[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 60 (Thursday, April 3, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SEPI SAIDI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBORAH K. ROSS

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 3, 2025

  Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
my dear friend, Sepi Saidi, who passed away on March 24, 2025. Sepi was 
a trailblazer and beloved member of the Wake County community who 
nurtured her company from the ground-up in a male-dominated field. Her 
contributions to our community will live on for years to come in her 
children, friends. and the many members of our community she touched 
throughout her life.
  Born on October 10, 1962, Sepi spent the first 15 years of her life 
in Tehran, Iran, where she was raised in a household with both a 
college-educated mother and grandmother. She moved to Raleigh as a high 
school transfer student in 1978 as the Iranian Revolution was unfolding 
in her home country, graduating from North Carolina State University 
with degrees in Civil & Agricultural Engineering. Sepi embraced 
opportunity, leaving a position at the North Carolina Department of 
Transportation in 2001 to found SEPI Engineering and Construction with 
a home equity loan, three employees, and two contracts. Within two 
decades, she grew SEPI Engineering and Construction to employ 300 
workers and $40 million in revenue, becoming one of the top 500 private 
engineering firms in the country.
  Sepi was well-known as an energetic, innovative leader in the 
Triangle, Beyond the success of SEPI Engineering and Construction, she 
held leadership positions at several important nonprofits and 
government organizations. Her wisdom and insights were valued at the 
Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority and the North Carolina Chamber of 
Commerce, earning her recognition as a Top Entrepreneur, Career Woman 
of the Year, and Top CEO. She was inducted into the North Carolina 
Business Hall of Fame in 2016 and the North Carolina Women Business 
Owners Hall of Fame in 2022.
  However, more than any of these prestigious accolades, Sepi will be 
remembered for living life with intention and compassion. She always 
took the time to learn everything she could about her employees and was 
a conscientious friend and mentor to many who aspired to follow in her 
footsteps. She was also a fierce advocate for women's equality in the 
workplace and in society. She credited her mother and grandmother for 
encouraging her and her sister to pursue an education and pursue 
careers they could be passionate about.
  I have known Sepi for more than 20 years, both personally and 
professionally. We collaborated on transportation, immigration, and 
women's issues. Together, we tried our best to make North Carolina a 
more prosperous and welcoming place. I will miss her as a dear friend 
and as an inspiring leader. Her son, Bardia, has been a valuable and 
trusted member of my team since I first ran for Congress. Every day, I 
see that he embodies her spirit, determination, and grace.
  Sepi was an extraordinary woman who lived a remarkable life, and I 
will always be grateful that I had the immense privilege of knowing 
her. She was a devoted mother, compassionate friend, visionary thinker, 
and dear friend. She will be forever missed by her children Nakisa 
Asefnia and Bardia Asefnia, her siblings Sofey Saidi and Taher Saidi, 
and her many friends and colleagues. She left an immeasurable mark on 
our community, and her legacy will live on for generations to come.

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