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2004 Ray Davies Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Carolyn Kemmeries
Carolyn Kemmeries began her career in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) in 1957. Her outstanding contributions as an educator include positions as an English teacher, a school counselor, and Interim Assistant Superintendent, High School region, in 1996. Carolyn went on to demonstrate her commitment to TUSD by serving as a Governing Board member from 1999-2002.

Carolyn's involvement in the Tucson community goes well beyond the classroom. She has served on boards of many organizations, including Pima County School Board, University of Arizona Foundation, Tucson Medical Center Foundation, National Alliance for Mentally Ill in Southern Arizona, and America-Israel Friendship League. In 2003, Carolyn received the UA's College of Education Sidney Woods Service Award. Currently, Carolyn is the Project Coordinator of OMA - Opening Minds through the Arts. Carolyn Kemmeries' career is an outstanding example of dedication to the education of our children.

Mary Belle McCorkle, Ed.D.
As a Tucson High School graduate in 1951, Mary Belle began her studies at the University of Arizona and, at the same time, her career at the Tucson Unified School District, as a clerk at Mission View elementary School. Dr. McCorkle has devoted her professional life to the education of Tucson's children, beginning in 1955 as a first-grade teacher in TUSD. In 1987, Mary Belle joined the Sunnyside Unified School District as Assistant Superintendent, retiring in 1993. That same year, Dr. McCorkle was elected to the TUSD Governing Board, where she is currently completing the last year of a third term.

As a community leader, Dr. McCorkle has served as president of the America-Israel Friendship League, the Old Pueblo Rotary Club, and Women at the Top. Her honors include Outstanding Educator Award by the University of Arizona Alumni Council of the College of Education in 1997 and "Woman on the Move" Award by the YWCA in 1991. In 2002, she was inducted into the Tucson High Badger Hall of Fame. Currently, Dr. McCorkle is an educational consultant and teaches at the University of Phoenix. Mary Belle has made a lasting and positive difference in Tucson's public education system and our community's future.

Raytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems invests in the education of our community's children. The company aligns its charitable giving program with business interests, employee values, and community needs. Raytheon sponsors the Math & Science FunFest, bringing scientists, mathematicians, and engineers together with K-12 students. The "Raytheon Scientist of Engineer of the Year" award was inaugurated in 2004.

Raytheon has been a sponsor of the Annual Ray Davies Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award Luncheon since its inception in 1999, contributing more than $35,000 in support of EEF's programs for TUSD students. Raytheon employees are community ambassadors, giving thousands of hours to nonprofit organizations, schools, and churches. Raytheon Missile System continues to make a significant difference in the Tucson community.

Diane H. Bissell
Diane H. Bissell began her career at Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in 1980 and since 1994 has proudly served as Manager, Community Relations. Representing a business with an employee base of 10,000 is a formidable task that Diane handles with grace and skill. Diane created Raytheon's "Support-A-Park" annual event and is a founding member of RMS Employee Services Council, identifying community volunteer opportunities for Raytheon employees.

Ms. Bissell has received numerous community awards, including the YWCA of Tucson "Woman on the Move" Award in 2001, the JC Penny Golden Rule Award, the Walmart Sam Walton Business Leader Award in 1999, and the LULAC and US Department of Justice FBI Outstanding Community Service Awards in 2001. In 2004, Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) elected Diane as Chairman of its Board of Directors, the first Anglo female to hold that position. Diane also served as co-chair of EEF's Annual Award Luncheon in 2000. Diane Bissell's contributions to the business, education, and nonprofit communities are remarkable--she is a Tucson classic.