[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5196]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING IVONNE ALEXANDER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 2010

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor Ivonne Alexander, a leader in South Dade's agriculture industry, 
and Chief Financial Officer of Nature's Way Nursery.
  A native of Havana, Cuba, Ivonne came to the U.S. with her family at 
the age of 12. She studied accounting and finance at Miami-Dade College 
and Florida International University and took her first job with Farm 
Credit in 1972 as an accounting clerk. She later became a loan officer, 
and went on to be Internal Auditor, Senior Vice President and Area 
Manager. In 1995, she left Farm Credit and became general manager for 
Mike Costa Foliage, while at the same time, building her own business, 
Happy Days Nursery, and offering consulting to others.
  Today, Ivonne continues to guide the agribusiness community in South 
Dade, and is the leader on issues affecting the industry like labor, 
immigration, the environment and the economy. She was the first woman 
in the Nation to be a loan officer and certified appraiser with Farm 
Credit and was named Agriculturist of the Year by the Greater 
Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce. She has paved the way for 
others, specifically women, to follow her in the agriculture industry, 
in both farming and business components. Ivonne has the right attitude 
and mind frame to get the job done, and does not stop until she 
achieves positive results. Her passion, commitment and hard work have 
allowed her to get as far as she has, despite the fact that she is a 
woman in what has historically been a man's industry, and has inspired 
others to do the same.
  As we celebrate Women's History Month, I ask that you join me in 
thanking Ivonne Alexander for her contributions to the agriculture 
industry and honoring her work.

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