[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO FRANK CALVELLI

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate 
the career of an outstanding civil servant, Mr. Frank Calvelli, who is 
one of my constituents. Mr. Calvelli recently announced his plan to 
retire after 34 years of government service, most recently as the 
Principal Deputy Director for the National Reconnaissance Office, where 
he has provided commendable leadership and operational management for 
the past 8 years. Mr. Calvelli will complete his government service at 
the end of this year.
  During Frank's 30-year tenure at the NRO, he has been responsible for 
leading various internal organizations and overseeing the acquisition 
and operation of many of our Nation's most vital overhead 
reconnaissance assets. These platforms perform essential intelligence 
collection roles to better inform U.S. Government and allied partner 
nation defense policies and deter potential aggressors. Frank 
contributed to 11-plus-years of consecutive clean financial audits, an 
unequaled record within the U.S. intelligence community. Mr. Calvelli 
has played an important role developing a permanent employee cadre and 
leading the more than 3,000 people who work at the NRO. When called 
upon in 2019 to take on the responsibility of acting in the capacity of 
the Director, he often testified on behalf of the NRO before Congress 
and specifically the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
  While Mr. Calvelli has shouldered the responsibility of overseeing 
large, complex government acquisition programs, his fondest memories 
will be of the NRO's people. Like any successful organization, the NRO 
relies on its talented and skilled workforce to accomplish its national 
security mission. Their wellbeing and success have always been a top 
priority for him, and it is especially important that the women and men 
of the NRO have leadership that backs them in their primary imperative 
as intelligence professionals: to speak truth to power.
  I also understand that Frank's love of NASCAR is well known at the 
NRO. I, too, share an appreciation of NASCAR and hope he has greater 
opportunities to enjoy racing and more time with his family. On behalf 
of a grateful nation, as he transitions to future opportunities, I 
would like to publicly thank Mr. Calvelli for his valuable 
contributions to the Nation and our national security, and I personally 
thank the Calvelli family for their critical role in supporting him 
throughout his service to the Nation.

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