Dr. Morteza Farajian is the Executive Director of the Build America Bureau

Dr. Morteza Farajian was appointed by President Trump in 2019 as the Executive Director of the Build America Bureau (Bureau) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Under his leadership, the Bureau has become a dynamic, entrepreneurial team that blends the functions of an accelerator and a financial institution. It not only offers flexible, tailored, and low-cost financing options for infrastructure projects but also strengthens the capacity of local agencies and governments to explore and implement innovative funding, financing, and delivery solutions. Dr. Farajian’s vision to empower local governments, expand into new asset classes such as airports and transit-oriented development, and proactively engage new clients has led to a loan pipeline exceeding $50 billion —10 times the size of the pipeline in 2019 and nearly equal to the total loans closed in the previous 28 years combined.

Before assuming his current role, Dr. Farajian served as Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation and Director of the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Office in Virginia. Over the course of seven years, he led the procurement, financing, and contract negotiations for multimodal transportation projects totaling $14 billion. His strategic reforms to enhance competition, unleash private sector’s innovation, improve stakeholder engagement, and increase accountability elevated Virginia’s P3 program to become the leading P3 program in the U.S., earning numerous national and international accolades.

A true entrepreneur, Dr. Farajian co-founded a crowdfunding platform that allows local and small investors to participate in infrastructure projects, either as equity or subordinate debt investors. He has a proven ability to lead diverse teams and is highly skilled in structuring and negotiating P3 transactions, organizational transformation, conflict resolutions and consensus building, business development, and public policy.

Dr. Farajian’s impactful career in innovative infrastructure delivery and P3s, as well as his role in shaping large-scale multimodal transportation projects, has earned him numerous accolades, including the Trailblazer of the Year award from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the P3 Individual of the Year award from P3 Bulletin.

Dr. Farajian holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Project Management from the University of Maryland, along with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.
 

Duane Callender

Director, Credit Programs Office

Duane Callender manages the Credit Programs Office within the Build America Bureau which houses the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) credit programs. He directs a staff responsible for all aspects of underwriting, portfolio monitoring and risk management. Mr. Callender oversees a portfolio that encompasses over $31 billion in Federal credit assistance to intermodal, highway, transit, rail, TOD and airport projects totaling more than $100 billion of infrastructure investment in the U.S. Previously, he held positions in DOT’s Office of Budget and Programs where he was responsible for oversight of the Maritime Administration budget, in DOT’s Inspector General’s Office and the Budget Office of the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department.

A New York native, Mr. Callender holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Connecticut College (1994) and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from American University (1998).