[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8210]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IN RECOGNITION OF SUPERINTENDENT RICHARD McCORKLE

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 22, 2017

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to 
extend my personal congratulations to Mr. Richard ``Ricky'' McCorkle, 
Superintendent of the Marion County School District, on his retirement 
after 30 years as an educator and civic leader. He will be honored at a 
retirement celebration on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at the 
Marion County Middle and High School cafeteria.
  Before becoming an educator, Mr. McCorkle was an insurance salesman 
from 1977 until 1987. That year, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 
history from Georgia Southwestern College. He then became a history 
teacher and a basketball and baseball coach at Tri-County High School. 
In 1997, he earned a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership 
from Troy State University. That year, he became the Tri-County High 
School principal. Within two years, he was elected as Superintendent of 
the Marion County School District.
  Aristotle once said, ``Educating the mind without educating the heart 
is no education at all.'' Mr. McCorkle was an educator of both. He is 
rooted in the belief that children need constant love and 
encouragement. As such, he was most known for walking through Marion 
County schools on a regular basis and talking with students from pre-K 
to 12th grade. He frequently visited teachers and staff to show his 
care and support for them as well.
  Outside of his tremendous scholastic dedication, Mr. McCorkle is also 
very involved within the community. He currently serves on the Board of 
Directors for South Georgia Technical College and is the Executive 
Director of Chattahoochee-Flint RESA. He is also a Board Member of the 
Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Valley Partnership Joint 
Development Authority and the River Valley Regional Commission. He is a 
member of the Buena Vista/Marion County Chamber of Commerce, Georgia 
School Superintendents Association, Georgia School Boards Association, 
and Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. He is a founder of 
Pastors Partnering with Education.
  After retirement, Mr. McCorkle will enjoy spending time with his 
wife, Marie, and their two children and two grandchildren. His love for 
education was also instilled in his own children, both of whom are now 
educators and married to educators. Richard McCorkle has accomplished 
much in his life, but none of it would be possible without the love and 
support of the family he cherishes so dearly.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our 
sincerest appreciation and best wishes to Superintendent Richard 
McCorkle upon the occasion of his retirement from an outstanding career 
spanning 30 years in education.

                          ____________________