[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THANKS MR. BASEM MUALLEM FOR YOUR SERVICE TO CALTRANS DISTRICT 8

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. PAUL COOK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2015

  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bid farewell to Basem Muallem 
who will be retiring after 29 years with Caltrans at the end of March. 
A true man of the people, Muallem will always be remembered as an 
extraordinary leader who listened and understood the growing 
infrastructure needs of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. As 
District 8 Director, Muallem is currently responsible for the largest 
of the 12 statewide Caltrans districts geographically, with four 
interstates and 32 routes totaling over 7,000 lane miles within its 
boundaries. Muallem manages a staff of 1,280 and an operating budget of 
$181 million. He oversees all facets of design, construction, operation 
and maintenance of the state highway system in the greater Inland 
Empire region. Muallem works in partnership with both regional 
transportation and local resource agencies to provide a safe and 
reliable highway network for the traveling public. For as long as I 
have been in public office, our region continues to face massive 
growth. As more people, businesses and vehicles come into the area, the 
challenges of providing a highway system to meet the region's growing 
needs increase. Muallem has been a good friend to these needs in the 
various positions he has held within Caltrans. What's next for him you 
might ask? Muallem, who holds a Bachelors of Science degree in biology, 
and a Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Civil Engineering is 
headed to Parsons corporation, an engineering and construction company. 
I wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors.

                          ____________________