Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Black History Month to celebrate a change agent and one of Tampa Bay’s most accomplished businesswomen, Ms. Bridgette Heller.

Ms. Heller was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Fla. She attended segregated schools through elementary school, but credits success during her formative years to being raised by a village of love that had very high standards for her. She achieved a higher education at Northwestern University, earning a bachelor's degree, then master’s from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Ms. Heller continues to contribute to her alma mater serving on the University’s board of trustees and mentoring the next generation of business leaders.

After graduating from Northwestern University, Ms. Heller spent more than 35 years serving in leadership positions in numerous Fortune 100 companies and private equity-owned enterprises, such as Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Danone and Kraft Foods, where she worked for more than 18 years. While serving as executive vice president of Merck and president of its consumer care division, she led an organization of approximately 2,400 employees and helped the company expand across the globe. In honor of all her many accomplishments in the business world, Ms. Heller was named one of The 50 Most Powerful Black Women in Business by Black Enterprise magazine, a Women to Watch by Advertising Age, and Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Women of the Year. She also founded her own consulting firm and has served as a corporate director for numerous companies.  

Ms. Heller is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and has traveled the world to reinforce infant and maternal health, inclusive C-suite for women, and sustainable communities. She is a co-founder and CEO of the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation (SPPF), named in honor of her mother. Under her leadership, the SPPF established the MASTR kids program, initially focused on helping to minimize the summer learning loss students experience in between terms. The program achieved remarkable results -- 80 percent of the students enrolled avoided the summer slide, and three quarters experienced gains in their math and reading proficiencies.

Ms. Heller also continues to give back to her community by helping the youth of south St. Petersburg bridge the achievement and literacy gaps. Her work has allowed countless students to advance their education in STEM fields and improve both their math and reading aptitude. She has worked tirelessly to achieve her long-term goal of improving the educational experience and outcomes -- raising high school and college graduation rates, which will lead to better economic opportunities, and a more prosperous St. Petersburg. 

Ms. Heller serves on the board of The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, working to provide equity and prosperity to her community, treating not just the symptoms of inequality, but creating a community built to benefit all. By providing both project funding and training sessions, she gives those in her community the tools to improve their lives and fuel innovation.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I am honored to recognize the outstanding accomplishments, leadership and service of Ms. Bridgette Heller, who stands as a shining example of the tremendous impact of hard work, nurturing others and service to the community to encourage others to reach their highest potential.