MINAS M. “MIKE” ARABATZIS started his 38-year federal career as a Regulatory Engineer with the New York District,  and would eventually oversee the Civil Works Planning program for the North Atlantic Division. He helped transform several complex studies to major construction projects, including the $1.6 billion New York and New Jersey Harbor Deepening. In March 2003, Mike became Chief of the Philadelphia District’s Planning Division, where he led development of the New Jersey and Delaware coastal programs, resolution of issues related to the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening, and ecosystem restoration efforts leading to three Coastal America Partnership Awards. Mike mentored team members both formally and informally, always promoting their training and development. He was a valuable leader within the Planning community Corps-wide, supporting initiatives to build and maintain a capable workforce. In his pivotal role with the Corps’ Center of Expertise for Coastal Planning, he provided advice and resources to the national team, which responded to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration by conducting the first agency technical review in the Nation.

NICHOLAS J. BARBIERI, P.E. joined the district in 1952 as a construction engineer and concluded as Chief of the Planning/Engineering Division. He served as resident engineer for the widening and deepening of the C&D Canal and supervised completion of planning studies for modification of the F.E. Walter Dam. Moreover, he was the driving force behind successful efforts to restore the Military Construction mission at Ft. Dix and McGuire Air Force Base to the Philadelphia District, soon after plans for Tocks Island Dam had been shelved and at a time when the district's workload was near its all-time low. Also, he encouraged the district's shift toward increased reimbursable work for the EPA and other federal agencies. In 1984 he received the Outstanding Manager of the Year award from the Federal Executive Board in Philadelphia, largely in recognition of his transformational leadership. He retired in 1986 following 35 years of service.

ANTHONY BLEY began his career as a staff photographer with the Philadelphia District in 1971. Except for three years with the Navy, he served the rest of his outstanding 33-year career with the District. Tony superbly documented every major District project and event, including devastating flood damages from Tropical Storm Agnes; construction of Blue Marsh Dam; relocation of the historic Gruber Wagon Works; the first dolosse installation at Manasquan Inlet; and numerous projects at Dover Air Force Base and what is now Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. North Atlantic Division leaders relied on his professionalism, whether for official portraits or for short-notice mission support. Almost all the images in the Philadelphia District history book (1972-2008) are his, and many of his project photographs are in the Library of Congress’ historical collection. His relationship with the Delaware National Guard saved the District hundreds of thousands of dollars in aerial imagery of construction progress and flood and storm damages. Tony’s dedication and the superior quality of his work – both artistically and technically –proved invaluable in telling the Philadelphia District story.

LEWIS A. CACCESE, P.E. joined the district in 1941 as a First Lieutenant active duty with the Army. After being discharged in 1946, he remained with the district as a civil engineer, rising to Chief of Operations Division in 1954. He developed the "direct pumpout" dredging technique, allowing material to be pumped directly into onshore disposal areas. He also launched the district's Long Range Disposal Study to develop new concepts allowing use of distant disposal areas. His leadership in applying environmental considerations to Section 10 of the River and Harbor Act of 1899 helped preserve the district's wetlands. In 1971, he became the first employee of the Philadelphia District to receive the Secretary of the Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Award. He was named Engineer of the Year by the Technical Societies of the Delaware Valley in 1974. He retired in 1979 after 38 years of service.

ROBERT L. CALLEGARI came in as Chief of the district's new Planning Division in 1987 after 16 years with the North Atlantic Division and New York District. Faced with few active studies and only one project authorized for construction, he reached out to the congressional delegation and to potential nonfederal partners to identify the district's civil works capabilities. His efforts led to one of the Corps' largest and most successful coastal programs, including beach nourishment projects for New Jersey's Long Beach Island, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Avalon and Stone Harbor, Cape May, and The Meadows/Cape May Point, and for Delaware's Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island. He also made highly effective use of the Corps' Continuing Authorities Program to facilitate small projects for purposes such as aquatic ecosystem restoration and beneficial use of dredged material, and was instrumental in moving the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening from concept to construction.

