Greek-American Michael Kratsios – who was nominated by the President of the United States to serve as the United States’ Chief Technology officer – had his confirmation hearing before the United States Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
He begun his testimony by paying tribute to his Greek roots, which instilled in him an enduring optimism for a better tomorrow.
“My mother and my grandfather came to the United States from their native Greece in search of a more prosperous future. They instilled in me that enduring optimism for a better tomorrow. And I believe that embracing technological innovation, building new technologies in America and shaping those technologies with American values will lead us to that stronger future,” he stated in his opening remarks.
Kratsios has served as the US’ Acting Chief Technology Officer since the beginning of the Trump administration.
Kratsios has served as the White House’s principal technology policy advisor and a secretary-level representative of the US at international meetings, including at the G7 and G20.
The Greek-American has also led a team of policy advisors driving US policy and priorities on a range of technology issues, including artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial systems, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, telecommunications, and rural broadband.
He has also lent his expertise in the areas of entrepreneurship, the digital economy, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and STEM education.
Kratsios was born in Salisbury, Maryland, which is also home to the famous Sarbanes family, of former Senator Paul Sarbanes and Congressman John Sarbanes. He graduated from Princeton University in 2008, where he received the Hellenic Studies Senior Thesis Prize.
His mother, Maria, immigrated to the US from the Greek island of Chios. His papou – his father John’s father – immigrated to the US from Kastoria in northern Greece. Kratsios grew up speaking Greek at home and is fluent in modern Greek.
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