Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor two dear friends and constituents, Shannon and Lee Carter, recipients of Cincinnati United Way's 2002 Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award. The award, which honors Lee and Shannon's extraordinary philanthropic leadership, will be presented on January 30, 2003 at the Cincinnati Club.

Lee and Shannon Carter are a dynamic couple who make our community a better place. They have vision, creativity, energy, and a special commitment and exceptional dedication to helping at-risk children.

Shannon Carter's Leadership Cincinnati class originated the idea for Crayons to Computers, a free store for teachers, and she was the driving force behind it. Shannon worked with the FreeStore Food Bank, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and Cincinnati's corporate community to get the program up and running. The store opened in February, 1997, and since then it has provided teachers with over $15 million in supplies to over 75,000 children. Before founding Crayons to Computers, Shannon was a successful businesswoman and donated her time and many talents to the Cincinnati community, including the Cincinnati Ballet; Children's Hospital Medical Center; the Greater Cincinnati Foundation; and the Taft Museum. A Cincinnati native, Shannon has been honored by the Cincinnati Enquirer as a Woman of the Year, received the Junior League's first Columbia Cup, and Family Circle magazine's first annual Halo award. Shannon and Lee have been married 24 years and have two sons, Gunner and Cody. It is easy to see why Shannon's motto is ``Be kind and other-oriented.''

When Lee Carter retired as a very successful marketing executive, he did not retire from his active involvement in the community he loves. Lee has served as Chairman of the Board, Children's Hospital Medical Center; Executive Committee Member, Every Child Succeeds; Steering Committee Member, Success by Six; Founder and President, Art Links; and Board Member, Family Service Foundation. Lee credits his father's public service with inspiring his own commitment, and says his involvement brings him enjoyment by helping to create a better Cincinnati for all of us. Every Child Succeeds is an organization especially close to Lee's heart. Lee has called Every Child Succeeds absolutely vital to the future of our area, because we can make an enormous difference in the lives of children if we reach them early.

All of us in Greater Cincinnati congratulate Shannon and Lee on receiving this prestigious award, and thank them for their commitment to our community.