Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable individual, Dr. Kalanya Moore.

Kalanya Moore serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Field Experiences and Clinical Practices and School District Partnership Liaison for the Teacher Education Council Departmental Governing Board in the Teacher Education Department at Mississippi Valley State University. She collaborates with District Superintendents, District and Building-Level Administration, Cooperating Teachers, and MVSU University Content Area Supervising Educators in the Elementary and Secondary Area Departments to develop and maintain relationships that lead to quality field experiences for Teacher Candidates at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Moore has also served as Teacher Education Department Acting Chair and Coordinator of the Master of Arts in Teaching (Certification) Program.

She monitors the adherence of the MVSU Education Preparation Program to the Mississippi Department of Education certification guidelines for field experiences, student teaching, and graduate internships. Prior to joining higher education full-time, she obtained 15 years of P-12 experience. Her work experiences include Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten teacher, District Instructional Curriculum Coach (K-6), Adjunct Professor of On-Ground and Online Universities, Child Development Center Director, and Educational Consultant to HBCU Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Graduate programs within the Southern Region.

Additionally, she serves as a Professional Development Specialist (PDS) for the Council for Professional Recognition-Child Development Associate (CDA) and Consultant to MS Head Start Agencies, Preschool Programs, and School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the state.

Her Spiritual Mantra derives from Galatians 6:9--Let us not become weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not; and II Corinthians 5:7--For we walk by faith, not by sight. Her life's most pivotal role is being wife of Mr. Reginald Moore of Greenwood, MS, and the mother of Reginald II and Jordan Moore.

Dr. Moore serves as a mentor, advocate and ``voice'' to student education candidates, early career educators and those seeking guidance into the education profession.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Kalanya Moore for her dedication to education and commitment to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of a remarkable individual, retired Dr. Shanti Pandey.

Dr. Shanti Pandey is being recognized for both her service and for her successful tenure

as a doctor in Jefferson County, Mississippi for over 50 years. Dr. Pandey recently retired in 2020, came to the Jefferson County area in 1969, accompanying her late husband, Dr. Tiwari, Ph.D., who accepted a job offer in the Department of Agriculture at Alcorn State University. Taking the advice of Dr. Tiwari's associates, Dr. Pandey considered Jefferson County, particularly Fayette and set up practice in June 1970.

Dr. Pandey who is now around 85 years old, began her practice in Fayette on Harrison Street. A number of years later, she built the Arbind Clinic on South Main Street, directly across from Jefferson County Hospital. This site remained the home of her practice until her recent retirement.

Dr. Pandey, a native of India, graduated from Panta Medical College in 1958 and completed her internship in 1960. She began practicing medicine in her native country but soon came to America with her husband who worked on a terminal degree at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Pandey began her practice in America at the Central State Hospital at the Milledgeville, Georgia, beginning in December 1967. She left Central State Hospital in Milledgeville and moved to Alcorn State on September 1, 1969.

Dr. Pandey falls into a unique and illustrious group of doctors who have placed dedication and service at the top of their agendas. Dr. Pandey's walls are filled with certificates that attest to her endowments. One special certificate that many doctors do not receive reads that Dr. Pandey was inducted into the 50-Year Club by the American Medical Association in 2008. Another certificate attests to her attainment as Board Certified in Family Medicine.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, legacy, and service of Dr. Shanti Pandey.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable hero, Mrs. Maotha Anderson McDaniel Robinson.

Mrs. Maotha Anderson McDaniel Robinson was born January 29, 1920, in Avon, Mississippi. On Friday, January 29, 2021, a precious gift of life and love, celebrated her 101st birthday with her family and friends.

From her humble beginnings in rural Bolivar and Sunflower Counties, Mrs. Robinson, along with her brother and sister, were raised on a system of integrity premised on the tenets of love, kindness and compassion imparted by their parents. Her parents focus was to instill a central moral compass that echoed the heart of the Good Samaritan and core ethical values encompassed in the importance of work, family, community and the love of God. Known for her kindness and willingness to assist others, Mrs. Robinson has devoted most of her life as the matriarch, not only of her family, but of her community as well as the oldest living female resident of the City of Shaw, Mississippi.

