[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 128 (Thursday, August 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     IN HONOR OF THOMAS K. BLALOCK

                                 ______


                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 3, 1995
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Thomas K. 
Blalock, the public works director of of the city of Fremont in 
California's 13th Congressional District. Tom is retiring after 34 
years of dedicated service to our community.
  Tom began his professional career in Fremont in November 1960, when 
he became Fremont's assistant city engineer. As assistant city 
engineer, he was responsible for managing the engineering division and 
overseeing the areas of project design, construction management, real 
property, and traffic engineering. In March 1975, Tom became Fremont's 
director of public works where, for the last 20 years, he has managed 
from 172 to 254 employees in four areas: engineering, maintenance, 
integrated waste, and administration.
  Tom has been a resident of the South Bay for over 43 years. After 
graduating from San Jose State University with an engineering degree in 
December 1954, he began his career as a planning aide in the city of 
Mountain View, where he had worked as an engineering aide throughout 
college. In April 1955 he moved to the city of Sunnyvale to work as a 
design and traffic engineer. He held this position until November 1960 
when he came to Fremont.
  Tom belongs to a number of professional organizations including the 
American Public Works Association [APWA] of which he is a life member. 
In 1991, he was the recipient of the APWA's Samuel A. Greely Award. He 
is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers [ASCE] 
where he has served as an executive board member for 10 years in the 
urban planning and development division. In 1985, he received the 
ASCE's Harland Bartholomew Award, a national award for urban and 
regional planning. He is also a member of the League of California 
Cities. In 1991, he was president of the league's public works officers 
department and has also served on a number of the league's policy 
committees.
  Tom has also served on the boards of many of our community 
organizations including the Chadbourne School Family and Faculty 
Association, from 1962 to 1965, and the Mission San Jose High School 
Parent Faculty Association, where he was chair from 1976 to 1978. He 
also participated as a Mission San Jose Little League umpire from 1970 
to 1974 and has been an active member of St. Anne's Episcopal Church, 
serving both as bishop's committee member and a senior warden. He was a 
member of the Children's Home Society of California for 14 years and 
represented that organization at the both local and the state level.

  Although Tom's expertise will be sorely missed by those in the city 
of Fremont, he was elected last November to the Bay Area Rapid Transit 
[BART] Board for region 6. Therefore, citizens in this area will 
continue to benefit from his knowledge of and involvement with 
engineering and transportation issues.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Mr. Thomas K. Blalock for his 
commitment to our community. I hope you and all of my colleagues will 
join me and all of Tom's friends and neighbors in congratulating him on 
his retirement and wishing him well in all of his future endeavors.


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