[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   A TRIBUTE TO JOEL AND KIT McNALLY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 17, 2014

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise on this occasion to congratulate Joel 
and Kit McNally, recipients of the 2014 James Howard Baker Award, 
established by the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Conference. Joel 
and Kit McNally, having been married for more than 45 years, met while 
attending Indiana University where they both wrote for the college 
paper.
  Kit McNally retired after providing 23 years of distinguished service 
as Chief Executive Officer of the Benedict Center, a non-profit, 
interfaith criminal justice agency that advocates for positive change 
in the criminal justice system. The Center initiated many programs 
under her watch, including the gender-responsive Women's Harm Reduction 
Program, utilized by both the Milwaukee County District Attorney's 
Office and Milwaukee County judges as a diversion from prison program. 
Further, under her direction, the Benedict Center was a statewide 
leader in drafting a model Community Justice Act for Wisconsin designed 
to return money to local communities that reduced state incarceration 
costs through implementation of effective treatment and diversion 
programs. She has served on various national and local boards, 
committees and commissions and continues to serve as the citizen 
representative on the Executive Committee of the Milwaukee Community 
Justice Council which is comprised of top leaders on criminal justice 
issues in Milwaukee County.
  Joel McNally is a national-award-winning Wisconsin journalist based 
in Milwaukee. Joel worked as a reporter, feature writer and satirical 
columnist at the Milwaukee Journal for 27 years. While at the Milwaukee 
Journal, his column was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and he won a 
National Headliners Award for best local column. Joel is currently 
teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and as a syndicated 
columnist, writes for the Capital Times, the Shepherd Express and other 
newspapers where he provides commentary on issues including racial and 
class inequities. He is also a television commentator on the weekly 
INTERchange Program providing the liberal point of view. Joel has 
served as a panelist at our local Community Brainstorming Forums 
Community Brainstorming has met monthly as a breakfast forum to discuss 
and advance the interests of African Americans in particular and 
Milwaukee in general since 1986. Joel and Kit McNally are regular 
attendees at Community Brainstorming Forums.
  Mister Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to 
Joel and Kit McNally who both continue to fight for the rights of the 
poor, disenfranchised and African Americans without the expectation of 
monetary benefit or public accolades. I value their service and am 
proud to call them friends. They have contributed greatly to the 
citizens of the Fourth Congressional District, the State of Wisconsin 
and the nation.

                          ____________________