Gregory M. Cohen is joining the American Highway Users Alliance as the vice president, Policy and Government Affairs. Cohen will assume the position on July 8. "Greg Cohen will help to shape our priorities and strategy for the reauthorization of the federal highway bill and other important legislative issues," said William D. Fay, Highway Users president and CEO. "His knowledge of highway legislation will be a key asset for us and our members." According to the company, at the present time, Cohen is the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expert on highway engineering and environmental policy, where he has been instrumental in ensuring continued support for the highway funding levels established by the U.S. Congress through enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21). Cohen has served under the leadership of Committee Chairmen Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) since 2001, Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Penn.) in 2000, and for Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Chairman Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.). "Greg has worked for some of the most well-respected and knowledgeable legislators in the U.S. Congress," Fay said. "With Greg on our staff, we look forward to working on reauthorization with Chairman Young, who clearly understands and appreciates the importance of highways to our economy and our way of life." The company claims this year Cohen has helped to ensure overwhelming support in the House of Representatives for the Highway Funding Restoration Act, restoring billions of dollars in highway funding proposed to be cut in FY 2003. In previous years, Greg has worked to protect the revenue stream into the Highway Trust Fund from proposals to reduce or eliminate motor fuels taxes. Cohen also has been involved in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s oversight of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). He played a pivotal role in developing the preliminary Committee policy for reauthorization of the highway program in 2003. Prior to serving on Capitol Hill, Cohen served five years with the Maryland Department of Transportation as a project engineer for the State Highway Administration. As a licensed professional engineer, he developed preliminary engineering plans and environmental documentation for numerous highway projects and worked closely with neighborhood associations and business groups to negotiate improvements to road plans prior to detailed design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction. Cohen earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree with a concentration in transportation engineering and planning at the University of Maryland. He is a national fellow of the William Phelps Eno Transportation Foundation and was listed by Baltimore Magazine as a future "captain of industry." The American Highway Users Alliance represents motorists, truckers, and a broad cross-section of businesses that depend on highways to transport their families, customers, employees, and products. Highway Users members pay the bulk of the taxes that finance the federal highway program and advocate public policies that dedicate those taxes to improved highway safety and mobility. Find out more online at www.highways.org.