[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ROBERT L. OZUNA

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Robert L. 
Ozuna, Chief Executive Officer of New Bedford Panoramex Corporation 
from 1966 until his death on March 6 at the Queen of the Valley 
Hospital in West Covina, California. He was 69.
  Robert Ozuna was the oldest of four children born in Miami, Arizona 
to Mexican-American parents. In 1940, after his father's death, Robert 
moved with his mother, brother and sisters to East Los Angeles, where 
he worked steadily from an early age in order to help support the 
family.
  As Founder and President of New Bedford Panoramex Corporation (NBP), 
Robert Ozuna became one of the most successful Mexican-American 
entrepreneurs in southern California. He gained his business experience 
on the job and his engineering education by attending night school in 
the California community and junior college system.
  In 1966, Ozuna began to build his company with a second mortgage on 
his home, and a few electrician's hand tools, hard work and 
entrepreneurial instincts into the thriving electronics manufacturing 
business it is today in Upland, California. NBP designs, develops and 
manufactures electronic communication systems and remote monitoring 
systems for its primary client, the United States Government.
  Robert Ozuna's hard work and dedication were given public recognition 
when he received the Department of Transportation Minority Business 
Enterprise Award for 1987 and again for 1991. He received the Air 
Traffic Control Association Chairman's Citation of Merit Award in 1994. 
He was an active member of The California Chamber of Commerce for 
various cities and a founder of Casa De Rosa Annual Golf Tournament, 
which he started to raise funds for the Rancho de Los Ninos Orphanage 
in BajaMar, Mexico.
  As industrious as Robert Ozuna was in business, he was equally 
involved sharing his prosperity with many philanthropic activities in 
his community. He sponsored many events in the Hispanic neighborhood 
where he grew up, and he was a founding director of the East Los 
Angeles Sheriff's Youth Athletic Association, which promotes 
educational, athletic and drug awareness programs for more than 60,000 
youths in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area.
  Robert Ozuna is remembered by his employees at New Bedford Panoramex 
Corporation as a man with a deep passion for life. His concern for his 
employees and their families along with his abundant generosity to them 
was always present.
  Robert Ozuna was married for 35 years to Rosemary, who passed away in 
November of 1998. He is survived by his mother Amella Ozuna, his sons 
Steven Ozuna and Jeff Dominelli, his daughters Nancy DeSilva and Lisa 
Jarrett, his sisters Lillian Gomez and Vera Venagas, and his brother 
Tony Ozuna. He also leaves six grandchildren.
  Robert Ozuna epitomized the American dream, which promises to anyone 
who works hard and plays by the rules the opportunity to achieve great 
success. Robert Ozuna lived that dream. Though he will be greatly 
missed, his life and achievements will serve as an inspiration to 
generations to come.

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