VINCENT L. CALVARESE, P.E. began his long career with the district in 1962 as a Civil Engineer and rose to become Chief of the Design Branch in the Engineering Division. His achievements include the redecking and rehabilitation of the St. Georges and Chesapeake City Bridges; the Tocks Island study; and the construction of the Barnegat Inlet South Jetty. He worked on the construction of the Blue Marsh Dam, the relocation of Gruber Wagon Works, the selective water withdrawal tower at Beltzville and the F.E. Walter Dam modification, all the while serving as a teacher and advisor to others. He was instrumental in Philadelphia becoming the first East Coast district to utilize concrete dolosse, which was done during the reconstruction of the Manasquan Inlet jetties. His insistence on using steel reinforcing rods in that project, contrary to the advice of some experts, proved sound.

ROY DENMARK made an enduring impact across a broad array of projects and programs during 38 years of federal service, 21 of those with the Philadelphia District, where he started in 1974. A biologist with both a bachelor's and a master's from Rutgers University, he rose to Chief of the Regulatory Branch and later the Environmental Resources Branch. He was the District’s primary environmental negotiator with Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for construction of the award-winning Wilmington Harbor South disposal area. After seven years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Philadelphia, Roy rejoined the District in 1998 as Chief, Operations Division, responsible for 550 miles of navigation projects, five high level bridges, five flood control dams, the Dredge McFarland, and the District’s Regulatory Program. In 2008 he became Deputy for Program Management, the District's highest civilian position. Roy took the lead in keeping the Dredge McFarland in Ready Reserve, bringing the Delaware Main Channel Deepening to fruition, and overseeing the $850 million construction program to relocate the Army’s Team C4ISR to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

ALBERT J. DEPMAN, C.P.G., joined the district in 1948 as a civil draftsman, having earned his bachelor's in geology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1947. As Supervisory Engineering Geologist during the mid-1960s, he supervised a team of geologists studying the Beltzville and Tocks Island dam sites and conducted subsurface investigations of the Blue Marsh and Trexler sites. He also worked on subsurface investigations for the Chesapeake & Delaware and Point Pleasant Canals. Promoted to branch level Supervisory Geologist in 1968, he was honored by the Corps and by many external customers for his exceptional work as a geologist. He served as president of the Association of Engineering Geologists. He retired in 1978 after nearly 33 years of federal service, including active duty with the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War.

ELAINE H. DICKINSON began her career with the district in 1966 and became the district's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer in 1978. She started a proactive EEO program that included an effective affirmative action plan to recruit minorities and women. Her work with ethnic heritage month celebrations did much to increase employee awareness of different cultures. She founded PRIME, a program designed to encourage minority students to pursue careers in mathematics, science and technology, in the district. She participated in the Urban League and was a member of the Federal Executive Board's EEO Officers' Council. She reached out to all areas of the district from field offices to the decks of the Dredge McFarland, providing sound and valuable advice to district employees. She retired in 1994 with 36 years of federal service, leaving a legacy of an innovative EEO program that continues to this day.

RAYMOND DONNELLY joined the Philadelphia District in 1994 as Chief of the Resource Management Office, and his subsequent leadership developed that office into one of the most effective in the Corps of Engineers. He was a key regional leader within the North Atlantic Division, serving on the Regional Management Board and Regional Program and Budget Advisory Committee while leading numerous regional work plan items and assessments. He was instrumental in the financial management of the Hopper Dredge McFarland, including use of Plant Replacement and Improvement funds. And In 2017 he served as Resource Management Lead for the national Hopper Dredge Recapitalization team effort, which led to approval of a strategic dredge fleet replacement plan designed to optimize use of scarce operating funds. He coached and mentored his staff and built a consistently high performing organization, and was instrumental in building a credible, cohesive, and highly respected NAD resource management community.

HARRY F. FLYNN served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for nearly 24 years, from 1910 to 1933, in the Seattle, Wilmington, and Philadelphia Districts. His government career began with the Coast and Geodetics Survey, in 1892, and included a tour of duty with the Bureau of Public Lands in the Philippine Islands. While with the Philadelphia and Wilmington Districts he introduced tidal hydraulics processes that still are used. He designed and built the first tidal model of a portion of the Delaware River and influenced the decision to lower the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to sea level.

