Madam Speaker, in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month, I recognize Michelle Allman. Michelle, otherwise known as Coach Mea Allman, born in Jamaica, comes from a diverse, mixed cultural heritage: her…
Madam Speaker, in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month, I recognize Michelle Allman.
Michelle, otherwise known as Coach Mea Allman, born in Jamaica, comes from a diverse, mixed cultural heritage: her father, Costa Rican, and her mother, Jamaican, Arawak Indian, Scot. She was raised in Canada and now resides in Florida.
She noticed early in her career the bullying of young people with cultural accents in schools and the general lack of awareness about their Caribbean heritage. Coach Mea felt a need to be part of educating her Caribbean-American community by publishing an online publication called Karibbean Under One Magazine in 2008, along with her son, Michael Morgan, as cofounder and CFO, to show the richness of diverse cultures; to be a community liaison for other Caribbean organizations and businesses to provide resources, outreach, disaster relief; and to help others to unite and grow our cultural awareness in the larger community.
As a cultural advocate, she is passionate about building a welcoming community with her Women of Kulture brand that comes together as community leaders to educate, empower, and celebrate while keeping their own sense of cultural identity.
As a certified professional life, health, and nutrition coach, she encourages others to make, meet, and exceed goals in both their personal and
professional lives by using her success as a 21-year breast cancer survivor as a health advocate to produce and host her monthly virtual
Madam Speaker, in honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, I would like to recognize Rachelle R. Grand-Pierre.
Rachelle R. Grand-Pierre is the founder of RGP Law Firm, a boutique immigration law firm in central Florida specializing in immigration, removal defense, and humanitarian relief.
Rachelle received her bachelor of arts degree in English, creative writing, at the University of Central Florida. She earned her Juris Doctor at Barry University where she was a member of the inaugural class of the collaborative family law clinic.
Rachelle currently serves on the executive board of the Central Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association as regional vice president of Orlando where she liaises between the organization and the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services office in Orlando.
As the daughter of brave, hardworking, Haitian immigrants, Rachelle saw firsthand how immigrants selflessly dedicate themselves to providing better lives for their families. For this reason, Rachelle has a passion for fighting for immigrants to have the ability to live, love, and work in the United States the way she has been blessed to do.
Rachelle has had the opportunity to help hundreds of immigrants in her career, and she hopes that she will continue to touch the lives of countless others. Even though she is from south Florida, Rachelle has called central Florida her home for over 14 years.
When Rachelle is not tirelessly fighting for her clients, she can be found traveling, cooking, and spending quality time with her family.
For this and more, Ms. Rachelle R. Grand-Pierre, we honor you.
Honoring Doreen Edwards-Barker
Madam Speaker, in honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, I would like to recognize Doreen Edwards-Barker.
Originally of Caribbean descent from Jamaica West Indies, Doreen Edwards-Barker relocated to Boston, Massachusetts, in the early seventies.
Doreen's philosophy is ``no one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.'' She has accomplished this by pursuing a nursing degree and attending Bethel Bible College. While attending Bethel Bible College, Doreen joined a street outreach ministry team feeding the homeless on the streets.
Looking at the possibility of a life change and an escape from cold winters, Doreen and her husband, Aldwin Barker, chose to call Kissimmee, Florida, their new home in 2002. Immediately, Doreen saw the same need that she saw in Boston. She realized helping others was the secret to living a happier, healthier, and more productive, and meaningful live.
Her passion was in her giving. They founded Clarita's House, Inc., and that later changed to Clarita's House Outreach Ministry, Inc., or CHOM, as a testament to her late mother, Clarity Edwards. The outreach ministry has covered areas in Orlando for the Coalition For the Homeless as well as now in Kissimmee.
CHOM consistently serves the unsheltered and homeless by helping to build trust relationships with those hardest to reach. They also reach out to people living in the woods and homeless shelters of the community. This is done by providing groceries, new and gently used clothing, hygiene supplies, and down-payment assistance when needed.
