[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 92 (Monday, June 3, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRATULATING GORDON HIGGINS ON HIS RETIREMENT

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                           HON. DOUG COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 3, 2019

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hall 
County Schools' spokesman and athletic director Gordon Higgins on his 
retirement.
  Higgins first moved to Hall County in 1980, starting as a teacher and 
coach at Johnson High School in Oakwood, Georgia. Now, at the age of 
71, Higgins is retiring after devoting 47 years of his career to 
education, 39 of which he spent working as an administrator, an 
educator, and a coach in Hall County.
  When Higgins first began teaching in Hall County in 1980, there were 
only three high schools serving a population of approximately 60,000. 
Over the last five decades, the population of Hall County has exploded 
to over 200,000 people, and there are now eight high schools across the 
district. For the last 39 years, Higgins played a critical role in 
guiding and shaping the school district through this season of 
incredible growth, and he focused heavily on the fact that with growth 
comes an increased need for accountability. He made continuous efforts 
to increase the role of athletics in the local community and maintained 
a close relationship with local media outlets to ensure the community 
stayed informed on any news coming out of the Hall County School 
District, whether positive or negative.
  During his tenure, Higgins partnered with various individuals and 
organizations for the betterment of the student body. Within the 
athletic department, Higgins helped implement new safety standards for 
tending to student athlete injuries by partnering with Dr. John 
Vachtsevanos to implement the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and 
Cognitive Testing Program, which has given Hall County athletics staff 
the ability to quickly determine whether a student athlete has suffered 
from a concussion and should receive medical attention.
  Higgins also worked tirelessly to help prepare students for the 
workforce by working with the Hall County Chamber of Commerce to create 
partnerships between Hall County schools and local businesses to make 
work-study programs available to students.
  Higgins says what he will miss the most is the people. The community 
of students, teachers, and parents he has served mean much to him and 
his family, and Higgins certainly means the world to our community. He 
has served our students and our community as a role model, teacher, 
administrator, and coach, and the Hall County School District is 
forever better because of his dedication. I want to thank Gordon 
Higgins for his commitment to our students and our community, and I 
wish him all the best in his retirement.

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