Mrs. Robinson is a God-fearing Christian, a devoted wife and nurturing mother of eight children. She is the living embodiment of a woman of Proverbs 31:10. She is a woman after God's own heart, committed to her faith, her family and her friends. Her faithful membership of Poplar Grove Baptist Church and as a dedicated member of the Heroines of Jericho, has shown her as an upstanding pillar in the community.

Mrs. Robinson remains the archetype icon and central foundation of a family that retains an unbreakable bond of love, honor, devotion,

commitment and encouragement for each generation. She continues to be a blessing to others through her impartation words of Christian advice and wise counsel to those in her company as a reminder of God's unfailing love for us all, and continues to enjoy the affection, appreciation, encouragement, love and respect.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Maotha Anderson McDaniel Robinson for her dedication to serving her family, community, and state.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and ambitious woman of God, Pastor Lora Miles. Pastor Miles has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to teach the word of God.

Recently, Pastor Miles was recognized by the Yazoo County Regional Facility Chaplaincy's Department as its first African American female prison minister.

Pastor Miles is a native of Elizabeth, Mississippi, and currently serves as the Pastor of the Everlasting Love Ministry in Leland, MS. She has been involved in ministry work for nearly 30 years. It was after the passing of her son in 2014 that she hit the ground running in prison ministry--a safe haven to encourage her heart. She started her prison ministry at the Washington County Correctional Facility of Greenville, where she gives messages of hope and faith to hundreds of female inmates.

In 2019, Pastor Miles decided to expand her prison ministry to Yazoo County, where she now serves as the first female to minister at the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility, an all-male state facility.

Through her services in Yazoo County, inmates continue to receive Christ and inspirations through her messages of love. On Friday nights, at the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility, there are not enough chairs to accommodate all the men who are eager to attend the church services led by Pastor Miles. She is making a significant impact at the facility, and the lives of many men are being transformed.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Pastor Lora Miles for her dedication to serving others and giving back to her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and ambitious woman, Ms. Denisha Gray. Denisha has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to educate Warren County youth.

Denisha, a resident of Vicksburg, Mississippi, earned her bachelor's degree in general studies from Alcorn State in 2013. In 2018, she earned her master's degree from Louisiana Tech University.

Denisha Gray, a second-grade teacher at Dana Road Elementary School, said it is important that, through her teaching, her students are connected to the world around them, and that the lessons they learn connect them to that world. Before joining the staff at Dana Road Elementary, Gray taught one year at Vicksburg Intermediate School, her first with the Vicksburg Warren School District. Prior to that, she spent one year as a fourth-grade teacher and four years as a third- grade teacher at Wright Elementary School in Tallulah.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Denisha Gray for her passion and dedication to serving Warren County and her desire to make a difference in the community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a businesswoman and community leader, Mrs. Patricia Johnson Love.

Patricia Dale Johnson Love graced the earth in September of 1969. She is the third youngest of many siblings. She was born to the late Lucious and Jessie Mae Johnson. On a gloomy day, while she was only 3 years old, in March of 1972, the youngest of the siblings was born. After her mother gave birth to her little sister, she hemorrhaged and transitioned. Ten years later, when she was only 13 years old, her father passed away. Although Love was too young to understand, life for her was about to be a challenge.

She spent her childhood in different homes. Not all of them were good, but she and her siblings made the best of them. She would often think about the mile walk to the well to carry water, with no shoes on, on a rock road. She and her siblings trusted God every step of the way.

Love graduated from Quitman County High School in 1987. She attended Northwest Community College and graduated with an associate degree in Basic Computer Programming. While at Northwest, she made her money by fixing young ladies' hair in the dormitory. After a year of employment, she decided to save her money and attend Cosmetology school.

