[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E251-E252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING AMANDA BREWER FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON BACON

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 25, 2025

  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize for Women's History 
Month, Amanda Brewer, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity 
of Omaha, who has the heart of service for her community. Amanda was 
raised in Norfolk, Nebraska by her parents Michael and Kathleen 
Jedlicka, graduating from Norfolk Catholic High School, where she was 
instilled with the values of service, compassion, and community. She is 
married to her husband Kelly, and they have a pre-teen daughter, Lydia.
  Amanda went on to graduate from DePaul University. Still, in 1997, 
she felt a call to serve and address inequities in the world that she 
had become aware of. So, she dropped everything and moved from the 
corporate world in Chicago to Georgia, where she became a full-time 
volunteer with Habitat for Humanity International.
  Returning to Nebraska in 1999, she joined Habitat for Humanity of 
Omaha as an associate director. Six years later, she was named CEO and 
has served in that role faithfully and with a dedicated vision.
  Becoming the top-ranked affiliate in families served in the U.S., 
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha has achieved remarkable growth and impact 
under Amanda's leadership. The organization serves five eastern 
Nebraska counties, has built and renovated thousands of homes, and 
developed transformative programs that empower families and strengthen 
communities.
  Amanda knows that preserving communities goes beyond simply building 
homes. She has provided opportunities for families to create 
generational wealth through innovations such as education programs for 
homeowners about wealth transfer and heirs' rights. She has also 
implemented covenants to ensure long-term affordability through 
property tax limits and advocacy efforts. Her vision for communities 
also includes pioneering affordable housing initiatives, advocating for 
equitable homeownership opportunities, and launching partnerships far 
beyond traditional boundaries.
  These accomplishments are monumental but not what Amanda cherishes 
most: the kindness and humanity she has seen in others during her 27 
years of service. She fully embraces the idea that everyone has 
something valuable to offer and talents to share.

[[Page E252]]

  Answering the call to serve is an honorable quality in a person, and 
Amanda's story of courage, compassion, and commitment to others is a 
testimony to the power one person can have when they answer that call. 
Generations of families will feel the ripple effect from her work 
leading Habitat for Humanity Omaha. She truly reflects a life that 
shows when someone shifts from receiving to giving, a world can be 
created where everyone has hope, equity, and opportunity to thrive.