[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11334-11335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE COMMUNITY ACTIVISM OF MR. MICHAEL SLAYMAKER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Mr. GRAYSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
public service of Mr. Michael Slaymaker, president of the Orlando Youth 
Alliance, in honor of Gay & Lesbian Pride Month. Under the direction of 
Mr. Slaymaker, the Orlando Youth Alliance serves to educate parents, 
academia, health care workers, and others about the development and 
diversity of sexual identity and make them more attentive to the 
concerns and needs of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered youth.
  Mr. Slaymaker moved to Central Florida in 1995 from Iowa. He 
graduated from Central College, Pella, Iowa, In 1983 with a bachelor of 
arts degree in Communications & Theatre and minor degrees in Business 
Management and German. In 1999, he earned his master of arts degree in 
Human Resources at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.
  Mr. Slaymaker has worked with numerous non-profit organizations that 
have contributed greatly to the Central Florida community. From 1983 
through 1993, he worked for the American Heart Association, first at a 
field representative, then as the Special Events Director, and finally 
as the Director of Field Services. He successfully designed a major 
gifts program and increased the annual revenue generation by $1 million 
and he was recognized nationally for his exceptional work. From 1995 to 
1996, he served at the Executive Director for the Hope and Help Center 
in Central Florida, whose mission is to treat and prevent the spread of 
HIV/AIDS. Mr. Slaymaker's outstanding service continued there as he 
initiated many programs to benefit the people of Florida and repaired 
the financially troubled state of the organization. In 1998, he joined

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the Orlando Gay Chorus as a volunteer singer and was quickly recruited 
to help with fundraising. For 10 years, he served as the Development 
Director for the Orlando Gay Chorus, increasing their budget by more 
than $150,000. In 2000, he founded the Orlando Anti-Discrimination 
Ordinance Committee to fight local discrimination, and has been the 
driving force behind this highly successful volunteer group ever since. 
From 2001 to 2010, he was the Human Resources & Development Director of 
the La Amistad Foundation, Inc., where his innovations helped enhance 
the quality of life for adults with chronic mental illnesses.
  Currently, Mr. Slaymaker is the President of the Orlando Youth 
Alliance, a non-profit organization which has the vital purpose in the 
Central Florida community to provide a safe and nurturing environment 
for LGBT youth between the ages of 13 and 20. The Orlando Youth 
Alliance was formed in 1990 under the name ``Delta Youth Alliance'' as 
a support group to help struggling LGBT youth. The group gathers every 
week to talk about their concerns and discuss issues that are important 
to them. Through the years, this organization has lent a hand to 
hundreds of Central Florida's youth and has expanded its outreach into 
the Orlando community. Mr. Slaymaker's exceptional efforts have helped 
make our Central Florida safer, our community more dynamic, and our 
people more conscientious. He has inspired our youth and empowered them 
to be proud of who they are.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Michael Slaymaker 
for his outstanding work and leadership both in the Gay & Lesbian 
community and in our Florida community as a whole. He is a fantastic 
community activist and a source of pride to Florida.

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