[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6936]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOMEN'S CENTER AND THE 28TH 
                 ANNUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE HONOREES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 40th 
Anniversary of The Women's Center of Vienna, Virginia, and to 
congratulate the recipients of the 28th Annual Leadership Conference 
Awards.
  Founded in 1974, The Women Center initially focused on career 
counseling and seminars. Since then, the Center has expanded its 
services and become a counseling and resource center for financial, 
career, legal and psychological needs of women, men, and families, 
regardless of their ability to pay. The Center's staff includes more 
than 65 therapists and career counselors who provide a full range of 
services. In the past year, the Center served more than 4,200 clients 
and provided over 31,000 hours of counseling and services.
  For 28 years, The Women's Center has hosted an annual conference. 
This year's Leadership Conference celebrates ``The Power to Influence'' 
and will focus on women's ability to make a positive difference in 
their communities and their own lives. Six women who have made 
extraordinary contributions will also be honored, and I am pleased to 
enter their names into the Congressional Record.
  Maureen Bunyan is an award-winning, veteran television news 
broadcaster and anchor for ABC7/WJLATV. She is a founder and board 
member of the International Women's Media Foundation, a founder of the 
National Association of Black Journalists, a member of the National 
Advisory Board of the Casey Journalism Center on Children & Families, 
the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital Women's Advisory Board, 
the Advisory Committee of Women in Film & Video and Women of 
Washington.
  Susan B. Chodakewitz is a highly recognized and accomplished Senior 
Executive with a track record of turning around, building and growing 
businesses. Ms. Chodakewitz currently serves as President of Tetra Tech 
AMT (AMT), which specializes in aviation management and information 
technology. Under her leadership AMT was named the 2010 Large Business 
of the Year by the FAA. She received the SmartCEO's Brava Award in 2012 
and was named one of the ``2011 Women Who Mean Business'' by the 
Washington Business Journal.
  Holly Petraeus is the Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember 
Affairs for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). An active-
duty military spouse for over 37 years and a former Department of the 
Army civilian employee, Mrs. Petraeus has extensive experience as a 
volunteer leader in military family programs. In recognition of her 
expertise and contributions, Mrs. Petraeus has been awarded the 
Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the 
Department of the Army Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service, 
and the Oklahoma Medal of Freedom.
  Linda Singh is commercial director of Accenture Federal Service's 
public safety business. Her project management and implementation 
experience spans civilian, public safety, and Department of Defense 
organizations. Ms. Singh manages a second career as a brigadier general 
in the Maryland Army National Guard in which she has served for more 
than 32 years. Ms. Singh recently returned from a military deployment 
in Afghanistan, where she served as Afghan Security Forces operations 
chief with the 29th Infantry Division and now serves as the Director of 
the Maryland National Guard joint staff.
  Anne-Marie Slaughter is the president and CEO of the New America 
Foundation and the Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor Emerita 
of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. From 
2009-2011, she served as the director of Policy Planning for the United 
States Department of State, the first woman to hold that position. 
Prior to her government service, Dr. Slaughter was Dean of Princeton's 
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs from 2002-
2009 and Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at 
Harvard Law School from 1994-2002.
  Susannah Wellford is the founder of two organizations designed to 
raise the political voice of young women in America. Ms. Wellford 
founded Running Start to inspire young women and girls to political 
leadership and the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee 
(WUFPAC), which is the only political action committee in the United 
States devoted to helping young women of all parties run for elected 
office.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending The Women's 
Center for improving the psychological, career, financial, and legal 
well-being of women and their families, and in congratulating this 
year's honorees for their tremendous contributions to our community and 
the nation.

                          ____________________