[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6912-H6913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MAYOR GEORGE CRETEKOS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Crist) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life's work 
of a very honorable civil servant who has given so much to Pinellas 
County and the City of Clearwater over his long, accomplished, and 
selfless career.
  George Cretekos has devoted his life to public service, over 5 
decades of unwavering commitment to his fellow

[[Page H6913]]

Floridians, exemplified by deep community involvement, civility, and 
practical commonsense decisionmaking. George is a Republican and is my 
dear friend.

                              {time}  1045

  George got his start working for St. Petersburg Congressman Bill 
Cramer. Upon Mr. Cramer's retirement, he began an extraordinary 35-year 
run with Representative Cramer's successor, Congressman Bill Young. 
George served on his Washington, D.C., staff and was best known 
throughout the county as Congressman Young's longtime district 
director.
  In 2007, he made the jump to elected office himself, joining the 
Clearwater City Council. George served on the council for 5 years 
before rising to the mayor's office in 2012. At city hall, Mayor 
Cretekos governed Clearwater with unfaltering professionalism, 
shepherding major initiatives such as the $60-plus million Imagine 
Clearwater downtown waterfront restoration project. In addition to his 
mayoral role, he served as the president of the Barrier Islands 
Government Council and the Pinellas County Mayors' Council.
  Throughout his public career, he was first to listen, quick to find 
compromise, and, foremost, committed to the well-being of his 
constituents.
  I have known George for many, many years. He has always gone out of 
his way to look out for ways in our community to help out, large and 
small. He served on the OneBlood Tampa Bay area board, donating over 60 
gallons of blood during his lifetime. He continues to be a volunteer 
courier for the National Bone Marrow Donor Program and remains very 
involved with the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Clearwater, 
Florida.
  He was awarded numerous accolades for his contributions, notably from 
the Salvation Army as well as the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council of the 
Boy Scouts of America.
  George was an elected official, but he was never afraid to roll up 
his sleeves and quietly do the hard work behind the scenes. He has 
volunteered to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. He helped with the 
Clearwater Jazz Festival. He serves dinners for the needy. He has 
worked 12-plus-hour shifts for days on end as a Pinellas County poll 
worker.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me, once again, in commemorating the career 
of Mayor George Cretekos--my fellow Greek, by the way--recognizing his 
outstanding service and dedication to our community.
  He has served admirably, with humility. His leadership and character 
distinguish him as a gold standard for public service. His good works 
will be remembered for decades to come.

                          ____________________