MELBOURNE, Fla., May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert G. (Bob) Whelen, vice president of Real
Estate and Environmental, Health and Safety for Harris Corporation
(NYSE: HRS), was honored by the White House recently as a Champion
of Change – a program that is part of President Obama's Winning the
Future initiative. Each week, the program features a group of
Americans, businesses or organizations who embody the ideals of
'out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the
world.'
Whelen and 11 other Brevard
County business and community leaders nominated by the
Administration were selected to participate in a roundtable
discussion on the impact of the retirement of the Space Shuttle on
the Space Coast economy, and actions by the Administration that
would help mitigate this economic impact. The event was held at the
Astronauts Memorial Foundation facility.
Each of Brevard's Champions of
Change also will be featured on the White House website
May 9-15, where they will post a
short blog about the work they are doing in the community and their
experience as a member of the roundtable.
According to Whelen, roundtable participants encouraged the
Administration to leverage the existing capabilities of the
Kennedy Space Center and the
high-tech workforce of the Space Coast to include research and
development, engineering, manufacturing, and expanding launch
capabilities at KSC. This would serve as an economic engine
for the region, affording the United
States a more cost-effective space program that also would
attract new businesses in non-space, high-tech industries. The
group also encouraged the Administration to incentivize business to
locate, grow and expand on the Space Coast.
"It was a distinct honor and pleasure to be selected as a
Champion of Change," said Whelen, who also serves as chairman of
the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Commission of
Florida's Space Coast. "In my role
at Harris, I have the opportunity to visit many communities and
establish business operations around the world. Nowhere else
but on the Space Coast have I witnessed a community so determined
to succeed – to overcome challenges and emerge stronger than
ever."
Whelen has been very active in economic development activities
in the U.S. and internationally throughout his career. He is
a chemical engineering graduate from the State
University of New York at Buffalo. His photo is
available at: Robert G. Whelen.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information
technology company serving government and commercial markets in
more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has
approximately $6 billion of annual
revenue and more than 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000
engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing
best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and
services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is
available at www.harris.com.
SOURCE Harris Corporation