CHOM also works with the Infinite Scholars Program, facilitating scholarship fairs for more than 500 students and their families, resulting in $10 million in scholarship offers.
Doreen has been recognized multiple times within the community, even though she has never sought recognition for her work.
CHOM was awarded the 2021 Best of Kissimmee award in the category of charity services. Additionally, CHOM accepted the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida's selection as the 2020 Osceola County Agency of the year.
For this and more, Ms. Doreen Edwards-Barker, we honor you.
Honoring Andy King
Madam Speaker, in honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, I would like to recognize Andy King.
Andy King currently works in the Finance/Shared Services department for the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
For the past 10 years, Andy has served as president of the board of directors of Southchase Parcel 5 Homeowners Association and served previously as president of the Southchase West Master Homeowners Association. His career also allowed for exposure in the management of some prominent business departments in the private and public sectors, such as banking, customer service, credit management, and a stint in project management with New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
He is also a founding member and past-president of the Guyanese- American Cultural Association of Central Florida, treasurer of the Ann Marie De Goveia Scholarship Fund, and immediate past-president and current chairman of the advisory board of the Caribbean and Floridian Association.
Andy credits these experiences with helping him to lead the call for the promotion and introduction of programs and activities that are consistent with the desires of the Caribbean-American community.
He was instrumental in launching the annual Caribbean Fusion Festival in Osceola County, a cultural collaboration between CAFA and the City of Kissimmee, and also the annual Turkey Giveaway at Thanksgiving in Kissimmee. Andy is married and the father of two.
For this and more, Mr. Andy King, we honor you.
Honoring Sterling Blake
Madam Speaker, in honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, I would like to recognize Sterling Blake.
Hailing from Jamaica West Indies, Sterling C. Blake came to the great United States of America as a sugarcane farmworker. He has resided in Kissimmee, Florida, for most of his life, where he served as an assistant pastor at the Church of God in Christ for 24 years.
Sterling then started a landscaping company in 1987, and the company grew tremendously. In 1994, Sterling Silver Scape & Sod, Inc., was nominated as the third largest African-American business in the central Florida area, and he was featured in the Orlando Business Journal that same year, and also in 2006. Sterling was also honored by the Orange County Minority Board department.
Sterling served on the board of the Council on Aging for 10 years and is also the pastor of Restore the Path for Christ church located in Kissimmee, Florida.
Sterling was also a member of the Tuskegee Airmen for over 10 years, and his commitment to the Tuskegee Airmen has afforded him the honor of a red jacket.
Sterling has served his community well by feeding the poor, visiting the sick in the hospitals, and helping the needy. Sterling is known in his community as an upstanding and honest businessman.
For this and more, Mr. Sterling Blake, we honor you.
Honoring Grace Peek-Harris
Madam Speaker, in honor of LGBTQ-plus Pride Month, I would like to recognize Ms. Grace Peek-Harris.
Ms. Grace Peek-Harris has served the central Florida LGBTQ-plus community for several years. Grace's Navy career brought her to the region in the 1990s where she served on several deployments, including Operation Enduring Freedom. In 1998, she transitioned from active duty to the reserves and joined the Orlando Police Department.
While at OPD, she became well-known as an advocate for LGBTQ-plus issues and a friend to the LGBTQ-plus community. After the Pulse tragedy, Grace was officially appointed as the lead LGBTQ liaison where she continued to foster numerous relationships throughout the Orlando area and became the first full-time driver of the #0049 Orlando United patrol car. While in this role, Grace played an integral part in expanding the Safe Place program where over 230 Orlando businesses display a sticker identifying them as a safe place to report LGBTQ crimes.
In 2019, Grace founded the Gay Officers Action League of Central Florida, GOALcfl, whose mission is to support, educate, and promote positive relationships between LGBTQ, law enforcement and the communities they serve. Under her leadership as president, GOALcfl has become a driving force within the community by bridging the gap between the two.
