Goodbye Carolyn Hightower; See you soon
Wow! I can't believe I now have my own blog. I've heard about these things for some time now so I figured I would jump on the bandwagon. I never dreamed it would be so easy.
For my first posting I will reflect on a small going away party I attended last night for Carolyn Hightower, Deputy Director, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). This was only my second time meeting Carolyn and I am deeply sad I won't be able to get to know her better as she and her family will be moving to Chile in the coming weeks.
Carolyn has worked for OVC for the past 23 years as a dedicated public servant. The victims rights movement started in 1980s with the Violence Against Women Act and as I learned from her colleagues who flew in from across the country, she is the one that really turned the movement into a profession. Others commented about how she exudes compasion to whom ever she meets, from her colleagues in DC, to her colleagues in the field all the way to the victims themselves. Carolyn has led the fight for victims rights for most of her life. Others commented that she is a life-long learner who is not afraid to learn from her subordinates and take on new experiences.
The evening came to a climax, when Mrs. Hightower spoke herself. She spoke about what really is important in her life..her husband...her two children and asked herself, "Am I giving my all to my husband and children? Or am I giving what's left over?" This was a true wake-up call for me but for others in the room as well.
As I mentioned, this was only my second run-in with Carolyn but I immiediatly could feel the genuine human spirit about her that was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stuffy government beurocracy.
Carloyn, Thank you for your devoted service to victims. You defyed gravity and made the world a better place because of the work you did. Press on.
For my first posting I will reflect on a small going away party I attended last night for Carolyn Hightower, Deputy Director, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). This was only my second time meeting Carolyn and I am deeply sad I won't be able to get to know her better as she and her family will be moving to Chile in the coming weeks.
Carolyn has worked for OVC for the past 23 years as a dedicated public servant. The victims rights movement started in 1980s with the Violence Against Women Act and as I learned from her colleagues who flew in from across the country, she is the one that really turned the movement into a profession. Others commented about how she exudes compasion to whom ever she meets, from her colleagues in DC, to her colleagues in the field all the way to the victims themselves. Carolyn has led the fight for victims rights for most of her life. Others commented that she is a life-long learner who is not afraid to learn from her subordinates and take on new experiences.
The evening came to a climax, when Mrs. Hightower spoke herself. She spoke about what really is important in her life..her husband...her two children and asked herself, "Am I giving my all to my husband and children? Or am I giving what's left over?" This was a true wake-up call for me but for others in the room as well.
As I mentioned, this was only my second run-in with Carolyn but I immiediatly could feel the genuine human spirit about her that was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stuffy government beurocracy.
Carloyn, Thank you for your devoted service to victims. You defyed gravity and made the world a better place because of the work you did. Press on.
posted by Jackson at
12:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home