[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 1612]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ELSIE MEEKS

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to publicly honor 
Elsie Meeks of Kyle, SD, on her appointment to the Federal Reserve 
Board's Consumer Advisory Council.
  Elsie will join 29 other members, selected from 167 nominees, on the 
Council for a 3-year term. Established by Congress in 1976, the 
Consumer Advisory Council advises the Federal Reserve Board on the 
exercise of its duties under the consumer credit protection laws and on 
other consumer-related matters, representing the interests both of 
consumers and the financial community.
  Elsie's numerous accomplishments are remarkable. An enrolled member 
of the Oglala Lakota Tribe, she helped develop and was Executive 
Director of the Lakota Fund, a Native American community development 
financial institution on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South 
Dakota. Co-owner of the Long Creek Grocery in Wanblee, she received the 
distinguished ``South Dakota Minority Small Business Advocate of the 
Year'' award. In 1998 Elsie was nominated for Lieutenant Governor, 
becoming the first Native American woman nominated by a major party on 
a gubernatorial ticket in South Dakota. She was appointed by Senator 
Daschle in 1999 to serve as the first Native American on the U.S. 
Commission on Civil Rights.
  Currently, Elsie is a board member of the National Community Capital 
Association and is the Executive Director of First Nations Oweesta 
Corporation, a subsidiary corporation of First Nations Development 
Institute, which provides technical assistance and training for the 
development and expansion of Native American community development 
financial institutions.
  It is an honor for me to share Elsie's accomplishments with my 
colleagues and to publicly commend her for honorably serving South 
Dakota and the Nation. This prestigious honor is a reflection of her 
extraordinary service, commitment, and unwavering dedication to the 
Native American community. She will be a tremendous asset to the 
Consumer Advisory Council. Her accomplishments serve as a wonderful 
example for other hard-working and dedicated South Dakotans to emulate. 
On behalf of all South Dakotans, I would like to congratulate Elsie and 
wish her continued success.

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