[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12507-12508]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MARY ALICE McKENZIE

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is a privilege for each of us to 
represent our constituents, and it is a great honor to be able to 
recognize the contributions many of them make to our communities at 
home. On this occasion, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize Mary Alice McKenzie, a fixture in the Burlington, VT, 
community. Ms. McKenzie has served as the executive director of the 
Boys & Girls Club of Burlington since 2007, and during her tenure at 
the club, she has had a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of 
Vermont children. The community is grateful for her service.
  Ms. McKenzie comes from a business and legal background--a 
nontraditional path to her current position that provided her with a 
unique set of skills. Mary Alice began her work at the Boys & Girls 
Club after serving as the chief executive officer of McKenzie Meats 
from 1985 to 2000. She then spent several years in the Vermont State 
college system as general counsel and served with the law firm Paul 
Frank & Collins before taking over at the Boys & Girls Club of 
Burlington in 2007.
  At the Boys & Girls Club, Mary Alice has focused her efforts on 
education. When she realized how few club kids were going on to higher 
education, she enacted the Early Promise program, which targets 
children at a young age who may need additional academic services and 
then provides college scholarships to older youth. As of today, the 
scholarship fund has investments totaling $2.3 million from which to 
draw. In a short time, the club hopes to be able to help 60 Burlington 
children achieve their academic goals in high school and beyond.
  The Boys & Girls Club plays an important role in the lives of more 
than 1,000 Burlington children. Aside from the academic services, the 
club also works to ensure a safe and stable community for its young 
members. When Ms. McKenzie began hearing reports of suspected drug use 
occurring in a park across the street from the club, she assembled a 
task force of local law enforcement officials, social workers, and 
policymakers to work towards a solution that would ensure the safety of 
club kids. The Boys & Girls Club expanded activities in the park and 
eventually took over use of an old storage

[[Page 12508]]

building which is now an academic center.
  Ms. McKenzie has also focused her efforts on children who have 
experienced trauma. Under her leadership, the club has started a 
program to help children deal with the issues that stem from trauma at 
a young age. Their goal is to create stability for children whose home 
lives may be turbulent due to issues such as homelessness and 
addiction. These are profoundly difficult situations for youth to 
handle, and the efforts of the staff at the Boys & Girls Club are 
surely appreciated.
  These efforts have not gone unnoticed. Not only is Ms. McKenzie 
beloved by members of the club who tell stories of her kindness and 
generosity, but in 2014, Ms. McKenzie was granted Champlain College's 
Distinguished Citizen Award for her years of service to the community. 
This award was well deserved; there are few people who dedicate 
themselves to service in the way that Mary Alice McKenzie has.
  During her tenure at the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington, Mary Alice 
McKenzie has repeatedly identified significant issues within the 
community and worked to find creative and lasting solutions. As she 
concludes her years of service with the club, it is clear that her 
efforts have paid off. The Boys & Girls Club has more teens moving on 
to college than ever before, and the club continues to expand, 
providing an invaluable space for Burlington's youth to spend their 
free time. I am very grateful for Mary Alice's tireless dedication, and 
I look forward to seeing what the future of her career brings. Marcelle 
and I think of her as a dear friend.

                          ____________________