She has led the organization through tremendous growth and has supported many central Florida LGBTQ-plus non-profits. In 2021, GOALcfl hosted their first major training event in partnership with the Matthew Shepard Foundation. This day-long program educated many community advocates, law enforcement, and legal personnel on current hate crimes legislation.
Grace retired as a commander from the Navy after 23 years and retired as a master sergeant from OPD after 20 years.
She currently enjoys serving on the board of The Center and GOALcfl and continuing to volunteer with LGBTQ-plus organizations, including Zebra Coalition and KindRED Pride Foundation.
Grace lives in Windermere with her wife, Elie and their son, Dylan.
For this and more, Ms. Grace Peek-Harris, we honor you.
Honoring Eleanor McDonough
In honor of LGBTQ-plus Pride Month, I would like to recognize Eleanor McDonough.
Ms. Eleanor McDonough was born and raised in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, to parents Frank and Sally McDonough. She moved to Kissimmee, Florida, in 2016 where she came out as a transgender woman. She currently works as a legislative assistant to Representative Kristen Arrington of Kissimmee, Florida, House District 43, and is the only out transgender person working at the Florida Capitol.
She previously worked for the Florida Democratic Party as a field organizer in Osceola County in the Celebration, Reunion, and Champions Gate area. She currently serves as the corresponding secretary of the Osceola County Democratic Executive Committee, is the deputy director of Region 4, central Florida, of the Florida LGBTQ-plus Democratic Caucus, is the secretary of the Florida Democratic Party Diversity and Inclusion Committee, is the secretary of the Osceola County Democratic Women's Club, and is a board member of the Democrats of St. Cloud and the Osceola County LGBTQ-plus Democratic Caucus.
She is also passionate about commonsense gun reform as a volunteer and former social media lead of the Osceola County chapter of Moms Demand Action.
In 2019 Eleanor graduated from the National Democratic Training Committee Staff Academy in the digital organizing track. Before her career in politics, she previously worked in the technology field for 20 years and was a small business owner.
She has three siblings: her brother Joseph McDonough, and her sisters Virginia and Siobhan McDonough. She is also the proud aunt of nephews Connor Fresia and Gus McDonough.
Eleanor is working to make the world a better place, especially for transgender kids. She looks forward to serving her community in Kissimmee for many years to come.
For this and more, Ms. Eleanor McDonough, we honor you.
Honoring Mandy Kimmer
In honor of LGBTQ-plus Pride Month I would like to recognize Mandy Kimmer.
Mandy Kimmer, APR, CPRC, is the public information officer for Orange County Parks and Recreation, having worked there for 13 years.
Born and raised near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she earned her BA degrees in public relations, journalism, and economics from Florida Southern College in Lakeland in 1983.
In 2015 she and friend Karen Castelloes cofounded the Zebra Coalition's Jefferson R. Voss Education Fund for LGBTQ-plus students in central Florida, establishing an endowed scholarship at the University of Central Florida and helping direct funds from a separate donation for students pursuing courses for a GED or technical and community college. Since the inception of this funding, numerous students have received thousands of dollars in financial assistance to further their education.
After the Pulse tragedy occurred in Orlando on June 12, 2016, Mandy formed the LGBTQ Pride and Allies of Orange County for county colleagues and others outside the organization. Knowing that people wanted to help and needed to heal, she invited LGBT community leaders to speak at meetings held in Orange County's administration building. Topics included volunteer opportunities with Zebra Coalition, civil rights work of Equality Florida, community involvement of The LGBT-plus Center Orlando, personal transgender stories, and coming-out experiences of youth and adults. Five years later this small assembly is now in the process of meeting requirements to become a recognized employee resource group for the Orange County government's 8,000 employees.
Mandy has sung first alto and second soprano parts in the Orlando Gay Chorus for the past 4 years and is a 9-year breast cancer survivor. She is the proud mom of sons Matthew Luber, a former U.S. marine, and Andrew Luber, who is majoring in accounting at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
For this and more, Ms. Mandy Kimmer, we honor you.
