[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1799-S1800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               REMEMBERING KENDOLYN LOUISA HODGES-SIMONS

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today in pay tribute to the 
memory of the late Kendolyn Louisa Hodges-Simons, a dedicated public 
servant and Marylander.
  Originally from Brooklyn, Mrs. Hodges-Simons was raised in a loving

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household by her parents and grandmothers. After the loss of her 
father, her mother and grandmother taught her the values of resilience, 
faith, and commitment to excellence. She carried these values 
throughout her life and career as a public servant.
  Before her career with the government, Mrs. Hodges-Simons excelled 
academically. She earned a full academic scholarship to Vassar College 
and graduated with honors. Her passion for justice led her to earn her 
juris doctor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. 
Mrs. Hodges-Simons followed her pursuit for justice and practiced law 
as a clerk and as an attorney specializing in telecommunications law.
  She continued to use her law degree as a public servant, serving our 
Nation through her positions at the Federal Communications Commission, 
the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Federal Aviation 
Administration, the District of Columbia's Office of the People's 
Counsel, and the DC Department of the Environment. Mrs. Hodges-Simons 
was a champion for strengthening our environmental policies. As chief 
of the Office of Enforcement and Environmental Justice for the DC 
Department of the Environment, she advocated for better environmental 
policies to protect underserved communities.
  Mrs. Hodges-Simons was committed to serving her local community as 
well. She dedicated herself to community service, made a lasting impact 
as the first PTA president of Ernest Everett Just Middle School, and 
was an active member of her church, the First Baptist Church of 
Glenarden.
  Mrs. Hodges-Simons' memory is cherished by the many people whose 
lives she touched, but especially by her family. She is survived by her 
husband Don; her children Donielle and Kenneth, who is a treasured 
former member of my Senate staff; her mother Mary; and her sister 
Karin. I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our appreciation to 
the late Mrs. Hodges-Simons and her family for all she has done for our 
community and country.

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