Love began her career as a licensed cosmetologist in 1993 at Lewis Beauty Salon in Marks, Mississippi. In 2002, she stepped out on faith and opened her own salon. She wanted to give new stylists a place to start their career. Her favorite clients were the elderly. She would pick up those who needed a ride and take them home. She never gave it a thought because their children would be at work. Sometimes, she would even have to take them to the grocery store or the post office before driving them home.

In 1994 during the ice storm, God gave her a gift. She named her gift, Altrevia Rashun

Jackson. Love became a single parent when her child was only four years old. During this time, she became ill. For three years, she suffered with Crohn's disease. She kept the faith and prayed that God will let her raise her child. After surgery in 1999, she was healed.

In 2013, she married Donnie Ray Love. Donnie was also a businessman, who inspired her to pursue other avenues. Together, they have 4 children.

After her daughter graduated from high school, she was hesitant on completing college. Love knew her daughter's capabilities, and she knew she had become distracted. She challenged her to a bachelor's degree. She attended Mississippi Valley State University and asked her daughter to attend. She knew that she had bitten off a bit much, but there was no turning back. The bond between the two grew even more, as they traveled to school together at night.

In 2017, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Occupational Management. She wanted a mother and daughter graduation, but her daughter was not quite ready. She finished the next year in 2018.

Love's professors thought it would be great for her to pursue a master's degree. She knew it would be difficult, but not impossible. In 2019 she received her master's degree in Business Administration, with honors.

Patricia understands the full phrase of ``it takes a village to raise a child.'' She sees guiding children as a community effort. She loves children and wishes she could save them all. Therefore, she enjoys spending her spare time volunteering and tutoring at the Village in Marks, Mississippi.

Love is the owner and operator of PJs Salon for 21 years and has served 28 years in the business.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Patricia Johnson Love for her dedication in serving her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Wiley Rickman White. Mr. White was born January 14, 1931 in Mounds, Oklahoma. He was the ninth born of 10 children to the union of Norecker Harrell and Frank Joseph White. Mr. White grew up in a Christian family where Christian values were instilled and reinforced by his parents and their Church.

He attended public schools in Mounds and graduated from Wheatly High School where he played football.

Mr. White was an exceptional athlete at his High School and as a result of his abilities, he earned a football scholarship to attend Jackson State University in Mississippi where he displayed his talent on the field as a member of the JSU Tigers football team for four years as an undergraduate. Later, Mr. White was honored by his Alma Mater by being inducted in the Sports Hall of Fame wherein he was the 35th athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the University's 103- year existence. As an honoree Mr. White was presented a plaque and a medal.

Mr. White was also a very good student where he maintained a 3.5 grade average and was a Charter Member of The Delta Delta Chapter, Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. Mr. White completed college and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree even while his studies were temporarily interrupted to serve his time in the U.S. Military where he moved up in the ranks as Sergeant in the U.S. Army serving in the Korean War. He earned an Honorable Discharge in 1960.

Jackson State University is where Mr. White met the love of his life, Miriam H. Webb. The two married on December 22, 1951 and welcomed two children into the family during the mid-sixties. After finishing college and fulfilling his service obligation the two moved to Los Angeles, California in 1955. There, Mr. White worked at Markham Jr. High School as a physical education instructor. Because of his love for sports and athleticism, Mr. White began officiating high school basketball sporting events. He was later recognized by the IAABO (International Association of Approved Basketball Officials) as the first negro ever elected Secretary Treasurer of the organization. The IAABO is the largest organization of its kind in the world where they have jurisdiction over all high schools, semipro, and small college basketball officials. Mr. White also taught and coached football at Jordan High School in Los Angeles.

Education was very important to Mr. White and he enrolled in The University of Southern California (USC) where he received a master's degree in business administration. Mr. White then expanded his career in teaching and worked as an educator/administrator in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 30 plus years and held positions as a classroom teacher, assistant counselor, assistant registrar, coach, youth service director, student body advisor, and vice principal mainly at the high school level until he officially retired in 1992.

