Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 1-26-16 Edition

Local
Hillsborough County Women’s Hall of Fame Selects 2016 Inductees
for the USF Institute on Aging.
The Women’s Hall of Fame was created in 2011 to honor Hillsborough County women who have made sig- nificant contributions in areas such as business, edu-
cation, philanthropy, the mil- itary, and public service to improve the lives of residents in Hillsborough County.
Since its inception, the Commission on the Status of Women has recognized and honored 22 notable women
through induction into the Women’s Hall of Fame.
For more information about the Commission on the Status of Women, visit www.HillsboroughCounty.or g/COSW or call (813) 276- 2640.
BETTY REED
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Thursday, the Hills- borough County Commission on the Status of Women in- ducted two women into the 2016 Class of the Hillsbor- ough County Women’s Hall Of Fame.
The two inductees are for- mer State Represenative Mrs. Betty Reed and Mrs. Lee Leavengood.
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commis- sioners presented each in- ductee with a commendation recognizing them for their achievements. The official in- duction luncheon ceremony will take place on Friday, May 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be held at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin Street.
Of her being chosen as a member of the Status Of Women’s Hall Of Fame, Mrs. Betty Reed said, “I was very honored to receive
LEE LEAVENGOOD
such a prestigious award. I feel it is an award for every woman in the state because we go through so much and yet we presevere.”
A native of Pelham, Geor- gia, Mrs. Reed served two terms in the Florida State House of Representatives, beginning in 2006.
A retired educator, Mrs. Reed is married to James Reed, Sr., and the mother of 5 children.
A native of Monticello, Florida, Mrs. Leavengood became actively involved at the University of South Florida as a volunteer,, board member of the USF Founda- tion, and as an administra- tor.
She spearheaded the USF Division of Senior Programs and initiated and coordi- nated three major senior programs during a tenure that spanned more than 30 years.
Mrs. Leavengood also served as Assistant Director
Hillsborough County Launches New Wage Recovery Program
Persons working in Hillsborough County who may be vic- tims of wage theft now have a program to assist them in recov- ering their lost wages. Commissioner Kevin Beckner championed the wage recovery program and it was approved by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
The program was developed in response to reports of non- payment of earned wages. The County Commission created the program with the purpose of eliminating unfair competition by businesses who would deliberately not pay or underpay their employees.
If an employee or independent contractor who has per- formed work in Hillsborough County and believe the employer has failed to pay or underpaid the wage rate applicable for the work performed, that person may qualify for assistance to re- cover your earned wages.
Several agencies will be working on this effort, including Hillsborough County Consumer Protection, Code Enforce- ment, the 13th Judicial Circuit Mediation and Diversion Serv- ices, and Bay Area Legal Services.
Claims will be mediated by the 13th Judicial Mediation and Diversion Services Program. Free legal assistance will be pro- vided by Bay Area Legal Services to eligible low-income resi- dents of Hillsborough County.
For more information, contact the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency at (813) 903-3430; or visit the website at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/WageRecovery.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7