[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 51 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS MAKI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 23, 2007

  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary woman who has made tremendous contributions to Michigan's 
Upper Peninsula, to the County and City of Marquette and to Northern 
Michigan University.
  A Marquette native, Phyllis Maki is a graduate of Bishop Baraga High 
School. She has spent nearly her entire life in Marquette and, over the 
years, Ms. Maki has involved herself in countless local community 
organizations, winning the admiration of her friends and neighbors as 
someone upon whom her community could always depend.
  Phyllis Maki is active on the Board of the Lake Superior Community 
Partnership, which fosters economic growth throughout Marquette and 
surrounding, smaller communities. She was Treasurer of the Lake 
Superior Community Partnership and Lake Superior Jobs Coalition. She 
represented the interests of Marquette City by serving as a ``Marquette 
County Ambassador,'' traveling to Lansing to advocate for the community 
before the state House and Senate and to bring money back from the 
state capital to invest in important programs in the Marquette area. 
She further helped drive economic growth in the area by serving on the 
board of the Economic Club of Marquette County.
  She has served on the boards of the Marquette County YMCA, the KI 
Sawyer Heritage Museum and the Northern Michigan University Centennial 
Committee. She has worked towards access to healthcare for my 
constituents by serving on the Marquette Community Access to Health 
Care Finance Committee. She has served as a member of the U.S. Olympic 
Education Committee and the Michigan Department of Transportation Focus 
Group. As one of her friends recently commented, ``She is involved in 
everything!''
  She has been recognized with multiple awards in the past, including 
the Athena Award in 1998, which recognizes excellence of female leaders 
in their profession. She herself served for several years on the Athena 
Board Steering Committee. She also received the Paul Harris Fellow 
Award, an International Rotary Award for assisting others in the 
community to reach their goals.
  An honorary alumna of Northern Michigan University (NMU), Ms. Maki's 
ties to Northern Michigan University run deep. She has served many 
years on the Northern Michigan University Foundation Board of Trustees 
and as past president of this Board of Trustees for 11 years. She was 
also a member of NMU's Golden Wildcat Club, Blue Line Club and a member 
of NMU's Forest Roberts Theater.
  Ms. Maki can perhaps best be described as ``tireless.'' In all areas 
of her life, Phyllis Maki exhibits a tenacious, irrepressible spirit. 
While her involvement in her community demanded much of her time, she 
also made time for family: a single parent, she raised two children 
largely on her own.
  She is known for waking early in the morning to tackle the day. She 
would start almost every morning with a 4:30 a.m. run, finishing in 
time to be in her office or in meetings as early as 6 a.m. Her runs 
were so notoriously early that one morning, she is said to have 
encountered a moose. She was up so early that the only living creatures 
up with her at that hour were wildlife!

  While she has given freely of her personal time and raised a family, 
Ms. Maki was also able to lead a rich and rewarding career in the 
private sector. In February of this year, she retired as the Chief 
Financial Officer of a local car dealership. During her 37 years of 
work there, she was the driving force in building the company's 
philanthropic activities, encouraging them to regularly donate vehicles 
to various charities and non-profits. Coincidentally, the name of her 
long time employer reflects Ms. Maki's altruistic spirit: the car 
dealership is called Public Service Garage.
  An active member of St. Peter's Catholic Church, Ms. Maki's faith has 
always been a strong foundation in her life, providing her the 
spiritual endurance to give so much to so many.
  Tomorrow, Phyllis Maki will receive the Northern Michigan University 
President's Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious honor is 
bestowed upon men and women whose lives are truly outstanding. As the 
citation for this award reads, ``A beautiful person inside and out, she 
leads with strength and vision and lives with a kind heart and generous 
soul. She is the best kind of friend--the forever kind.''
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you and the entire U.S. House of 
Representatives join me in saluting my friend, Ms. Phyllis Maki, for 
her lifetime of contributions and in wishing her, Carlo, Deborah, David 
and Michael all the best on this momentous occasion.

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