[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS RHODES

 Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I wish to thank Phyllis Rhodes for 
her outstanding service to the Municipality of Anchorage, the Federal 
court system, and Identity, Inc. on the occasion of her retirement.
  Born in Arizona and raised in Texas, Phyllis and her former husband 
moved to Alaska in 1967 with their young daughter Anne, making their 
home in Anchorage. A second daughter, Emily, made her appearance after 
the family relocated to Alaska. Since her arrival in Alaska Phyllis' 
contributions to the cause of equality for the LGBTQ community, and all 
Alaskans, has become legendary.
  Phyllis started out as the volunteer coordinator for Identity, Inc. 
but with her usual passion and commitment, she started picking up 
speed, eventually becoming the unpaid executive director of the 
organization. Over the course of her 10 years as executive director of 
Identity, Inc. Phyllis has taken the organization from obscurity to 
high visibility in Anchorage and across Alaska. During Phyllis' tenure, 
Identity, Inc. expanded its programs and began outreach to new 
audiences. The creation of an advocacy team has led to open dialogues 
with Alaska businesses, churches, educational institutions and other 
organizations. Within the LGBTQ community, Phyllis is the recognized 
heart and soul of Identity, Inc.
  I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Phyllis for her many 
years of advocating for equality. I wish the absolute best to her, her 
wife Pam, and her daughters Anne and Emily, as they begin this next 
stage in their lives.

                          ____________________