[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8628-8629]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF CORLISS UDOEMA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 2, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my constituent, 
Corliss Udoema, who is a successful entrepreneur and holds the unique 
distinction of being selected as the 2017 Virginia Small Business 
Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
  Corliss began her career in the federal government, where she worked 
with the U.S. Marine Corps, Department of the Navy, and the Department 
of the Army. Then after a successful 32-year career with the federal 
government, Corliss started Contract Solutions, Inc. (CSI) in 2006. CSI 
is a small business whose mission is to assist federal, state and local 
governments, private for-profit and non-profit clients, by offering 
professional staffing and management support services. Since its 
inception, CSI has thrived, as it has evolved from a one-person company 
to a multi-million-dollar business. CSI has proven to be a model for 
other businesses to emulate, which is why in 2013 it was chosen to 
participate in the U.S. Small Business Administration's esteemed 
Mentor-Protege Program, designed to enable

[[Page 8629]]

successful companies to develop strong protege firms by providing newer 
firms still in their nascent with various forms of business development 
assistance.
  I am impressed by Corliss's dedication and how in just a mere decade 
she has transformed CSI from a small startup business into a tremendous 
success and engine of economic growth. Starting and operating any small 
business, let alone one as successful as CSI, is an incredibly arduous 
process, as small business owners face many challenges and obstacles. 
The success of CSI is a testimony to Corliss's hard work, commitment, 
and innovative ideas. In addition to her extensive and distinguished 
career in the federal government and private sector, Corliss has always 
found time to serve her community. She is the founder and president of 
Agape Love in Action, a nonprofit organization which provides support 
for those in need, and serves as a minister at Mount Olive Baptist 
Church in Centreville, Virginia.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Corliss Udoema for her 
extraordinary achievement. I look forward to her ongoing contributions 
to Prince William County's diverse and innovative small business 
community and I wish her the best in her future endeavors.

                          ____________________