[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 110 (Monday, July 10, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      TRIBUTE TO WESLEY D. RATCLIFF

                                 ______


                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, July 10, 1995
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions 
and achievements made by Wesley D. Ratcliff. Born in Crockett, TX, he 
holds a B.S. in math and physics from Prairie View University and a 
M.S. in math from the University of Houston, TX. He is a former 
associate professor of math and computer science at Texas Southern 
University.
  After completing 2 years as a lieutenant in the Armed Forces, Mr. 
Ratcliff joined NASA as an aerospace engineer, where he performed 
significant work on the U.S. moon missions.
  In 1976, he joined IBM as a customer engineer in Houston, TX. He then 
went on to serve as program support representative and field manager. 
In 1981, he was promoted to equal opportunity manager and in 1983, he 
took a staff position in the area of plans and controls in Dallas, TX. 
Subsequently, Mr. Ratcliff held the position of branch manager in San 
Antonio, TX before joining the Corporate Marketing and Service Group in 
Purchase, NY in 1986 as a marketing consultant. As he continued to 
climb the corporate ladder, he became the administrative assistant to 
the vice president of business development in Franklin Lakes, NJ. In 
1990, he was promoted to plant site manager in Brooklyn, NY.
  On September 30, 1993, Mr. Ratcliff reached the height of his career 
goal when he signed an agreement with IBM which transferred ownership 
of its Brooklyn plant to Advanced Technological Solutions, Inc. [ATS] 
to form a new minority controlled employee-owned enterprise to become 
the company's first president and CEO.
  Mr. Ratcliff is very active in many community activities. He also 
serves on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations.
  Mr. Ratcliff and his wife are the proud parents of three children.
  I am proud to recognize Wesley D. Ratcliff for his hard work, 
dedication, and outstanding achievements over the years.


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