[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[SEN]
[Pages 10664-10665]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO GARY HOLLANDER

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and honor Gary 
Hollander of Milwaukee, WI, for 20 years of guiding Diverse & Resilient 
as its founder and CEO. I have known Gary for many years and have been 
proud to work with and support his efforts at Diverse & Resilient 
throughout that time. Gary has been a leader in the mental health and 
LGBT communities, and his passion for serving people will be missed by 
all who have worked with him and who have benefited from his guidance 
and passion.
  A licensed psychologist, Gary received his degrees in education and 
psychology from the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. His 
professional career began in the Milwaukee Public Schools, where he was 
a classroom teacher and school psychologist. He later served in the 
education division at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and later as an 
educational consultant to Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 
Gary developed an HIV mental health program and HIV clinic in 
conjunction with Aurora Health Care, a leading health care provider in 
Wisconsin. He later directed their medical education programs and was 
the founding administrator of the Center for Urban Population Health.
  In 1995, Gary founded Diverse & Resilient as a way to build the 
capacity of LGBT groups across Wisconsin, filling a void in the public 
health sphere. Gary recognized that public health organizations and 
community groups were not rising to meet the needs of the LGBT 
community, and he became the driving force behind greater community 
engagement and recognition of the LGBT community in Wisconsin. During 
his tenure, Diverse & Resilient has expanded many times over and 
currently serves more than 5,000 LGBT people each year, helping them to 
thrive by living healthy, satisfying lives in safe, supportive 
communities.
  His tireless work on behalf of Wisconsin's LGBT community has led to 
greater understanding, improved access to care, and new ways of looking 
at the unique and divers needs of the LGBT community. Gary and his team 
have focused their work in six priority areas: acceptance, cultivating 
leaders, mental health, sexual health, partner and community violence, 
and substance abuse--areas in which they hope to eliminate health 
disparities between LGBT people and the general population. They have 
made many impressive strides over the past 20 years, and I know that 
the future is bright for Diverse & Resilient, as well as Wisconsin's 
LGBT community, because of Gary's work.
  I am proud to call Gary a friend, and I am grateful for his important 
contributions to our State and the LGBT community. I know that his 
passion and dedication to improving the lives

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of others will continue long after he steps down from his leadership 
role at Diverse & Resilient. I wish him all the best in his future 
endeavors.

                          ____________________