[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19251]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATIONS LUCILLE GRIFFO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2009

  Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I have the greatest respect and admiration 
for those involved in the Girl Scouts of America, and I have always 
attended as many Gold Award Gala ceremonies as I am able in my 
District.
  These programs prepare our girls for the challenges of higher 
education, employment, and adulthood, and their experiences in the Girl 
Scouting program open many doors for them throughout their lives.
  In my hometown of Knoxville, TN, there is one name that is the gold 
standard for devotion to the Girl Scouts: Lucille Griffo.
  Lucille has devoted her career--and her life--to enrich the lives of 
girls in East Tennessee, and they could not have had a better mentor. 
With the Girl Scout Promise as her guide, Lucille has been an 
ambassador for the values and leadership that Girl Scouting teaches.
  After graduating from Jacksonville University in 1969, Lucille set 
out to conquer the business world, but time and again she was told by 
companies that they did not hire women for management. When a recruiter 
sent her to a job interview with the Girl Scouts, she thought her 
gender had type-cast her to a life of arts and crafts.
  For more than 40 years, she has steered countless young girls through 
a transformative time of increasing opportunity for women. As she told 
the Knoxville News Sentinel recently, ``Girls haven't changed--just 
society around them.''
  Her job was much more than arts and crafts. As CEO of the Tanasi 
Council, Lucille was responsible for a multi-million dollar budget and 
13,000 Girl Scouts and volunteers in 16 East Tennessee counties.
  Lucille began her career much before her role in Girl Scout 
management. At age 7, she became a Brownie, and it is an experience she 
describes as sending a shy little girl through a ``journey of self-
confidence.'' It would be hard to count how many girls have benefitted 
from her leadership and example, but I can say that East Tennessee is a 
much better place because of Lucille Griffo's devotion to our youth.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate Lucille Griffo on her 
recent retirement as CEO of the Tanasi Council Inc. in Knoxville, 
Tennessee and bring her remarkable career to the attention of my 
Colleagues and other readers of the Record. I encourage everyone to get 
involved in Girl Scouting programs and help shape our next generation 
of youth. As Lucille would say, ``We need Girl Scouting now more than 
ever.''

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