[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 25 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E242-E243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING MEHDI MORSHED

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2010

  Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Mehdi Morshed, 
who has been one of California's leading transportation policy experts 
and innovators for over 40 years.
  Mr. Morshed served as a member of the California High Speed Rail 
Commission from 1994 to 1996 and was the first person to be appointed 
to the board of the newly created California High Speed Rail Authority 
in 1997. He was appointed by the board to be the first Executive 
Director of the Authority in 1998 and has served in that position 
since.
  Mr. Morshed has been instrumental in guiding the development of the 
California High Speed Rail Project from its inception and has been an 
advocate nationwide. The project has evolved from a planning concept to 
a fully developed project with an 800-mile system that has won 
political, community, and finally voter support and is poised for 
implementation in the near future.
  Prior to becoming the Executive Director, Mr. Morshed served as the 
principal policy person on transportation issues for the California 
State Senate for more than 20 years. Prior to that, he worked for the 
California Department of Transportation in various capacities, 
including planning, design and construction of bridges. He was a member 
of the design engineering team for San Diego's Coronado Bridge.

[[Page E243]]

  While with the California Senate, Mr. Morshed was responsible for the 
development and enactment of a wide range of transportation laws, 
policies and programs. He helped guide the creation of the State's 
principal transportation institutions including the High Speed Rail 
Authority, the California Transportation Commission and various local 
and regional commissions, transportation districts and other agencies.
  Educated at the University of Washington, Seattle, as a civil 
engineer, he received a master's degree in transportation engineering 
from the University of California, Berkeley.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Mehdi 
Morshed for his efforts and dedication to the transportation systems in 
California.

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