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Floor Speech
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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mary LeClair and the groundbreaking of LeClair Village.
Born in Ogdensburg, New York LeClair first came to Cape Cod in the late 1950s, after her husband was stationed at Otis Air Force Base. Soon after moving to the Cape, she began working at the Barnstable County National Bank as a teller in the Hyannis office. In 1966, LeClair moved over to the newly opened New Seabury branch, and a few years later, she was named 1 of the bank's first female branch managers.
Using her experience in the banking industry, LeClair was named Barnstable County Treasurer in 1978. She served in this for 18 years, before being elected as a county commissioner in 1996. LeClair was elected for 3 4-year terms, stepping down from the role in 2008. She additionally served as an aide to former Congressman Bill Delahunt for 2 years and worked in the Cape Cod Housing Assistance Corporation's resource development department for 5 years.
Throughout her career, LeClair has always been deeply involved in the Cape Cod community. She has served on the board of Gosnold Inc. for nearly 3 decades and has worked closely with the women at Emerson House, Gosnold's all-female facility. LeClair has also worked with the Children's Cove--the Cape and Islands Child Advocacy Center--for close to 25 years, after playing a pivotal role in creating the organization. She has additionally been a board member and volunteer with the Housing Assistance Corporation, as well as several other organizations for many years.
LeClair's efforts across Cape Cod have not gone unnoticed, as she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2007 Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year Award and the Philanthropy Partners of the Cape and Islands 2019 Outstanding Volunteer Award. She has established herself as a pillar of the Cape Cod community, and through her work, she has inspired many others to get involved in local government and the community.
Over the years, LeClair has remained an active advocate for increasing affordable housing. This is why when the Housing Assistance Corporation and Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. partnered to build a new affordable housing complex in Mashpee, Massachusetts, there was no question as to who they would name the complex after. Built on town land, LeClair Village will house 39 families, offering affordable housing to low- and moderate-income households. After an 8-year effort between the Town of Mashpee, the Housing Assistance Corporation, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc., and many other local non- profits and stakeholders, the project broke ground on May 31, 2023. LeClair Village is expected to complete construction in the summer of 2024. LeClair looks forward to all the children who will soon be able to go to school and say that they live in LeClair Village.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Mary LeClair. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mary LeClair and all the work that she has done for the Cape Cod community.
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