In a ceremony held on December 8 at the Itamaraty Palace, in Brasília, the businessman and volunteer member of the Brazilian Council of Citizenship of Ontario – CONCID Arnon Melo was awarded the Order of Rio Branco.
The medal is intended to reward those who have become deserving of recognition by the Brazilian Government, serving to distinguish meritorious services and encourage the practice of dignified actions and deeds.
Having been recommended by Ambassador Wanja Campos da Nóbrega, Consul General of Brazil in Toronto, Arnon Melo was chosen to receive this great honour in recognition of his dedicated participation with the Brazilian community of Ontario and Canada.
Upon receiving the medal, Arnon Melo thanked Ambassador Wanja Campos da Nóbrega for nomination, as well as the support he always received from Ambassador Ana Lélia Benincá Beltrame, who was Consul General in Toronto during his term at CONCID. He took the opportunity to highlight that the award is a recognition of the work of the members, effective and volunteers, of the Brazilian Citizenship Council of Ontario.
Among the numerous activities he participated in, Arnon Melo recalled the process of repatriation of more than 550 Brazilians, held in Canada during the initial outbreak of Covid-19. With a team effort, which brought together the Embassy and the other CONCIDs of Canada, it was possible to help, with food, shelter and information, the families of Brazilians who were waiting for the release of their flights to Brazil.
“I share this award with the entire Brazilian community in Ontario and Canada, as it attests to our unity and inspires us to continue working together,” said Arnon Melo upon returning to Toronto.
The medal of the Order of Rio Branco, received by the Brazilian Arnon Melo, bears the following inscription in Latin: Ubique Patriae Memor. His best translation: I will always have the Fatherland in my memory.
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About Arnon Melo (LinkedIn’s excerpt)
Originally from Taquarituba, Brazil, MELLOHAWK Logistics President Arnon G. Melo is a graduate of Ibero-Americana University in Sao Paulo, and a graduate of the International Business Programme at Seneca College, Toronto. He immigrated to Canada in 1990 and founded MELLOHAWK Logistics in 2002. MELLOHAWK Logistics is truly an immigrant success story with all but one of its staff being new immigrants themselves. Arnon believes that international backgrounds and experience have been instrumental to MELLOHAWK’s success. While Arnon has been eager to give back to Canada the country that embraced him, he has never ignored his Brazilian roots, regularly sponsoring Brazilian and Canadian events. Arnon’s personal interest in the value of education has resulted in an excellent Mentorship program for International Interns in conjunction with many schools and agencies, and extensive training and certification programs for MELLOHAWK staff. Arnon believes that his investment in people all over the world is the best way to succeed in business. He is a member of the National Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Freight Forwarders (www.CIFFA.com), a two-time elected member of the Brazilian Citizenship Council of Ontario (CONCID) and part of the Professional Advisory Committee for Seneca College.
