[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 148 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1409-E1410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF MRS. DOROTHY HYATT

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2016

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to 
extend my personal congratulations and best wishes to an exceptional 
community leader and outstanding citizen, Mrs. Dorothy Hyatt, on the 
occasion of her retirement as Executive Director of Girls, Inc. of 
Columbus, Georgia.
  A Columbus native, Dorothy Hyatt starting going to Girls, Inc. at an 
early age and continued her attendance throughout high school. Her 
mother worked many hours to support Dorothy and her four siblings so 
Dorothy would spend much of her time at Girls, Inc. where she would do 
arts and crafts, learn how to cook and sew, and play in the swimming 
pool. Her peers and mentors at Girls, Inc. encouraged her to attend 
college after her graduation from Jordan High School in 1972. She 
received a scholarship from Girls, Inc. and earned a Bachelor's degree 
in Social Rehabilitation from Troy State University in 1976 and a 
Master's in Criminal Justice from the same university in 1980.
  Girls, Inc. had been such an integral part of her childhood and 
teenage years that it came as no surprise when Mrs. Hyatt returned to 
Girls, Inc. to work as Center Director of the Garrard Center in 
Columbus in 1976. In 1981, Mrs. Hyatt became the Executive Director of 
Girls, Inc. of Columbus and has served in this capacity ever since. 
There was no better candidate to run the organization than Mrs. Hyatt. 
Having been on the receiving side of the program, she knew the impact 
it could have on a young girl and the decisions she made during the 
most formative years of her life. Girls, Inc. can be the difference 
between a bright, successful future and a life of drugs, crime, or 
poverty. Mrs. Hyatt's understanding of the organization's mission on a 
personal level has helped to keep Girls, Inc. effective in mentoring 
girls and shaping them into strong, independent women.
  In addition to her leadership of Girls, Inc., Mrs. Hyatt has proven 
to be an exceptional member of her community. She has served on the 
Columbus South Task Force and the Columbus Coalition of Children and 
Youth. She served as a board member of the Downtown Kiwanis Club and 
the St. Francis Hospital Advisory Committee for Women's Health. In 
1996, Ms. Hyatt served as President of the United Way Directors 
Association. She is a 1993 graduate of Leadership Columbus and a 1998 
graduate of Leadership Georgia.
  Ms. Hyatt has been recognized numerous times for her professional and 
community work. She is a recipient of the Girls, Inc. Southern Regional 
Professional of the Year Award; the Judge Aaron Cohn Community Service 
Award; the Keith Bissel Volunteer Award from the Kiwanis Club; the 
Gracious Lady Award, the Leadership Georgia Foundation Award, and the 
Governor Honors Award, among many others.
  Dr. Benjamin E. Mays often said: ``You make your living by what you 
get; you make your life by what you give.'' Not only has Mrs. Hyatt 
made her living at Girls, Inc. by mentoring and uplifting girls beyond 
their circumstances, but she has also made her life by giving back to 
the great city of Columbus in so many ways. We are all very grateful 
for her tireless advocacy in making our community stronger. A woman of 
great integrity, her efforts, her dedication, and her expertise are 
unparalleled, but her heart for helping others utilizing these 
qualities has made her life's work truly special.
  Mrs. Hyatt has accomplished much in her life but none of it would be 
possible without the love and support of her husband, Phil; her 
children, Emilee and Wynn; and her grandson, Harrison.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our 
sincerest appreciation and best wishes to Mrs. Dorothy Hyatt upon the 
occasion of her retirement from an outstanding career spanning four 
decades with Girls, Inc. of Columbus.

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