[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 49 (Thursday, March 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MS. KAMELA PATTON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 27, 2014

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Women's History month 
I rise today to honor Dr. Kamela Patton, an outstanding individual and 
someone who has been an inspiration to the South Florida community.
   Dr. Patton received her degree in Elementary Education from Messiah 
College in 1985. She later received her Master of Science, Reading and 
Education from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, and her 
Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership in 2003 from the 
University of Miami, Florida.
   Dr. Patton had a 24 year career with Miami-Dade County Public 
Schools, one of the largest school districts in the country which 
serves over 300,000 students, before becoming Superintendent of Collier 
County Public Schools in 2011. Since becoming Superintendent, Dr. 
Patton has revised and improved existing programs by instituting new 
technological tools in order to increase student achievement. As a 
champion of technology in the classroom, Dr. Patton was one of a select 
group of educators invited to Washington, D.C. to speak with the 
Federal Communications Commission chairman to discuss the transition to 
digital learning.
   Dr. Patton was recently named an eSchool Learning 2014 National 
Tech-Savvy Superintendent Award Winner. She also received the 2013-2014 
Sunshine State School Public Relations Association Outstanding 
Superintendent Communicator Award. She was named by Gulfshore Business 
as one of the 41 People with the Most Clout in Southwest Florida and a 
Power Woman by Florida Weekly Magazine.
   Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Dr. Kamela Patton for 
her continued service to the Collier County Public Schools, and I ask 
my colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable individual.

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