[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 100 (Tuesday, June 13, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   HONORING DORSEY L. KENDRICK, PH.D, PRESIDENT OF GATEWAY COMMUNITY 
               COLLEGE, ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 13, 2017

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound respect and admiration 
that I rise today to join family, friends, colleagues and community 
leaders in extending my deepest thanks and appreciation to Dr. Dorsey 
L. Kendrick as she celebrates her retirement as President of Gateway 
Community College in New Haven, Connecticut. Over the course of her 
nearly two decades of leadership, Dorsey has both literally and 
figuratively changed the face of Gateway, leaving an indelible mark on 
the college and our community.
  Dorsey's unique personal story is the core of her personal passion 
for education and creating opportunity for students. A native of 
Jackson, Tennessee, Dorsey was one of three African-American students--
and the only woman--to initiate integration at Union University. After 
earning a Bachelor's of Science degree in business administration at 
Union, she went on to earn an M.S. in Business Administration at 
Cardinal Stritch University and a Ph.D. in Philosophy in Higher 
Education from Walden University. She is also a graduate of the 
Institute of Education Management at Harvard University. Prior to 
appointment at Gateway, Dorsey was the first African-American woman to 
be named associate dean and then dean of the School of Business 
Management at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She later became the 
school's executive vice-president and the highest-ranking African-
American woman in Wisconsin's higher education system.
  The legacy Dorsey leaves at Gateway Community College is nothing 
short of awe-inspiring. In her first eight years at the helm. The 
school's enrollment more than doubled and today Gateway is the largest 
of Connecticut's twelve community colleges, serving more than 12,000 
undergraduates every year. Dorsey not only created a nursing program 
but under her leadership the college has bolstered program offerings in 
the fields of allied health, green technologies, the culinary arts, 
early childhood education, and business. She was one of the first to 
recognize the importance of working with local industries to develop 
curriculum and certificate programs that would ensure students are 
prepared for the needs of the local job market. Perhaps her crowning 
achievement has been the creation the Gateway's new campus in Downtown 
New Haven. The four-story, LEED Gold-certified complex opened in August 
2012 and is home to extraordinary classrooms and state-of-the-art labs, 
creating a learning environment that is second to none.
  During her tenure, I have had many opportunities to work with Dorsey 
and found a kindred spirit in the effort to expand access to higher 
education, enable students to realize their full potential, and make 
their dreams a reality. From creating partnerships with local 
industries to prepare students for the jobs of today to providing 
resources to local veterans, and from addressing a nursing shortage to 
preparing students for a changing manufacturing sector, it has been my 
honor to work side by side with her. I cannot thank her enough for her 
friendship and counsel over the years.
  At her inauguration Dorsey stated ``I plan to leave my footprints on 
this college''--she has done that and so much more. She has created 
lasting partnerships on which Gateway Community College can build 
future success. Her advocacy and dedication has ensured that the doors 
of opportunity are open for Gateway's students, and her innovative 
vision has created a campus ready to prepare a 21st century workforce. 
Though her retirement marks the end of an era, I have no doubt that 
Dorsey will continue to find ways to make a difference in our 
community. It is my great honor to rise today to thank Dr. Dorsey L. 
Kendrick for her outstanding leadership and invaluable contributions to 
our community as well as extend my very best wishes to her for many 
more years of health and happiness as she begins this next chapter of 
her life.

                          ____________________