From 1968 through 1969 Wiley and his beautiful wife Miriam, built their dream home in Baldwin Hills, CA and moved their family into the home where they raised their children. The home was the site for many family parties, gatherings, holiday dinners, reunions, rehearsals, and meetings where he hosted numerous Jackson State University Alumni meetings and served as the Alumni's President for the Los Angeles Chapter.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the late Mr. Wiley Rickman White.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of a remarkable individual, retired Captain Percy Owens Norwood Jr.

Retired U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Percy Owens Norwood Jr. was born February 14, 1946, in Memphis to Percy and Charlie Lott Norwood. Capt. Norwood of Carrollton, 74, was called to his heavenly home on Friday, November 27, 2020, at Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital in Winona.

As a young man, Capt. Norwood enlisted in the United States Coast Guard on November 20, 1970. After almost 30 years of outstanding and dedicated service to our nation, he retired with the rank of captain on October 1, 2000. At the time of his retirement, he held three key positions: Commanding officer of Coast Guard Headquarters Support Command, commanding officer of Coast Guard Headquarters staff, and executive officer of Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Percy received numerous personal awards that include the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Coast Guard Commendation Medals, and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal. His nonmilitary awards include the National Image Incorporated Award (1993), the National Naval Officers Association's (NNOA) Dorie Miller Award (1993), the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) Distinguished Alumni Award (1995), and the NAACP Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award (1995). Mr. Norwood was inducted into the Alcorn State University Hall of Honor in 2006 for his outstanding leadership and service and elected by his fellow Alumni as Alcornite of the Year in 2008 as Alcorn State University most distinguished alumnus.

Capt. Norwood leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Bessie Marie Norwood; his children, Angelia Lavette Collins, Kelvin King Shaifer, Lindsey Marie Norwood Carson (Nathaniel) and Matthew Reginald Norwood; his grandchildren Devon, Shy, Nathaniel III, Alexis and Camerin; his great-grandchildren, Alex, Emberly and Zaniyah; his siblings Laura Norwood Davis, Willie Norwood, James Norwood (Rosie) and Ruther Flowers; his sister-in-law, Verna Norwood; his god-sister, Willie Mae Smith; his aunt, Emma Harrison; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, legacy and service of Captain Percy Owens Norwood Jr.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Meredith Anding, Jr., a native of Myles, Mississippi. Mr. Anding and eight other undergraduate students at Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS

were on a mission to desegregate the library system in Jackson, Mississippi. As part of their effort they courageously staged a sit-in on March 27, 1961 at the Jackson Public Library in Jackson, MS. This sit-in was initiated after the students recognized the lack of books at the George Washington Branch Library (colored). Prior to their ``read- in'' the students had been trained by the president of the Jackson Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The nine students were all members of the Jackson Council of the NAACP. As a result of their historic impact in integrating the public library system in Mississippi, they will be forever known as ``The Tougaloo Nine''.

The nine students were arrested and after being released from jail Mr. Anding joined the Air Force, due to losing his private loan to continue his studies at Tougaloo College. Mr. Anding would serve four years in the Air Force and later return to Tougaloo in 1969 to finish his degree. Mr. Anding moved to Buffalo, New York, to attend the University of Buffalo and earned his master's degree in Mathematics. He met his wife of 50 years, Mrs. Maurice Anding. He taught at the State University of New York and Niagara University until his retirement in 2007.

Mr. Anding and his wife eventually moved back to Mississippi to be close to family. Anding was involved in the Tougaloo community and he also attended the 50th anniversary of the protest in 2017.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the late Mr. Meredith Anding Jr.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Mrs. Allie D. Foster Jackson. Allie was born August 4, 1927 in Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Mrs. Jackson confessed Christ at an early age and joined Wesley United Methodist Church in Kosciusko, Mississippi and later became a lifelong member of Anderson United Methodist Church. While at Anderson, she served as the church pianist, organist, coordinator of the annual Christmas and Easter presentations.

