Santa Ana Executive Attends Infrastructure “Jobs of the Future” Event at White House

PRLog (Press Release) - Jun. 28, 2012 - Washington, D.C. – Chris Diaz, Principal at Diaz•Yourman & Associates,  met with a group of key infrastructure stakeholders at the White House today, including Latino small business leaders, state and local government transit agency leaders, representatives from NGOs The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), as well as senior Administration officials from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Together, they discussed strategies to create “Jobs of the Future” in the infrastructure and transportation sector, particularly in the Latino communities from which several attendees hailed.

Throughout the event on Wednesday, participating business leaders learned more about U.S. Government policies and upcoming infrastructure projects and had the opportunity to share their success stories, best practices, and thoughts on how to continue to support job growth in the industry. The Administration has named infrastructure investment and reform – along with education, innovation, and clean energy -  as critical to job growth, competitiveness, and “winning the future” in a global economy.

“Infrastructure investment leads to growth of small firms, such as mine, and attendant job growth,” Diaz said. “It is desperately needed by the country as a whole and will lay a solid foundation for national economic prosperity.”

Administration participants included Beth Osborne, USDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation policy; Brandon Neal, Director, USDOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization; Camille Hazeur, Director, USDOT Office of Civil Rights; Bryna Helfer, Director, USDOT Public Engagement; Rohan Patel, Associate Director, White House Council on Environmental Quality; Chris Cummiskey, DHS Deputy Undersecretary for Management;  Michael Frias, Deputy Assistant Secretary, DHS Private Sector Office; Warren Whitlock, Associate Administrator, FHWA Office of Civil Rights; and Michelle Moore, Senior Advisor, Office of the Director at the Office of Management and Budget. The event concluded with a stakeholder panel that presented perspectives from a national association, a small business leader, and a large Metropolitan transit agency.

Attendees were encouraged to take what they learned today and share the information with their colleagues. They also will continue a dialogue with the Administration and other participants.

“Today we discussed how globalization is driving a need for better intermodal connections to encourage trade — that our economy is challenged and job creation is paramount,” said Paul Yarossi, president of HNTB Holdings Ltd and chairman of ARTBA. “Our country must meet these demands or fall behind. We can do this by emphasizing and illustrating infrastructure’s return on investment.”

Added Diaz: “Costs for design, construction, and financing of infrastructure investment are as low as they will ever be - now is the time act.  We need to stop delaying infrastructure investment.”

About Our Company
Diaz•Yourman & Associates is a privately held geotechnical consulting services corporation, founded in December 1992.  Now celebrating our nineteenth year, DYA provides geotechnical design and construction services throughout the State of California for a wide array of project types, including transportation, airports, ports and harbors, water, facilities, government, and environmental.  Recognized for technical excellence and innovative solutions to liquefaction mitigation, Diaz•Yourman & Associates has received 6 Outstanding Project Awards from CalGeo in the last 14 years.  The company is a certified Small Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SBE/MBE/DBE) and employs a staff of 23 in its Santa Ana headquarters office.