[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E586-E587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING GIGI GODWIN'S DECADES OF LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY 
                                 COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JAMIE RASKIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2024

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my constituent and 
beloved friend, Ms. Gigi Godwin, as she concludes a chapter of 
exemplary service to the people and businesses of Montgomery County. 
Gigi's vision as President and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of 
Commerce (MCCC) expanded the organization into a nationally recognized 
resource for innovative business practices and inclusive programming. 
The communities of Maryland's beautiful Eighth District owe her a debt 
of gratitude for developing vital services for local business owners 
from all walks of life.
  Gigi's career has spanned across the U.S. Congress, the National 
Academy of Sciences' Climate Research Board and the alternative energy 
sector. She found her way to MCCC in 2003 as Director of Education and 
Outreach before rising to become MCCC's President and CEO. She played a 
pivotal role wearing the additional hat of the MCCC Foundation's 
Treasurer, developing educational programs and initiatives to support 
the Montgomery County Chamber Community Foundation's Veteran Institute 
for Procurement. This remarkable program has provided training at no 
expense to nearly 2,500 veteran-owned small businesses to improve their 
access to the federal contract and procurement process. Gigi not only 
recognized our important obligation to ensure that economic 
opportunities are available to veterans--she made it happen, and earned 
a Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition for her efforts in 
2010.
  As a passionate advocate for Montgomery County's local economy, Gigi 
also helped broaden government contracting opportunities to many more 
businesses in Montgomery County. In addition to her work to establish 
veteran-centered procurement training, Gigi seized on the potential of 
Montgomery County's proximity to the engine of federal government to 
start the GovConNet Council, which educates business owners on the 
latest contracting opportunities, and advocated for the unanimous 
passage of the Small Business Runway Extension Act.
  Gigi's service has extended beyond MCCC to encompass some of 
Montgomery County's most beloved and foundational institutions. She 
earned an Honorary Degree from Montgomery College for her five years of 
service advancing education equity on the College's Board of Trustees. 
She also served on the boards of the Montgomery County Business 
Roundtable on Education, the Committee for Montgomery, the Montgomery 
County Executive's Business Advisory Board and Imagination Stage.
  I would be remiss if I failed to mention Gigi's signature grace and 
her steady leadership during some of the most tumultuous economic 
periods in American history. Her service as the head of MCCC spanned 
the depths of the Great Recession and a global pandemic. The economic 
recovery in Montgomery County and the resilience of our small 
businesses is due

[[Page E587]]

in no small part to Gigi's leadership and agile responses to these 
crises and her focus on building the resources, infrastructure, and 
capacity to support our local small businesses.
  In addition to her outstanding professional achievements, Gigi is 
also a beloved wife to her husband Jeff, and amazing mother to three 
children. As she begins this exciting new chapter, I am extending my 
warmest wishes to Gigi and my deep gratitude for her plentiful and 
enduring contributions to the businesses and people of Montgomery 
County.

                          ____________________