[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E551-E552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REMEMBERING MICHELLE BULLOCK MARRS, DEDICATED HEALTH-CARE ADVOCATE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2005

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Michelle 
Bullock Marrs of Nashville, Tennessee. Michelle Marrs was the Chief 
Executive Officer of the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center in 
Nashville. She was a dedicated health-care advocate for all 
Tennesseans, especially the poor, uninsured and underserved. The 
community suffered a great loss when she passed away on Wednesday, 
March 16, 2005.
  Michelle Marrs was born on July 13, 1952 in Louisburg, North 
Carolina. She attended grade school in Louisburg and Raleigh, and went 
on to receive a Bachelors Degree from North Carolina Central University 
and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Before moving to 
Nashville, she served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Metrolina 
Comprehensive Health Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was 
instrumental in generating significant funding for a Women's Center and 
Teen Clinic. She also dedicated much of her time to mentoring young 
women who were beginning their careers in healthcare.
  Michelle's numerous public service awards included the 2004 Urban 
Legend Award for exemplary contributions for empowering communities and 
changing lives; The Ladies of Distinction Incorporation Award for 
dedicated service to African American Women in Healthcare in 2004; the 
Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership Living Legend Award in 
2003; and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Public Service Award in 2000. 
Michelle was an officer on the board of the Greater Nashville Black 
Chamber of Commerce and she served on the Mayor's Taskforce for Child 
Development, as well as the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
  Her most recent notable achievement was management of the Matthew 
Walker Comprehensive Health Center's million-dollar building project. 
Though diagnosed with a terminal illness, Michelle's clarity and 
resolve to ensure continued community healthcare led to the

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project's completion. Her leadership resulted in a monumental financial 
turnaround for the center, and a new state-of-the-art medical, dental 
and diagnostic facility. She prayed that her life would be extended so 
she could see the conclusion of this project. After the project's 
completion in October 2004, she commented that ``[The new center] is 
one of the most significant professional goals that I've ever 
accomplished . . . we look forward to using this project as a tool to 
further serve the community.'' Because of her tremendous resolve, the 
center is expected to provide health and dental care to more than 
20,000 medically underserved Tennesseans each year.
  I was fortunate to have been able to work with Michelle over the past 
few years, and I will truly miss her, as will all of Nashville. She was 
one of those rare individuals who had a clear and strong vision for 
what she could accomplish with her life, and she did it. She saw the 
need in Nashville for a center that could help our community's most 
vulnerable and she turned the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health 
Center into a thriving and vital center that is now recognized 
nationwide for its excellence. She was a committed, compassionate 
community leader. And she was a great lady. Her gifts were 
extraordinary and we are fortunate that her contributions to this 
community will continue for decades to come.
  Michelle Marrs' legacy will live on through her children--Christy and 
Ivanna--the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, and the love 
and compassion she shared with her family, friends and community. On 
behalf of the Fifth District of Tennessee, I send my deepest 
condolences to Michelle's family.

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