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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR CYNTHIA PEURIFOY, THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR AT THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 4 OFFICE IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AND TO CONGRATULATE HER FOR RECEIVING THE PRESTIGIOUS VIVIAN MALONE JONES LEGACY AWARD.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives are pleased to learn that Cynthia Peurifoy was honored with the Vivian Malone Jones Legacy Award; and
Whereas, throughout her career at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spanning nearly forty years, Cynthia Peurifoy has demonstrated integrity while making significant contributions to social justice in the Agency and in numerous communities through her personal leadership, mentoring, and program management; and
Whereas, she began her career at EPA in the Office of Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (OCRUA), where she worked with programs and efforts within the Region to ensure equal employment, diversity, affirmative action, and non-discrimination in environmental services and contracting opportunities; and
Whereas, during her years with OCRUA, Ms. Peurifoy became engaged in the Agency's early efforts to address Environmental Justice (EJ), then termed Environmental Equity. Later she became a Superfund Community Involvement Coordinator for South Carolina and created the Community Leaders Institutes in conjunction with the Medical University of South Carolina, an initiative which the U.S. Department of Energy adopted and continues to implement across the nation. During this time, she had the opportunity to work directly with Vivian Malone Jones; and
Whereas, she has led the Region's EJ efforts during its most transformative and challenging years, serving on various community-involvement conferences, summits, workshops, and workgroups for EJ; and
Whereas, for several years, Ms. Peurifoy served as the Black Employment Program Manager of the Region and helped to develop a model program for creating upward-mobility opportunities for lower-grade employees; and
Whereas, through her membership in Women in Science and Engineering, she helped to start the annual Christmas Drive to collect gifts for needy families in Atlanta, and she developed relationships with a number of the families who were receiving assistance, tracking many of the children as they grew up; and
Whereas, Ms. Peurifoy's work in Spartanburg led to one of the most successful community-driven redevelopment efforts in the country, the ReGenesis Project, which led to the formation of the Rhodia-ReGenesis Dialogue and cleared the way for a successful redevelopment effort. The Dialogue leveraged over three hundred million dollars and continues to receive national attention for its success. She received the Agency's Collaborative Problem-Solving Award for this work and was named 1998 Community Involvement Coordinator of the Year. The ReGenesis Board presented her with the South Carolina Community Grass Roots Advocacy for Environmental and Economic Justice Award, which will be presented annually in her name to a deserving individual; and
Whereas, as a Region 4 Designated Federal Official (DFO) in 2006 for the Gulf Coast Hurricanes and Vulnerable Populations: Recommendations for Future Disaster Preparedness/Response, she prepared the report that the Agency used to revise its Draft Incident Management Handbook to ensure timely responses to EJ issues; and
Whereas, a life member of Blacks in Government, Ms. Peurifoy was honored with the Region's Diversity Awareness Award in 2008; the Women Rebuilding Communities and Ensuring a Sustainable Planet Award in 2010 from the Nu Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.; and the EPA Environmental Justice Champion Award in 2015; and
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the outstanding service that Cynthia Peurifoy has provided to citizens of the Palmetto State and across the nation. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Cynthia Peurifoy, the Regional Environmental Justice Coordinator at the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 Office in Atlanta, Georgia, and congratulate her for receiving the prestigious Vivian Malone Jones Legacy Award.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Cynthia Peurifoy.
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