[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1837-E1838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO GILBERT ``GIGI'' ZIMMERMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2002

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good 
friend and former schoolmate, Gilbert ``Gigi'' Zimmerman. Despite 
significant challenges, this extraordinary man is an award-winning 
community activist, scholar, educator and an advocate for the 
disadvantaged.
  I met Gigi when we were students at South Carolina State College 
(University) in Orangeburg. We were both active in the civil rights

[[Page E1838]]

activities, often getting arrested together during sit-ins. He also 
found time to preserve the collective memory of those turbulent but 
heady days as the editor of our yearbook during his junior and senior 
years.
  He was one of the scholars among our group, earning a Bachelor's 
degree in Business Administration. But he was not content to stop 
there. In 1970, Gigi received a prestigious Ford Foundation Fellowship 
in Leadership Development, and studied at the University of California 
at Santa Cruz under the mentorship of noted Sociologist, Dr. Herman 
Blake. That experience led him to earn a Master's Degree in Education 
Guidance and Counseling from South Carolina State. He then went on to 
round out his education with a Master's in Human Resources Management 
at Pepperdine University in California.
  Gigi is a former high school teacher, who now serves as an Adjunct 
Professor of Business Management at Limestone College. He is truly 
committed to helping shape the minds of future generations. He also 
serves as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education. But his 
role as scholar and educator, are just a small part of this larger than 
life character.
  Gilbert Zimmerman is best known for his compassion for others and his 
dedication to improving the quality of life for the disadvantaged. He 
has worked primarily in the areas of community organization and 
development for very low-income citizens. Most of this community work 
experiences were gained from working with Mexican-Americans in 
depressed communities in California, Alabama, Mississippi, and South 
Carolina. Today he serves as the Director of Operations and Planning 
for the Beaufort-Jasper Economic Opportunity Commission.
  Gigi's contributions have been recognized locally and nationally. In 
1982, Ronald Reagan appointed him to the United States Commission on 
Civil Rights. He was reappointed by Governor Dick Riley in 1991, and 
served as Chairman from 1992-1996. He is a member and past President of 
the South Carolina Association of Human Service Agencies. As a young 
adult, Gigi was recognized as one of the ``Outstanding Young Men of 
America.'' He is a past recipient of the ``South Carolina Volunteer of 
the Year'' award by the Joint Action in Community Service. His 
community service activities include membership on the S.C. Low-Income 
Housing Coalition, the Port Royal Community Residence for the 
Developmentally Disabled Board, the Partners for Healthy Community 
Steering Committee, the Prudential Youth Leadership Institute Advisory 
Board, and the Executive Committee of the Burton-Dale-Beaufort NAACP 
Branch.
  All of this from a man whose stature among his peers is unequaled--
physically and emotionally. ``Gigi'' stands less than four feet tall, 
but I am proud to say I look up to him for the enormous courage he 
continuously demonstrates, and the tremendous accomplishments he has 
achieved.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me honoring Gilbert 
``Gigi'' Zimmerman for the inspiring example he sets for all of us. I 
wish him continued success and Godspeed.

                          ____________________