Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a lifetime of professional and personal achievements of an outstanding business leader in the Tampa Bay community, Joli Cooper-Nelson. Ms. Cooper’s commitment to her work and our community has truly made her a role model for women everywhere. That is why, in honor of Black History Month, I recognize her selfless dedication and honor her invaluable contributions to Tampa Bay.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Jan Platt and to honor her legacy for the Tampa Bay community. She will always be remembered as an environmental pioneer, champion for “ethics in government” and inspiration for her selfless service.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the distinguished career and leadership of “one of country’s most influential advocates for women’s rights,” Barbara A. Zdravecky. She is retiring after serving 24 years as the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. I am honored to recognize her selfless service and valuable contributions during these challenging times for the health rights of women. A Pennsylvania native, Barbara graduated from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania an...
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Mr. Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I rise today to honor the accomplishments of a true champion of progress, Deborah Olivia Gano. Her invaluable contributions to the Tampa Bay community are an inspiration to us all. Today, I am grateful to recognize her selfless dedication and honor her valuable service to our community. Ms. Gano was born in Tampa, Florida. During her early childhood, she lived in Georgetown, Guyana for 5 years before returning to Tampa, where she graduated from Middl...
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of one of Tampa Bay’s true trailblazer, Alton Maurice White, during Black History Month. He has dedicated himself to improving the lives of others through public service and education. Today, I am grateful to recognize his selfless dedication and honor his valuable service to our community. Mr. White chose early on in his impressive career to dedicate himself to service to his community. Receiving an athletic scholarship attending Florida A&M Univers...
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments of a true champion of progress, Chloe J. Coney. She is retiring this month after 10 years of serving as my district director in Tampa. Her invaluable contributions to the Tampa Bay community are an inspiration to us all. Today, I am grateful to recognize her selfless dedication, honor her valuable service to our community and thank her for her daily efforts to serve our neighbors in Tampa. Known as a “woman who wears many hats,” Mrs. Coney i...
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an extraordinary Tampa resident and Olympian, Theresa A. Manuel. While Ms. Manuel competed internationally in track and field, her undying commitment to students at home as a teacher and coach may have had an even greater impact on the hearts of my neighbors across the Tampa Bay area. Despite growing up during segregation, Theresa Manuel persevered through adversity to become the first African-American woman from Florida to compete in the Olympic Ga...
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the lifetime accomplishments of my friend and the trailblazing Floridian, Mrs. Doretha Edgecomb. Her invaluable contribution to the Tampa Bay community is an inspiration to us all. Today, I am grateful to recognize her selfless dedication and honorable service to our community. Mrs. Edgecomb is a proud graduate of Middleton High School in Tampa, Florida and later Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. She began her esteemed career as a junior high school Engl...
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mary Beth Radigan, an outstanding educator and Hillsborough County’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. After graduating from Ohio University with a degree in Special Education, Ms. Radigan began her illustrious career in special-education classrooms, including nine years in Hillsborough County as an educator for autistic and intellectually delayed students. She currently serves as special education teacher at Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. As a proud par...
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa Bay. With much of the world engulfed in conflict in 1939, the War Department selected Tampa to house a new military air field which would go on to become MacDill Air Force Base. With Tampa’s natural and strategic location, MacDill has grown and expanded over its 75 years serving as a testament to our nation’s military might and Tampa’s dedication to supporting the brave men and women of the Armed Ser...
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