REID. Madam President, I rise today to honor the work of my
friend George M. Marcus, an accomplished businessman and
philanthropist.
Born in Euboea, Greece, George Marcus and his family immigrated to
the San Francisco Bay area in 1945. George was raised in California and
attended college at San Francisco State University. After graduating
with an economics degree in 1965, George began working in real estate.
Always with an emphasis on client satisfaction, analysis, and
evaluation, he founded Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment
Services in 1971. His business acumen and willingness to innovate have
spawned a variety of subsidiaries that have expanded his company to
include 35 states.
George's successes are not limited to the real estate industry. A
noted entrepreneur, Mr. Marcus has been called ``a modern day Midas
with an uncanny ability to create successful companies'' by one news
outlet. Indeed, his ventures range from SummerHill Homes, a bay area
homebuilder, to a partnership in two enormously popular Greek
restaurants: Evvia Estiatorio in Palo Alto and Kokkari Estiatorio in
downtown San Francisco.
Mr. Marcus' legacy extends far beyond shareholders and profits into
the heart of his own community. He has served on the California State
Universities Foundation Board of Governors and the Board of Regents of
the University of California. On the board he worked to preserve the
financial viability of higher education for residents. He has also
supported San Francisco's de Young Museum since its foundation and
established San Francisco State University's International Center for
the Arts.
Remembering his heritage, George has contributed generously to the
Greek-American community and its institutions. In 2008, he was
instrumental in organizing the National Hellenic Society to provide
resources to promote Hellenic ideals. For his numerous services, he has
been awarded the AXION Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the
Elios Cultural Achievement Award, the Patriarch Athenagoras I
Humanities Award, and the Aristeio Award of the American Hellenic
Council of California.
This past month George was honored by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis
of San Francisco with the Theofanis Economidis Award for his work on
behalf of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States. I
congratulate George on this much-deserved recognition.
But for all of the awards and accolades from the private and public
sectors, George Marcus' greatest accomplishment is his family. George
and his wife Judy are the proud parents of four children--Mary Jane,
John, Demetra, and Alexandria.
In 2011, George gave the commencement address at San Francisco State
University. In his remarks he quoted Aristotle, urging the graduates to
remember that ``excellence is a habit. . . . For your success in
whatever you pursue, you must take to heart and be the best you can . .
. and don't forget to give back.'' George Marcus has made excellence
his habit at home, in his community and in the corporate world. He has
achieved unparalleled success in nearly every walk of life. Yet he has
never forgotten to give back. He has never stopped being the best he
can.
Today, I, along with the Senate, congratulate him on his well-
deserved award from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, but
more importantly, we thank George Marcus for all he has done for the
people of this nation.
On a personal note, George Marcus has been my friend for three
decades. It is a friendship I will always cherish.
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