Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING GORDON HIGGINS ON HIS RETIREMENT
______
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.
____________________