She graduated from Piney Woods High School and received her B.S. degree in Education from Jackson State College. She further attended Atlanta University and Indiana University to specialize in librarianship. Mrs. Jackson's teaching career spanned over 33 years and included English, band, choir and library science. After retiring from the Jackson Public School System, she volunteered at Tougaloo College in their College Library System where she received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2001.

She leaves to cherish her memory two siblings and three sister-in- laws: Mary Virginia Ukegbu Kosciusko, Mississippi and Charles (Faye) Foster, Jackson, Mississippi; Bessie L. Foster, Kosciusko, Mississippi and Betty Foster, Atlanta, Georgia; a son, Embra K. Jackson, Jr. (Rosia), Starkville, Mississippi; grandchildren: Keith Payne, Kevin (Sandy) Payne, and Krystal Payne, Embra K. Jackson, III (Suyapa), Ebony K. Nance (Chris), Emmanuel K. Jackson (Ashley) and Katelyn Jackson; 15 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the late Mrs. Allie D. Foster Jackson.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to title VI of H.R. 3494 titled Federal Efforts Against Domestic Terrorism. I am pleased to see that this title was significantly informed by my bill, H.R. 3106, the Domestic Terrorism DATA Act which the Homeland Security Committee will be considering tomorrow.

I am glad to have the opportunity to work with Chairman Schiff and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on this text.

My legislation, which requires the government to produce an annual domestic terrorism report, was the product of more than 5 months of engagement with outside stakeholders and experts. As a result of that consultation process, I included protections for civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, and data quality in my bill. These provisions made my bill stronger. My amendment to H.R. 3494 would require that these very protections are included.

Madam Chair, my amendment also requires additional information be included in the government's domestic terrorism report. Requiring the date and location of each incident of terrorism or investigation of terrorism will help Congress and the public better understand the landscape of domestic terrorism.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Yes.

Madam Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

My amendment, Madam Chair, would prohibit any Department of Defense resources from being used to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to expand its detention capacity.

The fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security allows for 40,520 detention beds for ICE, which is the highest amount Congress has ever provided. Despite this historic capacity, ICE continues to exceed this detention capacity and currently has more than 52,000 migrants in detention--a record high. In fact, ICE has exceeded its detention bed capacity for multiple fiscal years in a row.

To pay for this excess, ICE has, in the past, turned to Congress for more funding or siphoned off funds from other components in DHS. In 2018, when ICE went beyond its detention bed limit, it took almost $200 million from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and ICE criminal investigations.

ICE continually expands beyond its means and then expects to be bailed out. This cannot go on.

ICE needs to operate within its appropriated limits and make more strategic decisions about whom to detain. ICE should prioritize detaining migrants who pose a serious threat to our society as well as those who will not be deported unless they are detained.

ICE cannot be given a blank check. Madam Chair, my amendment restricts defense resources from being used for ICE detention.

We have already seen President Trump defy the will of Congress on border wall funding. When Congress refused to fund this ineffective and wasteful border wall, he decided to take money away from other departments to build his wall, and his prime funder was the Department of Defense.

Madam Chair, I hope you will join me in preventing the Department of Defense's funding from being used as President Trump's personal piggy bank to circumvent the will of Congress. I urge my House colleagues to support

this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

ICE continually overspends on detention and doesn't face any consequences. Not only are they holding on to more people than ever before, they are doing so when there are alternatives to detention that have proven to be reliable and effective.

On average, it has cost $130 for ICE to detain an adult a day. One person in family detention costs $319 a day. Alternatives to detention cost less than $20 a day, and that includes services to help them understand our immigration system and show up for court hearings.

I would note that Congress recently appropriated more money for ICE to use these alternatives to detention for migrants who do not pose a threat or have criminal backgrounds.

ICE needs to operate responsibly, and that includes following a budget. The Trump administration cannot be allowed to turn to the Department of Defense every time it has a new demand.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant from the Backwoods of Deovelente (a few miles northeast of Belzoni), to the Mississippi State Capital--Alyce Griffin Clarke, 1st African American female elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1985.

