[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E569-E570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF BOB de LORENZI

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
memory of a friend of Northern Virginia who passed away this week, Mr. 
Bob de Lorenzi.
  Mr. de Lorenzi was a pillar of the Northern Virginia community. As 
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Patriot Computer Group, 
Inc. and its subsidiary PatriotNet, Inc., Mr. de Lorenzi was widely 
admired as a businessman, receiving the 2001 Businessman of the Year 
Award from the Chamber of Commerce. But even more importantly, he was 
admired for his love and devotion to his Northern Virginia community.
  Mr. de Lorenzi served as Vice Chairman of Technology, and Chief 
Information Officer, for the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. This 
is the first instance in the nation that a Chamber of Commerce 
appointed a Board-level CIO. He was chairman of the Central

[[Page E570]]

Fairfax Chamber of Commerce's Technology Committee since its inception 
in 1995, organizing the Chamber's Technology Day event geared toward 
improving understanding and efficiency in the technology arena.
  Utilizing his professional expertise to benefit his community, Mr. de 
Lorenzi served on the Fairfax City/George Mason University Technology 
Committee and its Business/Training and Schools subcommittees, as well 
as the Fairfax County Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee. 
His volunteer efforts were recognized when the Central Fairfax Chamber 
of Commerce honored him with its 1998 Volunteer of the Year award. Last 
night, April 17, 2002, Bobbie Kilbert, President of the Northern 
Virginia Technology Council, offered a moving tribute to Mr. de Lorenzi 
recognizing his many contributions to Northern Virginia's high-tech 
community and indeed the community at large.
  In October 2000, Mr. de Lorenzi again set out to make the Washington 
metropolitan area, and the nation, a better place by serving as 
chairman of the first annual Washington Conference on Telework/Telework 
America TM Day. This conference focused on the development and 
promotion of telework in the Washington metropolitan area, attempting 
to provide a solution to many of the difficult issues facing this 
region, including traffic congestion, work-life balance, recruitment 
and retention, and air quality--all at an affordable cost. The 
conference's attendees included elected and appointed representatives 
of Federal and local governments and managers from both private and 
public sectors of the entire Washington metropolitan area.
  The nation's trust and admiration was revealed as Mr. de Lorenzi was 
presented by our President, George W. Bush, with the opportunity to 
serve as the Chief Technology Consultant to the Bush-Cheney 
Presidential Transition Team. The President discovered what Northern 
Virginians have long known: Bob was a man you wanted on your side.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I express my sincere condolences to the 
family and friends of Mr. Bob de Lorenzi, and as a representative of 
the residents of the 11th District of Virginia, I know he will be 
missed. I call upon all of my colleagues to join me in honoring the 
memory of Mr. Bob de Lorenzi.

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