[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 21 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO JOHN E. ``JACK'' COTTER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 5, 1998

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man whose 
compassion, community dedication, and managerial skills have made him 
one of Arizona's most accomplished and well-respected citizens, Mr. 
John E. ``Jack'' Cotter, the Chief Executive Officer of Catholic 
Community Services of Southern Arizona. Arizona's largest voluntary 
social service organization, Catholic Community Services and its many 
agencies touch tens of thousands of lives across Southern Arizona each 
year. I am especially grateful for the services that Mr. Cotter has 
made available to my constituents in the Second District of Arizona.
  Many of the service provider agencies and their programs exist 
because of the leadership and direction provided by Mr. Cotter during 
his tenure as Chief Executive Officer. Under his direction Catholic 
Community Services has achieved a remarkable record of accountability 
and stability in all its services. This is especially noteworthy 
because the funding for these services is patched together from many 
different public, private, local, state, and national sources. In terms 
of monetary value of the work, the combined program expenditures 
totaled more than $23 million in the last fiscal year.
  With this level of expenditure and with more than one thousand 
employees working across Southern Arizona, an organization of this size 
could lose its focus on compassionate service to the individual client. 
Jack Cotter has worked diligently and has provided leadership to his 
staff that ensures the true focus of Catholic Community Services has 
been maintained as a caring organization faithfully guided to serve 
those most in need of advocates and protectors: our children, our 
elderly, our ill, and our disabled.
  In many Southern Arizona neighborhoods, Catholic Community Services 
is the only organization available to help those in need. I am grateful 
for the generous and caring spirit that has moved John E. Cotter to 
share his talents and to relieve the suffering of so many on a daily 
basis. The reputation of Catholic Community Services as a trustworthy, 
compassionate and effective organization for meeting the needs of 
individuals and communities, reflects the character of its leader, John 
E. Cotter.
  All of Arizona has benefited from the 25 years Mr. Cotter has given 
to Catholic Community Services. As he retires, it is fitting that we 
reflect and thank him for all that he has done to make life more 
productive and less stressful for so many. For others, the services he 
made available were the critical factors determining life or death. I 
applaud all that he has done and hold him out to the nation as an 
honored leader. May his example guide others to a life of compassion 
and service.




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