[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E914-E915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE FIRST MAJORITY WOMEN CITY COUNCIL IN KANSAS CITY,
MISSOURI HISTORY
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HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and
recognize history in the making. Today, for the first time in Kansas
City, Missouri's history, a majority women's City Council will be sworn
in at City Hall. While I wish I could have joined them in person in the
Council Chambers I used to serve in as Mayor of Kansas City, I want to
honor today's incoming Mayor, Mark Funkhouser, and the talented twelve
City Council members who represent our State's largest city. Among
them, seven women who are making history; by proving that our society
can deliver change when the people call for it. These extraordinary
women have demonstrated that the social norms by which women have
traditionally been confined can be eradicated and the prospect for real
change is not only plausible, but possible.
The women that stand before the City Clerk today and take the oath of
office as members of the first majority women City Council are: Deb
Hermann--serving the 1st District-at-Large, Melba Curls--serving the
3rd District-at-Large, Sharon Sanders Brooks--serving the 3rd District,
Beth Gottstein--serving the 4th District-at-Large, Jan Marcason--
serving the 4th District, Cindy Baker Circo--serving the 5th District-
at-Large, and Cathy Jolly--serving the 6th District-at-Large.
Deb Hermann was first elected to the City Council in March 2003 and
was immediately appointed Chairwoman of the Neighborhood and Housing
Committee and member of the Operations Committee. She brought with her
experience and leadership ability through active participation and
involvement in nearly thirty civic and community organizations since
1979. She was a member of the Gracemor Randolph Community Council for
24 years and served as its President from 1994 until her election to
the City Council. Councilwoman Hermann served as the Chairwoman for the
Property Maintenance Advisory Committee in 2001, and in 1999 was
appointed as a Kansas City Plan Commission Board Member. Councilwoman
Hermann has proudly served the citizens of the 1st District-at-Large
for the past four years and continues to place a high priority on her
commitment to neighborhoods.
Melba J. Curls has served the 41st District in the Missouri House of
Representatives since 1999, ending her service in 2006 to run for City
Council. While in office, she championed many causes, the most notable
being legislation that extended renewal of the KC Area Transportation
Authority's taxing ability to ensure that the critical needs for public
transportation services remained funded in our community. This helped
the less fortunate with their need for public access to jobs and health
care. Curls has a long history of public service. Prior to her State
election, she was employed in the Mayor's Office with the City of
Kansas City, and before that, she served as a staff assistant in the
Kansas City office of U.S. Senator Tom Eagleton. Curls is a life-long
resident of Kansas City, and attended the University of Missouri-
Columbia.
Sanders Brooks has served the 37th District in the Missouri House
of Representatives since 2000, ending her service in 2006 to run for
City Council. While in the State Legislature, she championed many
causes, the most notable being a bill that outlived mandatory set-
asides for Minority and Women-owned businesses. She has long been
committed to protecting our community's history and brings that passion
to fight for the causes of her constituents with her to City Hall.
Prior to her State election, Brooks was successful civil rights
investigator. A long-time friend and parishioner of mine, Brooks is a
graduate of American University in Washington, DC where she earned a
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
Beth Gottstein formerly served as the Resource Development Manager at
the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation before stepping down to
run for City Council. Gottstein has also been known to spearhead
several local candidate campaigns and has long been active in our
region's political organizations, including assisting with my first
election to Congress. Gottstein has prior City Hall experience and has
also been intimately involved with the Greater Kansas City Women's
Political Caucus, a local organization that promotes women's
involvement in politics. Gottstein earned a Bachelor of Arts in
Political Science from the University of Missouri and a Master's of
Public Administration from University of Missouri-Kansas City.
For the past sixteen years, Jan Marcason has served as the Executive
Director of the Mid-America Assistance Coalition, where she managed an
annual budget of more than a million dollars and helped direct millions
of dollars to local social service organizations. She was also the
former President of the Women's Political Caucus. Previously, Jan's
public service extended to Washington, DC, where she worked for former
Vice President Walter Mondale. Marcason was born and raised in Kansas
City. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of
Kansas, and a Master's in Business Administration from University of
Missouri-Kansas City.
[[Page E915]]
Cindy Baker Circo has been a small business owner for more than two
decades; she has also been the neighborhood President of the Country
Valley Homes Association, an eastern Kansas City suburb, and is a
former Public Improvements Advisory Council member for the 5th
District. As 5th District Councilwoman, Circo plans to continue to
focus on addressing the basic needs of the community, including
infrastructure issues that face so many of our neighborhoods. Circo is
a lifelong resident of the Kansas City area and an active member of St.
Mark's Church.
Cathy Jolly has served the 45th District in the Missouri House of
Representatives since 2000, also ending her service in 2006 to run for
City Council. While in our State's Capital, Jolly sponsored several
pieces of legislation related to reducing crime and protecting our
community through harsher sentences for criminal action. Prior to her
State election, Jolly served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Jackson
County, where she was instrumental as the coordinator of the Drug
Abatement Response Team. Jolly is also an active member of the Women's
Political Caucus and a recipient of their highest award, the ``Torch
Award.'' A resident of South Kansas City, Jolly earned a Bachelor of
Science in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia
and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Madam Speaker, please join me today in recognizing this historical
moment, the first majority women City Council in Kansas City,
Missouri's history. Their past experiences and impeccable records are
certainly indications of all the good that is to come. With this
recognition, we join the citizens of Kansas City in paying tribute to
these extraordinary women. On this historic occasion, I wish my best to
our incoming Mayor, Mark Funkhouser, and all of the members of the
Kansas City Council. I urge my colleagues of the 110th Congress to join
me in congratulating the first majority women City Council since the
establishment of Kansas City's modern government in 1925 as they set an
example and precedent we can all be proud of and strive to replicate
across our Nation.
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