[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 120 (Friday, September 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   THE RETIREMENT OF DR. SARAH HARRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 14, 2001

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. My 
community of Dayton, Ohio is losing one of its most respected citizens. 
Fortunately, she is just retiring and moving to Nevada, but it is a 
loss of Montgomery County nonetheless.
  Dr. Sarah E. Harris has been a stalwart of Montgomery County and the 
Miami Valley of Ohio all of her life. She exemplifies what it means to 
be a public servant. Her life has been dedicated to serving others and 
improving the lives of all of her neighbors. She has been the perfect 
example of a Good Samaritan, always willing to lend a hand and meet a 
need. Like a good neighbor, Dr. Harris was there.
  She is also a good friend and I will miss her a great deal. I have 
had the pleasure of working with her for many years, in a variety of 
capacities. She has worn a number of hats in her lifetime and is still 
retiring early. We thought we had a few more good years left and I am 
happy that she will return to Dayton to continue her relationships and 
work on bringing our community closer together.
  Dr. Harris is a product of the fine education from Dayton's public 
schools and Miami University of Ohio. She immediately started her 
career of public service by becoming first a teacher and then a 
principal in Dayton. She continued by also working with Central State 
University and the Dayton Urban League. In 1987, she began her service 
as Montgomery County Treasurer and continued as one of our three county 
commissioners from 1990 through 1992.
  As she has stated, ``nobody likes to lose an election, but I think it 
catapulted me into different things.'' Yet another testament to her 
commitment to our community is that she did not leave public service, 
after leaving elected office. She continued her work as the director of 
our chapter of the National Conference on Christians and Jews, now the 
National Conference on Community and Justice.
  Her recent service as co-chair of the Dayton Dialogue on Race 
Relations (DDRR) continued her dedication to improving the lives of 
people from all backgrounds. She has brought all of her talent, energy 
and dedication to bear on this current initiative. I am pleased that 
U.S. District Judge Walter Rice, County Commissioner Vicki Pegg and 
City Commissioner Dean Lovelace will continue their work and be joined 
by former Common Pleas Judge Adele Riley.
  I am particularly touched by Dr. Harris' tireless work with this 
latest endeavor. She has volunteered full-time to ensure the success of 
the DDRR and its signature dialogue groups. These groups meet in 
people's homes, with people of all ethnic backgrounds. They have 
conversations about their personal experiences with issues of race in 
an informal setting. Instead of just speaking of black and white, 
people are building relationships that will allow them to think of 
friends who happen to be of a different race.
  The last time I was together with Dr. Harris was on the steps of the 
United States Capitol. We were there for a conference on ``Connecting 
Communities for Reconciliation and Justice,'' sponsored by Initiatives 
for Change and Hope in the Cities. I was proud to have her introduce me 
to her fellow participants and glad to have her representing Dayton at 
this international gathering.
  I join with all of the residents of Montgomery County in wishing her 
and her husband a wonderful retirement. She has truly earned it. I 
thank her for her selfless service to our community. She is a true 
public servant and I am honored to count her as a friend.

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