The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING ARIS MELISSARTOS
______
HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS
of florida
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 14, 2022
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary Greek American--Aris Melissartos. Aris was born to Greek parents in Galatz, Romania, on December 3, 1943. The following year the Soviet Union occupied Romania and implemented a process of Sovietization. In 1950 the Melissaratos family fled to Greece as refugees. In 1956 they emigrated to the U.S., settling in Baltimore where Aris worked in, and later ran, a bakery with his father. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science in Contents Early life and education engineering management at George Washington University and completed the Graduate Program for Management Development at Harvard University and graduate research in international relations at Catholic University of America.
In 1966, Aris joined Westinghouse Electric Corporation and soon began work as its chief operating officer for defense electronics and aerospace. He left Westinghouse as its vice president of science and technology after 32 years with the company. In 1998, he became Thermo Electron Corporation's vice president of research and development. He also worked as CEO of Coleman Research Corporation, Thermo Coleman Corporation and Thermo Information Solutions. In 2001, Aris founded ArMel Scientifics, a technology incubation venture capital entity investing in more than 30 technology ventures. He also chairs the ArMel Scientifics Center for Technology and Public Policy and wrote
``Innovation: The Key to Prosperty--Technology and America's Role in the 21st Century,'' which he considers a great accomplishment.
On top of all of his successes in the private sector, Aris found great success in Government service. In 2003 Aris, a lifelong Democrat, was appointed Business and Economic Development Secretary of Maryland in the administration of Republican Robert Leroy ``Bob'' Ehrlich, Jr., who became Maryland's Governor in January that year after defeating Democratic candidate Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Ehrlich said Aris' department would be the cornerstone of his administration. Explaining his willingness to work in a Republican Cabinet, Aris said he saw himself as ``a bridge-builder''. He said the basis of his economic policy would be a focus on Maryland's universities, which he regarded as potential economic powerhouses because of their research innovation capabilities. Aris was popular in the business community and when Ehrlich was defeated in his bid for gubernatorial re-election, his successor, Democrat Martin O'Malley, came under pressure to retain Aris in his Cabinet. The Baltimore Sun newspaper reported that at a conference in the boardroom of First Mariner Bank, ``business leader after business leader'' urged O'Malley to reappoint Aris, who was described as ``the best marketing manager the state has had in recent memory'' and as a ``visionary''.
Aris has lived a life of great success and service. Even with all of his own personal success, Aris says that it's his work mentoring and developing employees under his various leadership roles that has brought him the most career satisfaction.
As Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Affairs, I am pleased to honor this great Greek-American, Aris Melissartos, and offer my sincere gratitude for his many years of service to his community. Axios.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 163(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 163(2)
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