. These significant accomplishments led Dr. Jones to author 
``From ESE to PHD: Discovering your hidden potential.'' She is also the 
author of ``Choices: What singles ought to know and what married people 
wished they had learned.''
  Dr. Jones served as a frontline partner as Florida and our Nation 
prepared to receive and embrace the historic Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune 
statue in the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol in 2022. Dr. Bethune's 
statue replaced the statue of a Confederate general that stood since 
the Jim Crow era and Dr. Jones advocated for Dr. Bethune as a far 
superior representative of the values and diversity of the Sunshine 
State. Dr. Jones continues to lift her community as a proud member of 
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a former president of the Mary McLeod 
Bethune National Alumni Association Hillsborough Chapter, a former 
president of the Bethune Cookman National Association Hillsborough 
Chapter, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Dr. Jones also actively 
collaborates with the African American Task Force for Hillsborough 
County Public Schools leadership.
  Dr. Jones also continues to provide faith-based community leadership 
throughout the City of Tampa. She is the Assistant Spiritual Leader of 
Today's Church Tampa Bay and former lead pastor and teacher of the 
Greater Love Spiritual Center. In 2015. Dr. Jones moved on her desire 
to educate and inspire passion to our younger generation when she 
founded GREAT Camp, a comprehensive program for teens and preteens that 
offers guidance and development in a variety of topics and skills such 
as civics development, health & wellness, and financial literacy. 
Considering all her education, hard work and accomplishments, Dr. Jones 
stated that her greatest achievement in life was becoming aware of the 
power of love, the love for oneself and the love for others through 
God.
  Throughout the years, Dr. Jones has instructed public speech 
communication courses across the State of Florida. Using her expertise 
and experience, she has provided higher education level instruction to 
aspiring journalists, marketers and educators within our communities. 
Dr. Jones served as an assistant professor teaching speech 
communication at her alma mater Bethune-Cookman in 2001; she became a 
professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville and she is currently 
provost and special assistant to the president for equity, diversity 
and inclusion at Pasco-Hernando State College in Wesley Chapel. She 
continues her work among Pasco-Hernando State College leadership 
ensuring that all students receive the education they deserve.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Tampa Bay community, this Black History 
Month, I am proud to recognize the courage, leadership, and spirit of 
excellence of Dr. Davina Arleen Jones and her many examples of service 
she provides our communities.

                          ____________________