The Honorable Edward Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania, To Address Honorees at the PLS Excellence Award Dinner on Wednesday March 10, 2004

PLS Honors Excellence by advocates of civil legal aid and champions of equal justice. 2004 Honorees include: Senator Jane Earll & Representative Frank Oliver, Pennsylvania Legislature Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III, General Counsel, Drexel University- Philadelphia; Catherine C. Carr, Executive Director, Community Legal Services -- Philadelphia; Rebecca Peace,Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency -- Harrisburg; Susan E. Sherman & Judge Phyllis W. Beck, The Independence Foundation -- Philadelphia; Clara Coleman, Client Advocate and Board Member, Pennsylvania Legal Services -- Pittsburgh; William McLaughlin, Legal Services Paralegal, North Penn Legal Services -- Wilkes-Barre; Gerry Redmond,Legal Services Paralegal, Neighborhood Legal Services Association -- Butler; Howard Miskey, Legal Services Attorney, MidPenn Legal Services -- Lebanon

Harrisburg, PA (PRWEB) March 10, 2004 -- Pennsylvania Legal Services (PLS) will hold its annual Excellence Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening, March 10, 2003 commencing at 5:00 PM at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers. The PLS Excellence Awards honor and celebrate the extraordinary people who are a part of, or contribute their time and talents to legal aid programs across the state. PLS is the statewide coordinating agency for the network of legal aid programs in Pennsylvania that provides civil legal aid to victims of domestic violence and to others who have nowhere else to turn for legal advice. PLS, through the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network of legal aid programs, strives to meet the civil legal needs of low-income people and families across the Commonwealth by securing their access to justice and fairness through the legal process.

The featured speaker at the PLS Excellence Awards Dinner will be the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania, who will address the audience. Pennsylvania Legal Services Executive Director, Samuel W. Milkes, Esq., is excited that Governor Rendell is taking part in this event. We are very pleased that the Governor will be our featured speaker for our annual awards banquet in which Pennsylvania Legal Services will have the opportunity to celebrate and recognize the 'Excellence of people who have devoted their energies to bettering the lives of Pennsylvanians in need of help, but who have nowhere else to turn." The sentiments are reiterated by the President of The PLS Board of Directors, Richard L. Cantor, Esq., I am very excited that the Governor has seen our Excellence Awards event as an opportunity once again to demonstrate his continuing support for and commitment to civil legal aid in Pennsylvania."

Equal access to justice has been one of Governor Rendells commitments to the citizens of Pennsylvania and he is happy to honor these distinguished honorees for their undying commitment to equal justice under the law. The Governor, in his inaugural address, said that We can deliver a helping hand to communities where Pennsylvanians long ago stopped believing in that there was a promise of better days ahead." For their life long commitment to this vision, Governor Rendell proudly honors this years PLS Excellence Award recipients.
   
As part of the PLS Excellence Awards, PLS will honor two members of the Pennsylvania Legislature and other key officials and individuals for their hard work and unselfish contributions of time, talent, and expertise in the pursuit of equal access to justice on behalf of Pennsylvanias poorest and most vulnerable citizens. This years honorees include Senator Jane Earll of Erie and Representative Frank Oliver, Philadelphia, of the Pennsylvania Legislature; Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III, of Philadelphia, General Counsel, Drexel University; Rebecca Peace, Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, Harrisburg; Susan E. Sherman and Judge Phyllis W. Beck of The Independence Foundation in Philadelphia; Catherine C. Carr, Executive Director of Community Legal Services in Philadelphia; Clara Coleman, Client Advocate and Board Member, Pennsylvania Legal Services, Pittsburgh; legal services paralegals William McLaughlin with North Penn Legal Services in Wilkes-Barre, Gerry Redmond with Neighborhood Legal Services Association in Butler, and Howard Miskey, MidPenn Legal Services Attorney, Lebanon.