In the backwoods of Deovelente, in the last house near the Yazoo River, a beautiful baby girl was born to the late Mr. Henry Griffin and Mrs. Fannie Alice Merriweather Griffin. They named this beautiful precious baby girl, Alyce Myrtle Griffin.

This young lady walked the dusty roads of Deovelente to Deovelente Elementary School, to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, where she was baptized, to Mt. Arratt Methodist Church, and to the one store in the community. As a matter of fact, she walked everywhere she went. The family did not own a car as they were sharecroppers. She chopped and picked cotton as so many of us did. She still boasts about being able to pick 300 pounds before quitting time and teasing others still in the field.

As the years passed, Ms. Griffin graduated from McNair High School, Belzoni, Mississippi in 1957. She went on to graduate from Alcorn College and other universities. She later became Mrs. Alyce Griffin Clarke when she married the late Mr. L.W. Clarke. They became the proud parents of one son, Demarquis Clarke.

In 1985, Mrs. Alyce Griffin Clarke became the first African American female elected to the Mississippi Legislature.

Currently, Representative Alyce Griffin Clarke is still active in the same post where she first made history, and we are all very proud of her accomplishments.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Representative Alyce Griffin Clarke.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Kevin Boshears, the Director of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) upon his retirement from Federal service. Over the past sixteen years, Mr. Boshears has forged a reputation as a trusted resource to small businesses that seek to provide goods and services to DHS. From the Department's earliest days, Mr. Boshears helped create a culture within DHS that prioritizes engagement with small businesses in furtherance of its diverse missions.

In my work on the Committee on Homeland Security, I have come to appreciate his steadfast commitment to opening doors of opportunity to small, disadvantaged and minority-owned business that face barriers to entering the Federal marketplace. Under Mr. Boshear's leadership, DHS has the distinction of being the largest agency to earn a ``A'' grade on the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Small Business Procurement Scorecard and it has retained that score for nine years in a row. Remarkably, in fiscal year 2017, DHS earned its third ``A+'' rating, awarding nearly 35 percent of total contracting dollars to small businesses, exceeding the government-wide goal of 23 percent.

Mr. Boshears dedication to the small business community has resulted in many other accolades throughout his impactful career. In 2005, Mr. Boshears received the SBA's Federal Gold Star Award of Excellence in recognition of his efforts to carry out the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small businesses in the federal marketplace. And, in July 2018, Mr. Boshears received the prestigious DHS Management's Award for Technical Excellence, followed by the DHS Secretary's Award for Leadership Excellence in November 2018.

As Mr. Boshears closes out his time at DHS and as a civil servant, I rise to honor his contributions and wish him well.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and self-driven community servant, William L. Nettle.

William Nettle is a lifelong resident of Vicksburg, Mississippi. After graduating from Warren Central High School in 2004, he earned his bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Jackson State University. During his college tenure he worked at Factory Brand Shoes, where he learned the art of customer service.

William started his real estate career in 2010, after a short time spent working in the

television industry. In August of 2016, William joined the Keller Williams family.

William Nettle is a member of the Bypass Church of Christ, where he serves as the Youth Coordinator, LIFE Group Leader, Bible School Teacher and Audio/Visual Coordinator.

He serves the community in numerous ways. William is on the Board of Directors for two nonprofit organizations: Warren County Habitat for Humanity and It's Time Media. He is a member of the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club, the Vicksburg Optimist Club, Vicksburg Young Professionals, and the Vicksburg/Warren County Chapter of the Jackson State University National Alumni Association. Mr. Nettle also frequently volunteers with United Way of West Central Mississippi by reading to 3rd graders as a part of the L.E.A.R.N. (Leaders Encouraging Advancements in Reading Now) Program. For fun, William likes watching sports, fishing, watching comedy and action movies and listening to good music. He also enjoys playing sports, especially bowling. He loves to sing and make people laugh.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing William L. Nettle for his hard work, dedication and tenacity to serving others.