[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 3, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MR. ABDEL SALEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 3, 2003

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to honor Mr. 
Abdel Salem on the occasion of his retirement as City Manager of El 
Centro, California in my Congressional District. Abdel was honored by 
his friends and colleagues at a Farewell Dinner on May 30, 2003.
  A native of Facous, Egypt, near the Suez Canal, Abdel was born into a 
farming family, along with two brothers and two sisters. He earned his 
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Alexandria University 
in Alexandria, Egypt in 1965. Influenced by an uncle who had earned his 
Doctorate Degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Abdel 
came to North America in the early 1970s--first to Toronto and then to 
New York City. He has furthered his education through postgraduate 
courses in Public Administration at San Diego State University.
  Choosing to move to sunny Imperial Valley of California, Abdel became 
Assistant Finance Director of El Centro in 1973 and was promoted to 
Finance Director four years later. Then came an appointment in 1980 to 
Acting City Manager and to City Manager in 1981. He has also served as 
Executive Director of the city's Redevelopment Agency and Executive 
Director of the Community Development Commission.
  He has been involved in many roles in the organizations and 
activities of Imperial Valley. He is past chairman of the Imperial 
Valley Emergency Communications Authority, past chairman of the 
Imperial Valley City/County Managers Association, and a founding board 
member of the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation. He 
served as secretary/treasurer and president of the Optimist Club and is 
past chairman of the Oratorical Contest of Optimist International/
Southern California District.
  Abdel is also a member of the International City Managers 
Association, the California City Managers Executive Committee, the 
Community Redevelopment Agencies Association, and the League of Cities 
Fiscal Reform Committee, as well as the League of California Cities 
Committee on Diversity.
  I want to take this opportunity to thank Abdel Salem for these many 
fine contributions to our community. Upon his retirement, he leaves the 
City of El Centro a far better place. He is joined in celebrating his 
accomplishments by his wife, Samia, a teacher at Southwest High School, 
and his children, Sherif and Omneya, Salma, and Kareem. Sherif received 
his Bachelors' Degree in Biology in 1998 from USD and is currently 
employed at a biotech company in Irvine as a microbiologist. Omneya, 
his wife, is an architect, and they reside in San Diego. In 2001, Salma 
received her Masters' Degree in Human Development and Psychology from 
Harvard University. Kareem is Vice President of the Class of 2003 and 
an honor student at Southwest High School.
  My best wishes go to Abdel Salem and his family upon his completion 
of a fruitful and noteworthy term as El Centro's City Manager. He will 
be missed!

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