[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 14, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MICHAEL L. COOK

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ZACH WAMP

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 2005

  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, after 27 years of serving people with 
intellectual disabilities, Michael L. Cook is retiring as the Executive 
Director of Orange Grove Center in Chattanooga, TN. After receiving his 
Master's degree in Behavioral Disabilities, Mike Cook began his career 
as a direct support professional with Central Wisconsin Center and 
Training School. He then served as a field representative with the 
Accreditation Council for Individuals with Mental Retardation and 
Developmental Disabilities before coming to Orange Grove in 1978. 
During his tenure at Orange Grove Center, Mr. Cook transformed this 
community organization into one of the most respected agencies in the 
field of mental retardation in the Nation. Today, Orange Grove has a 
comprehensive, person-centered program serving in excess of 650 adults 
and children in a variety of settings.
  Mike Cook's quiet dedication to improving the lives of individuals 
with intellectual disabilities has been the foundation of all that 
Orange Grove has accomplished over the years. Having served as 
Executive Director for more than half of the center's 52 years, Mr. 
Cook has left an indelible mark on every aspect of life for the people 
who are in their care. Mr. Cook's devotion can be best summed up in the 
words of Orange Grove's vision statement: ``To recognize, support, and 
celebrate the qualities of the individual.'' That has been Mike Cook's 
vision for the past 27 years. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute and 
honor Orange Grove Center's Mike Cook.

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