[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING VALERIE MARTELLI, RHODE ISLAND SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE 
                                  YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2003

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Valerie 
Martelli, who was recently honored as the 2003 Rhode Island Small 
Business Person of the Year by the United States Small Business 
Administration. Ms. Martelli is the President of CME Consultants, a 
nationally accredited continuing medical education company 
headquartered in Wakefield, Rhode Island.
  Ms. Martelli is a living example of the American dream, and she shows 
that through hard work and perseverance, success is attainable. Several 
years ago, Ms. Martelli was a single mother raising two children with 
the assistance of welfare and food stamps. Today, she is the head of a 
$1.5 million-a-year company in the midst of explosive growth.
  After working in Rhode Island Hospital's Medical Education 
Department, Ms. Martelli learned that physicians, nurses, and other 
providers could not always attend continuing education courses at the 
times they were offered by hospitals and medical schools. Recognizing 
an opening, she founded CME Consultants, Inc. in 1994. CME Consultants 
provides continuing medical education classes through live conferences, 
teleconferences, CD-Rom courses, and over the Internet. In addition, 
courses are offered for pharmacists, physician assistants, and others. 
The company holds more than 5,000 conferences annually around the 
country.
  The expansion of her business can be seen through the growth of her 
office space and employees. She started CME Consultants in a spare 
bedroom in her home. Later, she added staff and moved into a 2,000 
square foot office. The company recently purchased a 3,500 square foot 
office as the headquarters for her nine employees.
  As a member of several national and local organizations, Ms. Martelli 
is an active participant in her community, and her business serves the 
medical community to the benefit of patients nationwide.
  Ms. Martelli joins a distinguished group of Rhode Islanders who have 
been named Small Business Person of the Year. Small businesses are key 
to economic growth in my home state, and I wish Ms. Martelli and the 
33,000 other small business owners in Rhode Island great success in the 
future.

                          ____________________