Former CALTRANS Director, Corp of Engineers Commander Joins Dawson & Associates

(Washington, D.C.) – Maj. Gen. James van Loben Sels, former Director of CALTRANS who also commanded three different divisions while serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has joined Dawson & Associates as a Senior Advisor, the firm announced today.

Founded in 1997, Dawson & Associates is the nation’s premier government relations and public affairs firm for water and natural resource appropriations and environmental permitting.  The company includes more than 30 former federal and state officials, including former Members of Congress John Myers and Sonny Callahan.

Gen. van Loben Sels commanded three divisions of the US Army Corps of Engineers: the North Pacific (1981-1984), Europe (1984-l985), and North Atlantic (1988-1989).  He retired in l991as Deputy Commanding General, US Army Training and Doctrine Command.

From 1991 to 1998, he was the Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), managing more than 20,000 employees while streamlining transportation planning, design and construction.  Under his leadership, CALTRANS oversaw the swift recovery of state freeways following the Northridge Earthquake.

He is the fifth General Officer in the Corps of Engineers to join Dawson & Associates.  For more information about Gen. van Loben Sels, please click here.