[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 112 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E926-E927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN RECOGNITION OF DAWN WRIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 29, 2017

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dawn Wright 
on the occasion of her retirement from the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) after 36 years of honorable service.
  Born to Robert and Nancy Warren, Dawn is the oldest of four children. 
Robert, a Marine officer for much of his life, served in multiple 
locations across the U.S. This gave Dawn and her siblings the 
opportunity to grow up in California, Virginia, North Carolina, and 
Hawaii.
  Growing up in a military family, Dawn joined the United States Navy 
in July 1974 with the goal of becoming an air traffic controller. She 
quickly became a ground-controlled approach (GCA) controller at Naval 
Air Station Kingsville before transferring to Rota, Spain where she 
gained experience working in a control tower alongside Spanish 
controllers.
  After leaving the Navy in 1979, Dawn was hired to work for the FAA in 
August 1981. Her first assignment was Bridgeport Tower in Stratford, 
Connecticut where she became a full-fledged air traffic controller for 
the FAA. There, she received a number of `on the spot' awards and 
recognition for her outstanding work.
  In 1986, Dawn moved to Massachusetts and worked at both Cape Terminal 
Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and Hyannis Air Traffic Control (ATCT), 
quickly climbing the ranks to a supervisory role by 1991. In 1994 Dawn 
decided to become an automations specialist where she learned computer 
programming, software, networking and operating systems. It was during 
this time that she received recognition for building a computer for 
Cape TRACON out of scrapped, non-working computers. She has since 
become a staff specialist and her responsibilities have included air 
traffic controller testing on Nantucket, teaching the Automated Radar 
Terminal Systems (ARTS) course to new air traffic controllers, ensuring 
quality assurance at the facility, and evaluations for multiple 
facilities including Boston ATCT and Providence ATCT.
  Outside of work, Dawn is an accomplished rower, having been part of a 
crew team from 2001 to 2012 as a Masters rower. In her spare time she 
is an avid amateur ballroom dancer, rides motorcycles and pursues 
recording her family's genealogy. While her childhood was not spent in 
Massachusetts, she has since learned that she has historic ties to the 
Commonwealth. She is a descendent of Thomas

[[Page E927]]

Mayhew, the first governor of Martha's Vineyard, and John Swain, one of 
the original proprietors of Nantucket Island.
  Dawn will be celebrating her retirement on June 30th and will be 
dearly missed by all at Cape TRACON. With her retirement she plans to 
spend more time with her family, including her boyfriend, her parents, 
and her son Brian and his family.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Dawn Wright for her many years of 
steadfast service to public safety, the aviation industry, and our 
country. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing her a happy 
retirement and many more years of health and happiness.

                          ____________________