ERNEST P. FORTINO, P.E. joined the district's Operations Division in 1939 as a student engineer. He transferred to the Marine Design Division and served in various positions, becoming Assistant Chief in 1961 and Chief of the Division in 1975. He was a leader in the Division's effort to improve dredge equipment and develop instrumentation that improved efficiency aboard hopper dredges. He personally directed the design of three of the Corps' hopper dredges. He advised several foreign governments on design and construction of floating plant and served as a consultant to the Corps of Engineers' Marine Engineering Board. He retired in 1979 after almost 40 years of federal service.

PAUL B. GAUDINI, P.E. joined the Corps of Engineers and the District in June 1971, after earning his bachelor’s and master’s in civil engineering and serving two years active duty with the U.S. Army. He rapidly advanced to positions of increasing responsibility, from his role as a resident engineer during the Hurricane Agnes response in 1972 to serving as Chief of the Project Development Branch and as Acting Chief of the Planning Division before his retirement in February 2004. Throughout a career that covered all aspects of the District’s workload, in planning, engineering and project management, he provided outstanding leadership and technical expertise for such diverse and eminently successful projects as the Advanced Tertiary Wastewater Facility for Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, the National Airport Pavement Test Machine for the FAA, and the Delaware River Basin Study. Paul was also an excellent mentor and coach, whose personal dedication was largely responsible for the development of a whole generation of District project managers and technical experts.

T. BRIAN HEVERIN, throughout his 37 years of service to the nation, was a dedicated, talented and valued engineer, friend and public servant in the Engineering-Construction and Operations Divisions. At various times he served as District Negotiator, Project Engineer, and Chief of the Recreation and Relocation section, Chief of the General Design Section, Chief of the Specification and Estimates Section and first Chief of the Superfund and Construction Branches. He served on the negotiation team for Israeli air bases as part of the Camp David Accord, and accomplished many notable firsts in the Superfund Program. Among his most notable accomplishments were the relocation and restoration of the historic Gruber Wagon Works and the oversight of military construction activities at Fort Dix and McGuire and Dover Air Force Bases. He retired in 2000 as Chief of the Technical Support Branch.

CAPTAIN JEROME H. JACKSON joined the district in 1931 as Master of a survey boat. He subsequently served as Master or Deck Officer aboard the Corps dredges Clatsop, Rossell, Davison, Comber, and Essayons. He is best remembered for his long service with the Philadelphia District as Master of the Dredge Goethals. He served in the Korean theater as a Major in the U.S. Army, engaged in dredging operations. He retired in 1972 after 39 years of service.

GEORGE A. JOHNSON joined the district as a Naval Architect in 1945, after six years in the same capacity with the U.S. Navy. He became Chief, Marine Design Division, in 1958. He participated in the design and construction of the Hopper Dredges McFarland and Markham and the Sidecasting Dredge Fry, and directed the design of a floating nuclear plant and the conversion of a Navy vessel into a sidecasting dredge for duty in Vietnam. He was involved with designing floating plant for Korea, Australia and the Panama Canal. He retired in 1975 after nearly 36 years' federal service.

WESLEY E. JORDAN joined the Corps in 1937 as a deck hand on the Pipeline Dredge Delaware. He served as Master and Deck Officer aboard the Dredges Delaware, Rossell, Goethals and Raritan, and the Sump Rehandler New Orleans. As Resident Engineer of the Edgemoor, Del., office, he carried out many innovative projects to improve hopper dredge operations. He participated in direct pumpout operations in the Delaware River and the district's first beach nourishment by direct pumpout at Sea Girt, NJ. He served in the Army during World War II as a captain aboard the Hopper Dredge Barth. He retired in 1965 and continued working on dredging projects, serving as a special consultant to the Corps on beach nourishment projects in Norfolk, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla.

ARTHUR A. KLEIN, P.E. joined the district in 1947 as a Supervisory Hydraulic Engineer in the Design Branch, having served earlier in both the Huntington and Pittsburgh Districts. He became Chief of the Design Branch in 1960 and retired in that capacity in 1966. He twice served in France in the 1950s as a consultant on military construction. He assisted the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in its 1961 investigation of construction by non-military federal agencies. He contributed to the design and construction of many structural projects in the district and is remembered for his interest in the development of young engineers.