Honoring Brandon Wolf
In honor of LGBTQ-plus Pride Month, I would like to recognize Brandon Wolf.
Life changed for Brandon Wolf when, on June 12, 2016, he escaped Pulse nightclub with his life. That night a gunman murdered 49 mostly LGBTQ people of color, including his best friends, Drew and Juan, celebrating in their safe space.
In the wake of the tragedy, Brandon dedicated his life to honoring the victims with action. He has become a fierce advocate for commonsense gun safety reforms, becoming the first survivor of the shooting to share his testimony before this Congress. He frequently steps forward to share his story courageously and demands better from lawmakers.
Brandon has also become an unapologetic advocate for LGBTQ civil rights, amplifying the voices of marginalized people and resisting homophobia and transphobia.
He cofounded The Dru Project, a youth-serving organization that has given over $100,000 in college funding to emerging LGBTQ leaders. Brandon also serves as the media relations manager for Equality Florida, our State's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization
For this and more, Mr. Brandon Wolf, we honor you.
Honoring Lisa Barr
In honor of LGBTQ-plus Pride Month, I would like to recognize Ms. Lisa Barr.
Lisa Barr joined the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, Inc., in August of 2014 as executive director, prior to which she was the vice president of development at Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, Florida. Lisa spent over 20 years as a Department of Defense contractor prior to moving to the nonprofit sector. She holds an MBA in management from the Johns Hopkins University and has a diverse background in the fields of government defense contracting, business consulting, not-for-profit leadership, and fundraising.
Her major career accomplishments include leading the expansion of a small, grassroots health organization into a regional operation with multiple satellite locations and successfully
leading 22 government subcontractors to surpass their targets throughout the rebuild challenges following the September 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.
Lisa is known throughout the region as a thought leader when it comes to innovation and new ideas to address the area's health disparities. She has recently been featured on WKMG News 6 for her work on HIV prevention and education and the reopening of a new medical facility.
She has contributed to the field of HIV and not-for-profit management through speaking engagements, mentorship of senior organizational leaders, and volunteer service on major projects, including the United States Conference on AIDS. Lisa has fostered an environment of excellence, compassion, and service that has earned Hope and Health the reputation of the warm hug of healthcare.
In her spare time Lisa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and building houses with Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County Women Build.
For this and more, Ms. Lisa Barr, we honor you.
Honoring Joel Junior Morales
Madam Speaker, in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, I would like to recognize Joel Junior Morales.
Joel Junior Morales--pronouns he, him, his, el,--is a proud queer Puerto Rican. He is currently the operations director for the LGBT+ Center Orlando, spearheading efforts to affirm and empower the LGBTQ+ community.
Morales served as a victim service navigator during the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016. He assisted more than 900 individuals and 255 families, alongside 50 other government, community, and business organizations at the Family Assistance Center, which transitioned to being what is known now as the Orlando United Assistance, currently under Joel's leadership.
He was instrumental in creating the Central Florida LGBTQ+ Relief Fund, a collaboration of several LGBTQ organizations and mutual aid fund that helped over 700 LGBTQ+ families during the peak of the pandemic in 2020.
Throughout volunteerism, a longstanding community builder, Joel is one of the cofounders of QLatinx, a grassroots racial, social, and gender justice organization dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of the LGBTQ+ Latinx community.
He also serves on many community boards, including grant committee member for Contigo Fund, stakeholder forum for the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center, leadership team for the American Cancer Society, and others.
An advocate for survivors, he was trained and certified with the Florida Crisis Response Team. Joel is also the regional chapter coordinator for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. He advocated and organized around Florida House bill 7125. The new Florida policy improves the probation system, gets Floridians back to work, and removes barriers to victims' compensation.
In addition, Joel has recently joined the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center as a consultant under the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program, working closely with other trauma centers around the Nation. He aims to continue his efforts through social justice and advocacy.
For this and more, Mr. Joel Junior Morales, we honor you.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
