Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett Names Black Engineer of the Year From the Virgin Islands as Virtual Guest to State of the Union Address

Statement

Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, a Member of the Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement on her choice of a local Virgin Islander to join as her virtual guest at President Biden's 2022 State of the Union Address:

"I am extremely proud to be accompanied virtually by a super Virgin Islander, Jaynelle Pemberton, as my Hometown Hero virtual guest to President Biden's State of the Union Address to Congress today. Jaynelle, a native of St. Croix, is a successful civil engineer who recently won the distinction of Black Engineer of the Year in community service. This honor is bestowed by a group called BEYA, an abbreviation for Black Engineer of the Year Awards. The group annually recognizes leaders who are developing innovation across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). While on a call with one of my staffers, Jaynelle shared, "I am honored to have the opportunity to be the Congresswoman's guest. I'm very passionate about my home and seeing improvements in the infrastructure there. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I became an engineer was because I recognized that we needed so much help at home.'"

"Our country has made tremendous strides this past year thanks to the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So, for this year's State of the Union Address I wanted to highlight one of our very own Virgin Islanders who is on the frontlines of the much-needed rebuilding of our country's infrastructure. People like my guest, Ms. Pemberton, are the true heroes behind America's progress over the past year, and I am proud to have her as my virtual guest to the State of the Union Address."

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