[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     A TRIBUTE TO JORGE MAS SANTOS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2001

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and 
admiration that I congratulate Jorge Mas Santos on being honored for 
receiving the National Community Service Award by the Simon Wiesenthal 
Center.
  As the son of a Cuban immigrant, Jorge Mas Santos learned to 
appreciate the freedoms and opportunities in our country, and realized 
that the dreams of liberty and democracy that his father had for his 
native land of Cuba would never be possible under the tyrannical regime 
of Fidel Castro. His ambition to fulfill his father's aspirations to 
help the thousands of Cubans migrating from the island seeking freedom 
has resulted in countless programs and activities that have benefited 
not only Cuban-Americans but also every citizen in South Florida.
  Among his illustrious accomplishments, Jorge is the founder and 
chairman of Neff Rental; Chairman of the Board of the Cuban American 
National Foundation; Chairman of MasTec Inc.; and Executive Director of 
the Mas Family Foundation. Through this Foundation, the Mas Family 
Scholarships has awarded over $500,000 to students who had little hope 
of obtaining higher education. He is deeply involved in community and 
civic activities as a member of the University of Miami President's 
Council and of Nova Southeastern University's Board of Trustees. 
Jorge's current multi-million dollar restoration project is to fulfill 
his late father's dream of turning The Freedom Tower, which is included 
in the National Registry of Historic Places, into an educational center 
and museum, scheduled for completion in late 2001.
  Jorge has achieved a multitude of honors. His love and dedication to 
the cause of freedom has touched the lives of so many and has won him 
respect and admiration. I want to join with his family, friends and 
colleagues in celebration of this wonderful award and I wish him every 
future success.

                          ____________________