Recognizing the Women Who Soar

Floor Speech

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Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize the accomplishments of Mary Kraft, Sylvia Waller, and Polly Letofsky who will be honored by the Northwest Douglas County Chamber & Economic Development Corporation as ``Women Who Soar.''

Each year, the Northwest Douglas County Chamber & Economic Development Corporation recognizes three women in the Denver Metro Community who inspire our community and are blazing the path for future generations.

Mary Kraft has been recognized as a ``Woman Who Soars'' because in the face of a multitude of struggles, she harnessed innovation and technology to advance her farm's capabilities. Her and her husband used an innovative approach to nurture their Blue Toothed cows--growing the herd from 200 to 6,000. Mary held the first leadership role by a woman and eventually became President of American Agriculture at the Colorado Livestock Association.

Sylvia Waller has been recognized as a ``Woman Who Soars'' by challenging and changing the standard of beauty. At the age of 62, she became the first African American in 32 years to be crowned Mrs. Colorado. Sylvia believes beauty has no age, shape, or color, rather it is found in the heart and spirit. Sylvia is a passionate Volunteer Community Educator for the Alzheimer's Association, using her personal experience as a caretaker for her father who suffered from dementia to help promote services for individuals and families dealing with the disease.

Polly Letofsky has been recognized as a ``Woman Who Soars'' because of her efforts to support authors who self-publish their work. She founded My Word Publishing which disrupted the publishing world by helping authors professionally self-publish their books while maintaining 100 percent of their rights. Since its inception, Polly's business has grown into a publishing library of 750 books and representing authors from 14 countries.

From using innovative methods in farming to creating a publishing house for self-publishing authors, this year's recipients have made a lasting impact on those around them and in our community. It is leaders like these three women who will allow us to achieve a more prosperous and inclusive future and I congratulate them all on being recognized as ``Women Who Soar.''

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