[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 22, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING KENNETH PAUL KIRALY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SAM T. LICCARDO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 2025

  Mr. LICCARDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise, along with my colleague Kevin 
Mullin, to recognize and honor Kenneth Paul Kiraly, a distinguished 
innovator, for his dedication to advancing technology and making it 
accessible for everyone. Living all across the San Francisco Bay Area, 
Ken developed a love for designing and building electronics, 
accumulating a multitude of electronic projects throughout his life. 
After graduating high school in Walnut Creek, he went on to attend 
California State University, Pomona, before returning to the Bay Area 
to complete his degree in Computer Science at California State 
University, East Bay.
  As the internet was only beginning to enter our lives, Ken helped 
pioneer development tools for the Java programming language, ultimately 
launching the first full-featured integrated development environments 
(IDEs) for Java. Ken joined Palm as a senior software architect, 
leading the development and delivery of technologies across a variety 
of handheld devices. In 2005, Ken became one of Amazon's primary 
leaders in its new consumer device division. His leadership in the 
division enabled the seamless experience of the Kindle--launched in 
2007--transforming the small device into a portable library for 
readers. Ken was particularly focused and proud of one aspect of the 
Kindle: its intuitive system. He cared deeply about making it 
accessible for people who simply loved to read, as well as individuals 
with disabilities. Upon its launch, the Kindle made it possible to 
enlarge the print of books with a single button, allowing individuals 
to rediscover the joy of reading without having to physically hold a 
book. He continued his work at Amazon, most recently developing 
Amazon's first consumer robot, Astro--a project blending AI with 
cutting-edge hardware.
  Throughout his accomplished 40-year career, Ken has embodied the 
qualities of an innovator, a bold risk-taker, and a dedicated problem 
solver. As one of the early Distinguished Engineers in Amazon, he not 
only led engineering and product teams, but also mentored and helped 
grow a multitude of engineers and leaders in the company. Furthermore, 
he is named inventor on 44 U.S. patents, across a variety of products. 
All while developing groundbreaking technology, Ken helped raise two 
sons--Paul and James--with his wife, Virginia. As Ken concludes a 
distinguished career, he looks forward to spending more time with his 
family and enjoying the next chapter of his life.

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