The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District recently promoted Derrick Smith to the role of the Project Development Branch Chief and Assistant Deputy of the Programs and Project Management Division. Smith will also serve as Regional Project Manager for the Mississippi Valley Division’s Mississippi River Channel Improvement Program.
In these roles, he will focus on outreach and future programs and serve as the primary consultant and advisor to the Deputy for Programs and Project Management Division. Additionally, Smith will provide strategic coordination and oversight over water resource planning and policies, business process requirements, technologies, and engineering and construction for the lower 1,000 miles of the Mississippi River.
Smith began his career with the Engineering and Construction Division in 1991. He served as the Mississippi River and Tributaries Channel Improvement Program Senior Project Manager for 16 years, leading the most complex project in the district along the Mississippi River & Tributaries. Smith became Chief of Programs Management in 2016 and was later selected as the Chief of Project Management in 2020.
Throughout 2020, Smith was responsible for developing, defending, and tracking program execution for the entire district. Additionally, he was the district authority and subject matter expert on civil works policy, funding, scheduling, and project controls, and ultimately brought the district to execute its largest budget in history.
Highlights from his 31 years of service include successfully executing approximately $775 million worth of infrastructure projects. Additionally impressive was his execution of $175 million in flood risk management and navigation projects. Smith continues to hold the record for milestone and funding execution as a Project Manager.
Smith is a graduate of the University of Memphis and is a Level 1 certified Project Manager, Level 3 Facility Acquisition, and EIT in the State of Tennessee.
Congratulations to Smith, his family, and his team, for all his efforts that afforded him this incredible position.