Getting to know the Memphis District

April 3 - 7 is Skilled Trades Week at the Memphis District. Skilled Trades Week is dedicated to our skilled trades workforce and recognizing their importance to the Memphis District Team, the USACE mission, and ultimately this Nation. Meet Ernie Smith Experience: 10 years in the industry; 3 Years w/USACE MVM Job Title: Steersman/Pilot M/V Keywoods Likes about job/career field: “I take pride in people looking at the work you do and I like a challenge. I also like having the chance to work with all the different crews – the bank grading unit, the Dredge Hurley, the Jadwin, the Gruggett… also I like being able to help out with moving barges for the Yards and Docks unit, assist with drydocking…. It just feels good to help out in little ways but make big improvements for the future.”

April 3 - 7 is Skilled Trades Week at the Memphis District. Skilled Trades Week is dedicated to our skilled trades workforce and recognizing their importance to the Memphis District Team, the USACE mission, and ultimately this Nation. Meet Melissa Moore Experience: 9 years in industry Job Title: Heavy mobile equipment mechanic w/ Clearing and Snagging Likes about job/career field: “We definitely have a unique mission here at the Memphis District with no two days ever being the same. We are always on the go and travelling to new and different locations. So, one of my favorite things about this job and working for the Corps is travelling and meeting/getting to know new people. Additionally, working for USACE is a good way of me to be of service and I’m really big on that.”

Evelyn McLaurin Paralegal Specialist/FOIA Officer Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

April 3 - 7 is Skilled Trades Week at the Memphis District. Skilled Trades Week is dedicated to our skilled trades workforce and recognizing their importance to the Memphis District Team, the USACE mission, and ultimately this Nation. Meet Shawn Morgan Experience: 33 years in industry Job Title: Heavy mobile mechanic Likes about job/career field: “No one job is the same – there may be some jobs in the same category but it’s always different in some way as in it’s a different boat, there’s a different shaft to work on, it’s another shaft with another way to remove it… people are different, missions are different, there’s always a different project to work – nothing is ever the same; it’s never the same. There’s nothing to be bored about here. I could never get sick of doing this job.”

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Ben Vogel, a civil engineer with 2.5 years of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "I enjoy the variety of work that comes with being an engineer." Thank you, Ben! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

April 3 - 7 is Skilled Trades Week at the Memphis District. Skilled Trades Week is dedicated to our skilled trades workforce and recognizing their importance to the Memphis District Team, the USACE mission, and ultimately this Nation. Meet Thomas McNaughton Experience: 9 years in the industry Job Titles: Dredge Hurley Steersman Welder Crane Operator Likes about job/career field: “Welding was always my passion before running a boat and being in the wheelhouse… I’ve always like welding because I like a challenge and I take pride in the end-result – in people having an appreciation for what I’m doing. Overall, I enjoy being a steersman because of the challenge and maintaining the channel for commerce. Many people may not realize how important this channel is to the Nation and how much what we do impacts the river industry and commerce as a whole. In addition to what I like about my roles on the dredge, I enjoy working for USACE because of the people I get to work with. It takes a different kind of person to do what we do, and we’re gone from home for so many months out of the year that we become family, so meeting and working with people you can relate to in that way has been one of the more enjoyable parts of working at the Memphis District.”

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Andrea Williams, a civil engineer with 30 years of experience. One of her favorite things about being an engineer is, "Being an engineer has given me the opportunity to do many diverse things..." Thank you, Andrea! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for this district, division, and ultimately, this great nation!

St. Francis Basin Project Manager McKenzie Gabaldon, P.E. Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Omer Alzeghoul, a civil engineer with 9 months of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "Being an Engineer gives you the ability to change the world, save lives, and make the world better place." Thank you, Omer! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Zachary Cook, a civil engineer who is a senior project manager with 18 years of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "Through this work, we help feed the world and keep our economy moving." Thank you, Zach! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for this great nation!

Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Vickie Watson, a civil (geotechnical) engineer with 21 years of experience. One of her favorite things about being an engineer is, "I really enjoy considering the problem of sedimentation, monitoring the build-up and having a plan to remedy the problem!'" Thank you, Vickie! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

District Environmental Compliance Engineer & Chemical Engineer Divina Le Clair Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Josh Graham, P.E., a civil (design) engineer with 9 years of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "...it is extremely satisfying to see what I designed, become real." Thank you, Josh! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for this great nation!

Regional Program Analyst Vernica “Nikki” Brown Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week was February 19 - 25, 2023. Each day during the week, we featured a Memphis District engineer. In the profile, we hear about what he or she likes most about being an engineer. In this profile, Loy Hamilton, a construction engineer with 40 years of experience, says one of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "Not only do we build, we sometimes break things also, on purpose." Thank you, Loy! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

Wildlife Biologist Kristina Mitchell Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring David P. Berretta, a water resources (civil) engineer with 49 years of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "I love my job, and I’m honored to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers." Thank you, Dave! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

Environmental Compliance Branch Biologist Jennifer Hiltonsmith Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Loy Hamilton, a construction engineer with 40 years of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "Not only do we build, we sometimes break things also, on purpose." Thank you, Loy! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

Command Administrative Assistant Brenda Barber Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Michael Clay, P.E., a civil (hydraulics) engineer with 18 years of experience. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "Engineers are called in when people need help..." Thank you, Michael! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for this district, division, and ultimately, this great nation!

Program Analysis Officer Jennifer Jo Thomas, DFMCP2 Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Kandi Waller, a civil engineer, who is our Readiness & Contngency Operations Chief, with 25 years of experience. One of her favorite things about being an engineer is, "I think we Engineers love being challenged with a problem and have the strong desire to solve it." Thank you, Kandi! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

Operations Project Manager & Geotechnical Civil Engineer Vickie Watson, P.E. Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring April Branch, a civil engineer with 21 years of experience. One of her favorite things about being an engineer is, "I’ll never forget the face of a little boy light up when he asked, 'So girls can be engineers too? Cool!'" Thank you, April! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!

Melissa Moore Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic Women's History Month is for reflection and paying special attention to how past generations' efforts paved the way for women today. History has proven time and time again that women are unstoppable, but we also see this in present time here at the Memphis District. Every day, there are a PLETHORA of outstanding women who, on the daily, achieve everything they set their minds to. To honor these women, past, present and future, the Memphis District featured several extraordinary district professionals by asking them questions on life, career, and what it took for them to persevere in times of hardship. The Memphis District sincerely admires each of the women working here and thanks them for their many contributions to this district, to USACE, and ultimately, to this Nation.

National Engineer Week is February 19 - 25, 2023! Each day this week, we're featuring Memphis District engineer profiles that express what they like most about being an engineer. In this profile, the Memphis District is featuring Donny D. Davidson, Jr., a civil engineer with 26 years of experience. Donny is the Memphis District's Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management—the senior ranking civilian employee in the district. One of his favorite things about being an engineer is, "The opportunities that accompany engineering are vast, challenging and rewarding." Thank you, Donny! And thank you to all our engineers! We appreciate everything you do for our great nation!