[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CARL DICKERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 11, 2008

  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the life and 
contributions of Mr. Carl Dickerson as his family and friends join 
together to celebrate the joyous occasion of his 70th birthday. An 
innovative entrepreneur, community advocate, and tireless champion for 
civil rights and equality, Mr. Dickerson has contributed immensely to 
our society.
  Carl Dickerson was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on September 12, 
1938. Born into a loving family, Carl established a deep value system 
centered on hard work and close relationships which he has carried with 
him through his many lifetime accomplishments.
  After graduating from high school, Carl served his country and 
pursued his education with an endless voracity and thirst for 
knowledge. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army College of Emergency 
Administrative Analysis in Battlecreek, Michigan, as well as of the 
U.S. Army Staff College of Nuclear Science in Sheeps Head Bay, New 
York. In 1960, Mr. Dickerson received his degree from Lincoln 
University in Pennsylvania and went on to complete graduate work at 
Temple University.
  Carl Dickerson's life has been filled with groundbreaking business 
ventures, community contributions, and accomplishments both as a 
recognized leader and astute businessman. For four years, Mr. Dickerson 
served our young people as a dedicated educator, teaching at West 
Philadelphia High School in Pennsylvania and at the University of 
California, San Francisco. In the business world, he served as the 
president of Echo911 and the Principal at IGP Tech.
  Carl has always been relentlessly devoted to his community, and has 
spent the majority of his life donating his time and efforts to 
countless professional affiliations where he has served in numerous 
capacities and board positions. Just a small example of his many 
commitments includes being a member of both the National and California 
Associations of Health Underwriters, founding member of the Academic 
Council of Insurance Planners, and Associate of the Black MBA 
Association. He has held myriad board positions for such community 
benefit organizations as the Los Angeles Community Lending Corporation, 
the Los Angeles Urban League, the Black Business Association, and the 
Center for Non Profit Management.
  In light of all of these impressive accomplishments, however, Carl's 
most notable contribution has been as the creative and supportive 
president of Dickerson Employee Benefits, which he founded in 1965. As 
a result of Carl's activities, both political and civic, Dickerson 
Employee Benefits has maintained strong roots in minority communities 
throughout Southern California. The mission statement of Carl's 
business closely emulates the mission of Carl's life, which he lives up 
to everyday: ``the belief that all people should have equal access to 
affordable healthcare.''
  Carl Dickerson is a successful entrepreneur who has never forgotten 
his roots, has always fought on behalf of those most in need in his 
community, and has remained acutely aware that equal opportunity and 
equal access for people of color is a cause still very much alive and 
in need of leaders like him. Most importantly, Carl has used his 
personal success to bring others up behind him.
  Fortunately, I have had the honor of witnessing this man at work many 
times. His positive outlook, energetic spirit, and warm humor are 
always present no matter what task he has before him. Carl is 
constantly coming up with creative new ideas and inspiring people to 
soar to new heights and attempt things they never thought they would be 
able to do. Carl Dickerson is a man who can produce a sense of self-
confidence and adventure in others which they would never find within 
themselves without his encouragement and guidance. In this way, not 
only is he a talented and successful person himself, but he has the 
incredibly rare ability to drive others to realize their full 
potential.
  On behalf of the 9th Congressional District, it is my great pleasure 
to join Carl Dickerson's mother, wife, children, grandchildren, in-
laws, and a host of loving family and friends as we celebrate the 70th 
birthday of this great man. Congratulations, and I wish you all the 
best in the coming years.

                          ____________________