[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 101 (Friday, June 14, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E637-E638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING AND COMMEMORATING THE SERVICE OF BALRAM ``B'' BHEODARI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NIKEMA WILLIAMS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 14, 2024

  Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
commemorate Balram Bheodari, a constituent of Georgia's Fighting Fifth 
Congressional District who was instrumental to the success and growth 
of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
  Known to everyone in Atlanta as ``B,'' he brought the sense of duty 
forged during his time as an Army aviator to his 22 years of service to 
the airport. As General Manager for

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Hartsfield-Jackson, he was pivotal in the airport's growth and its 
recognition as the world's busiest and most efficient airport.
  Under B's leadership the airport completed numerous major capital 
projects, making use of transformative investments totaling billions of 
dollars and positioning Hartsfield-Jackson as the model of success for 
all large airport hubs across the nation. B oversaw pivotal projects 
such as the creation of the airport's fifth runway, the Consolidated 
Rental Car Center, the Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal--the 
most extensive hold baggage screening system in the country, and 
countless other terminal renovation projects.
  B's expertise in the airport and aviation space has been invaluable 
as he and I worked closely to deliver future projects through the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to continue to grow Atlanta's 
airport.
  But it's not just the billions of dollars he helped deliver to the 
airport that made B a great General Manager, it was B's leadership and 
the ability to reinforce his mission and vision to over 63,000 
employees at Hansfield-Jackson and the 400,000 jobs supported by the 
airport. His mission was to bring all those directly or indirectly 
employed to see themselves as one team, delivering excellence while 
connecting our community to the world.
  During unprecedented times like the COVID-19 pandemic, B's leadership 
and management were critical. He weathered the operational and 
commercial challenges that came with the pandemic through close 
coordination with airline partners and his team. B understood what made 
Hartsfield-Jackson the busiest and most efficient airport in the world 
was a commitment to an excellent customer experience. He delivered on 
that even through the challenges of a global pandemic.
  His philosophy centered around three P's: ``People, Purpose, and 
Performance.'' B's philosophy helped make Hartsfield-Jackson the 
largest employer in the state of Georgia and contributed to a regional 
economic impact of 66 billion dollars. Numbers can't tell the whole 
story of B's impact, and for the past two years, Hartsfield-Jackson has 
been awarded the ACI-Airport Service Quality award for the Best Airport 
in the world for arrivals.
  Today, I honor and celebrate B's service, commitment and contribution 
to the Fighting Fifth, and while I will miss our conversations and his 
physical presence in the airport, I want it to be known in the halls of 
Congress that our success in the district was made possible by my 
friend and Co-Conspirator for Justice, Balram ``B'' Bheodari. Please 
join me in recognizing B's outstanding career in service to Hartsfield-
Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Georgia's Fighting Fifth 
Congressional District.

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