[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING TAMPA BAY'S LOCAL TRAILBLAZER, BRIDGETTE HELLER, 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 during Black History 
Month to celebrate a change agent and one of Tampa Bay's most 
accomplished businesswomen, Ms. Bridgette Heller. Ms. Heller was born 
and raised in St. Petersburg, Fla. She attended segregated schools 
through elementary school, but credits success during her formative 
years to being raised by a village of love that had very high standards 
for her. She achieved a higher education at Northwestern University, 
earning a bachelor's degree, then master's from the Kellogg Graduate 
School of Management. Ms. Heller continues to contribute to her alma 
mater serving on the University's Board of Trustees and mentoring the 
next generation of business leaders.
  After graduating from Northwestern University, Ms. Heller spent more 
than 35 years serving in leadership positions in numerous Fortune 100 
companies and private equity-owned enterprises, such as Johnson & 
Johnson, Merck, Danone and Kraft Foods, where she worked for more than 
18 years. While serving as executive vice president of Merck and 
president of its consumer care division, she led an organization of 
approximately 2,400 employees and helped the company expand across the 
globe. In honor of all her many accomplishments in the business world, 
Ms. Heller was named one of The 50 Most Powerful Black Women in 
Business by Black Enterprise Magazine, a Women to Watch by Advertising 
Age, and Healthcare Businesswomen's Association Women of the Year. She 
also founded her own consulting firm and has served as a corporate 
director for numerous companies.
  Ms. Heller is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and 
has traveled the world to reinforce infant and maternal health, 
inclusive C-suite for women, and sustainable communities. She is a co-
founder and CEO of the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation (SPPF), named 
in honor of her mother. Under her leadership, the SPPF established the 
MASTR kids program, initially focused on helping to minimize the summer 
learning loss students experience in between terms. The program 
achieved remarkable results--80 percent of the students enrolled 
avoided the summer slide, and three quarters experienced gains in their 
math and reading proficiencies.
  Ms. Heller also continues to give back to her community by helping 
the youth of south St. Petersburg bridge the achievement and literacy 
gaps. Her work has allowed countless students to advance their 
education in STEM fields and improve both their math and reading 
aptitude. She has worked tirelessly to achieve her long-term goal of 
improving the educational experience and outcomes--raising high school 
and college graduation rates, which will lead to better economic 
opportunities, and a more prosperous St. Petersburg.
  Ms. Heller serves on the board of The Foundation for a Healthy St. 
Petersburg, working to provide equity and prosperity to her community, 
treating not just the symptoms of inequality, but creating a community 
built to benefit all. By providing both project funding and training 
sessions, she gives those in her community the tools to improve their 
lives and fuel innovation.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I am honored to 
recognize the outstanding accomplishments, leadership and service of 
Ms. Bridgette Heller, who stands as a shining example of the tremendous 
impact of hard work, nurturing others and service to the community to 
encourage others to reach their highest potential.

                          ____________________