[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 149 (Tuesday, November 27, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING DICK BOYSEN'S 35TH ANNIVERSARY AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF 
            SPOKANE GUILDS' SCHOOL AND NEUROMUSCULAR CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 27, 2012

  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dick 
Boysen's 35th anniversary serving as the Executive Director of the 
Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center.
  On November 21, 1977, Dick Boysen set out to make a difference in the 
lives of children with disabilities in Eastern Washington. Believing in 
the worth of every individual, Dick looked forward to helping Spokane's 
most vulnerable population. Thirty five years later, his focus remains 
the same--nurture the full potential of families and their children, 
from birth to three, with disabilities.
  Dick arrived at the Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center 
with a passion for making a difference in the lives of children with 
developmental and physical disabilities and a vision to make the 
Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center program the best in the 
country. To that end, over the last 35 years, Dick has tirelessly 
worked to ensure this dream became a reality. Under Boysen's 
leadership, the Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center has 
become not only one of the most comprehensive and respected programs in 
Washington State but has gained national acclaim.
  Founded in 1960, the Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center 
has grown from a part-time, volunteer staffed respite center for 
children with developmental disabilities, to a full-time, quality 
center with a professional staff of certified teachers and therapists 
serving children who experience developmental delays. Today, the 
Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center serves 200 children in 
Spokane County who experience developmental delays or disabilities.
  Not only am I encouraged by Dick's tireless effort to advocate and 
improve the quality of life for children with disabilities in Spokane, 
but in the past 2 years, he has received the Sacred Heart Children's 
Hospital's ``Advocate of the Year'' award and was given a Founder's 
Award by the Early Childhood Development Association of Washington 
because of his great work with the organization and around the State.
  So today, I want to congratulate Dick Boysen on his 35th Anniversary 
as Executive Director of Spokane Guilds' School and Neuromuscular 
Center.

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