Robert Thomas Elected to Serve as Navigation Trustee for 2022-2025 |
The ACOPNE is pleased to announce the election of Robert C. Thomas, III, P.E., D.CE, D.NE as the Navigation Trustee on the ACOPNE Board of Trustees for 2022-2025. Mr. Thomas began his 3-year term on the ACOPNE Board on October 21, 2022.
Mr. Thomas is Chief of the engineering and construction division for the Galveston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since 2016, he’s been responsible for the Galveston District’s engineering and construction programs. Mr. Thomas has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for fifteen years, twelve with the Galveston District.
His previous positions include Chief of the project management branch and Chief of the hydrology and hydraulics branch for the Galveston District. He has also served as a research coastal engineer with the Engineering Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, MS, and as a coastal engineer at a private engineering firm in Corpus Christi, TX.
Mr. Thomas is a graduate of Texas A&M University at Galveston, achieving a B.S. in coastal engineering in 2005 and a M.S. degree in ocean engineering in 2007. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas and Louisiana and ACOPNE Certified Diplomate in coastal and navigation engineering.
Rob currently resides in League City, Texas, with his wife and two daughters.
Rob stated: “Over the last five years our navigation and coastal programs in the Galveston District have grown from being one of the largest Federal navigation maintenance programs in the U.S., to the largest new civil works program in the nation. Seven of our eight deep draft navigation channels are in the process of being deepened or widened, all in construction or about to be. We are building 3 massive coastal storm risk management systems including 3 navigable closure structures at a total cost over $4B.
To do it, I’ve had to grow my office from about 160 people to over 300 while dramatically increasing our use of private engineering firms. All of that was to cover $7B-$8B worth of work. And I’m worried about our national capability to deliver that work safely along with all the other massive infrastructure projects across the country. So selfishly, I’d like to get more involved with ACOPNE to help improve our practices (and our) ability to safely deliver the scale and complexity of the projects we expect to complete over the next 20-30 years.”
>To send Congratulatory note to Rob
