[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16137]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING BONI FINE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2011

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I stand 
before you today to commend Boni Fine for her service to the community. 
Boni will be recognized for her outstanding commitment to the residents 
of the First Congressional District by the Young Women's Christian 
Association (YWCA) of Northwest Indiana, at its annual Circle of 
Friends Event, held on October 19, 2011.
  Throughout her accomplished career, Boni has held several prestigious 
positions, allowing her to demonstrate the skills and business acumen 
developed as she earned her Master of Business Administration degree 
from Pepperdine University. Her professional experience includes 
Director of Personnel for the Daily Telegraph in London; President and 
Publisher of the Post-Tribune in Merrillville, Indiana; and Vice 
President of Strategic Development/Advertising for the Sun-Times News 
Group in Chicago, Illinois. Moreover, her bachelor degree in social 
work from Syracuse University and her work as a child welfare 
caseworker established the foundation upon which Boni built her 
tireless enthusiasm for improving the quality of life for our area's 
youth.
  Boni's resume highlights many of the organizations in which she 
participates and children in Northwest Indiana are most fortunate to 
have benefitted from her championing their cause. Not only has she 
previously chaired the Juvenile Diabetes Association's Walk to Cure, 
she was a founding member of the Children's Literacy Academy at Indiana 
University Northwest. Further, she has served on the Executive Board of 
the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Indiana. Most recently, Boni 
served as the Interim Executive Director for the YWCA of Northwest 
Indiana, and it is for her work with this organization that she is 
being honored.
  The YWCA of Northwest Indiana traces its roots to a branch office 
that had been located at 30 East 6th Avenue in Gary. Founded in 1921 
with a strong commitment to serve, the organization has become a well-
established institution serving the community for ninety years. 
Currently, the YWCA of Northwest Indiana is governed by an all-female 
Board of Directors committed to offering programs to young women that 
foster their talents and serving as professional role models whom these 
young women may emulate. Under Boni's leadership, this local YWCA has 
provided programs such as the Yes We Can, a youth program to promote 
academic achievement among at-risk children. Additionally, the YWCA of 
Northwest Indiana offers a mentoring program for teen girls in Gary in 
which students are paired with professional women in order to empower 
them and set them upon a path of success. Although this is only a brief 
overview of the extraordinary efforts undertaken by all individuals 
involved in the day-to-day operations of the YWCA of Northwest Indiana, 
it is important to note that they illustrate Boni's genuine devotion to 
its vision: to transform lives by mobilizing our diverse community to 
provide vibrant opportunities and experiences that strive to diminish 
racial and gender disparities in health, education, and wealth 
attainment, while preparing future generations to sustain these 
endeavors.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring Boni Fine for her exceptional community 
service. I know that Boni will continue to touch the lives of numerous 
people, and for her selfless, lifelong service, she is to be commended.

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