[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 133 (Thursday, November 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO HENRY G. ATHA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 2004

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, I stand before you 
today to recognize Hank Atha, a man who is credited by his colleagues 
as doing more for workforce development than any other person in 
southern Arizona. Mr. Atha is retiring from public service after a 
distinguished career spanning over 30 years.
  Mr. Atha has lived and worked in Tucson since 1948. He is a creative 
local executive and one of the most experienced workforce development 
professionals in the country. He served on numerous state and local 
economic and workforce development organizations and on both the 
National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors 
professional boards. Mr. Atha promoted legislation at federal, state 
and local levels. He has international experience and has successfully 
worked with multi-cultural staff and diverse cultural and economic 
communities.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1984, Mr. Atha organized the Pima County Community 
Services Department in Tucson, Arizona by combining autonomous federal 
programs into one department. Over the years he guided the expansion of 
programming into new areas such as affordable housing, youth education, 
emergency assistance, homeless services, welfare reform and incumbent 
worker training.
  During his twenty years at the helm of Pima County Community 
Services, the department doubled in size. He accomplished this by 
aggressively pursuing state and local funding, federal grants and 
private support. These efforts resulted in a $36 million annual budget 
with 30 separate funding streams for his department.
  He pursued the department's mission by supporting the work of local 
non-profit organizations with as many as 250 grants and services 
contracts awarded each year. His leadership style welcomed input and 
encouraged individual initiative. Over the years, many graduate 
students, adult trainees and motivated young people began their careers 
in public policy or human-service fields through internships with 
Community Services.
  Mr. Speaker, under Mr. Atha's leadership, Pima County Community 
Services established one of the nation's first One-Stop Career Centers 
in order to provide consolidated employment and training services for 
the City and County. This model, which brought multiple agencies 
together to provide coordinated services, also proved effective in 
addressing the basic needs of families in crisis. Mr. Atha oversaw the 
establishment of the Emergency Services Network in 1986. Subsequent 
efforts fostered collaboration and innovation in the areas of homeless 
services, youth programs, and high-tech training. His commitment to 
closing the wage gap through better job opportunities led to a joint 
effort with Pima Community College and the City of Tucson to found the 
Southern Arizona Institute for Advanced Technology.

  In the early nineties, Mr. Atha led an all-out response to restore 
cuts in federal summer youth funds, creating one of the largest summer 
youth programs, for a city of our size, in the nation. As part of that 
effort, he promoted legislation that created Arizona's first state-
funded summer youth program. He also founded Pledge-A-Job, an annual 
business outreach campaign to encourage businesses to hire young people 
seeking career experience during summer breaks. In 2000, he won a Youth 
Opportunity grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, bringing nearly 
$28 million to Pima County as well as creating an integrated system for 
providing services to young people.
  Mr. Speaker, Hank Atha supported many programs that brought untrained 
homemakers and home health aides to Pima County's Home Health Division, 
as well as many participants in other community programs, into the 
Certified Nursing Assistant career track.
  One of the activities Mr. Atha worked on recently was to bring 
together various institutions such as Pima College, University of 
Arizona, and local hospitals to identify, sponsor and support 
individuals wishing to enter nursing education programs.
  Mr. Speaker, prior to Hank's twenty years with Pima County 
Government, he volunteered in the Peace Corps from 1966-1968. Following 
those years of service, he again volunteered his services, this time as 
a Peace Corps trainer from 1968-69.
  Hank Atha received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College, with 
a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology; graduate studies in Physiology at 
Washington State University, and received his master's degree in public 
administration from the University of Arizona.
  Mr. Atha taught classes in data analysis, decision-making and program 
evaluation, as an adjunct professor at Pima Community College in 
Tucson, Arizona. He also taught one semester as adjunct professor at 
the University of Arizona, School of Public Administration. He is a 
Founding Member and Chairman of the local American Society for Public 
Administration Chapter.
  Mr. Speaker, Hank Atha improved the quality of life for many citizens 
in Tucson, Arizona by investing in people and community-based 
organizations to strengthen the entire community's capacity to serve 
those in need, and I ask that the House commend him on his commitment 
to his community and his country.

                          ____________________