The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has appointed Steve Moler, a 15-year journalism veteran, as public affairs officer in its Western Resource Center office in San Francisco.

Moler will work in cooperation with FHWA's public affairs office in Washington, DC to carry out the agency's media relations program in 14 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

"The FHWA's resource centers are a key part of our agency," FHWA Deputy Executive Director Vince Schimmoller said. "Steve's background in communication, as well as his long experience on the West Coast, will be of great value as the Western Resource Center carries out its important role of providing service and expertise to our agency and to our state and local partners."

Moler worked for three years as a newspaper reporter and 11 years as public relations director for the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3, one of the larger construction trade unions in the United States with a membership of 40,000 and jurisdiction in six western states. As editor of two award-winning newspapers for the local, Moler wrote extensively about highway construction and surface transportation issues. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The Western Resource Center is one of four such centers throughout the country that provide technical expertise in various disciplines to FHWA headquarters and field offices, as well as to local, regional and other federal agencies within their areas.

The Western Resource Center is at 201 Mission St., Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 744-3103. E-mail: steve.moler@fhwa.dot.gov