STEPHEN A. KRAJNIK, P.G., joined the district in 1965 as a Geologist and retired in 1990. During this time he was personally and significantly involved in almost every major project the district planned, constructed or operated, including Beltzville Dam, Blue Marsh Dam, Barnegat Inlet New South Jetty, Delaware River Main Channel Deepening, Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, Molly Ann's Brook, and the Lipari and Vineland Superfund sites. Despite a heavy workload he always made time to teach those around him, thus aiding the development of scores of professionals, many of whom rose to senior Corps positions. He staunchly advocated repair rather than replacement of instrumentation. By devising and fabricating simple but effective tools out of commonly available materials he saved the government tremendous downtime and tens of thousands of dollars in replacement costs.

H. RONALD KREH, P.E. began his career with the Army Corps in 1955 after receiving his bachelor's from the University of Delaware. He rose to become Chief of Operations in 1978. Under his leadership, Operations and Maintenance programs thrived. He expanded routine testing of sediments to prevent damage to the environment. He was a key member of the Corps' Dredging Research Program and Minimum Fleet Study, and was deeply involved with maritime labor union negotiations. Under his management, the Regulatory Branch became a model for NAD, executing over 2,500 permit actions annually. His expertise led to his selection on many Corps-wide committees as well as an intergovernmental task force to Africa. His ability to direct a large staff and accomplish complex missions while dealing with the public, media, Congress and other agencies became legendary. He retired in 1993 after a 37-year career that, except for the short period as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was spent entirely with the district.

KEITH W. LAWRENCE, P.E. joined the Army Corps as a summer hire in the Detroit District in 1956 and concluded his career as Director of the Marine Design Center in 1990. He consistently distinguished himself in a wide variety of significant marine projects for the Corps. He was responsible for maintaining the three largest seagoing dredges in the Corps' fleet (the Comber, Goethals and Essayons) at a time when the Corps performed most of the nation's hopper dredging. He was also responsible for the development of a number of pump-ashore and beach nourishment procedures. He implemented the concepts of individual project management and mentoring prior to their general adoption by the Corps and led the Corps in developing state-of-the-art marine design capabilities to satisfy customers' needs.

LEONARD J. LIPSKI, P.E. joined the district in 1957 and obtained his civil engineering degree from Villanova University in 1958. After the Delaware River Basin's 1965 drought of record, he helped determine the required level of reservoir releases to prevent the salt line from reaching Philadelphia's water supply. He also studied the effects of shore structures on beach erosion, and employed his own improved analysis techniques in the design of flood control structures. After earning his master's from Stanford University in 1973, as chief of the Hydrology & Hydraulics Branch he played a key design role in proposed Walter and Prompton Dam modifications, the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening, Barnegat Inlet New South Jetty, the Molly Ann's Brook flood risk reduction project, several EPA Superfund cleanups, and the Delaware and New Jersey shore protection studies. Later as Chief of the Design Branch, he combined his extensive technical background with a disciplined approach and effective management of all available resources to accomplish the district's missions.

CAPTAIN JOSEPH D. MAHONEY served for 37 years in the Philadelphia District, working on the Pipeline Dredges Raymond and Gillespie and the Sump Rehandler New Orleans, of which he was captain. Born in 1899, he died February 14, 1959 while on duty as Master of the New Orleans. He died while directing operations and emergency repairs during a storm. Although frequently cautioned by his physician against overexertion, his devotion to duty proved to be greater than his regard for his personal safety.

ANTHONY L. MAROLDA, a 1931 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, began his career with the Army Corps of Engineers in the Nashville District in 1935. A year later he transferred to the Philadelphia District, where he remained until he became part of the New York District in 1960. He became Resident Engineer for McGuire Air Force Base and the Fort Dix Infantry Center in 1952 following the outbreak of hostilities in Korea. Serving in this assignment, he oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars worth of construction as the twin bases became a major military installation.

DOUGLAS C. MOORE joined the district in 1962, advancing steadily to become Chief of the Survey Section. He became recognized worldwide—in both government and industry—as an authority in field of hydrographic surveying. Always keeping abreast of technology, he procured and implemented the district's first global positioning system for hydrographic work, followed by its first multibeam system. He was frequently called as an expert witness to resolve disputes on dredging contracts, in once case helping save the government about a quarter of a million dollars. For years he has taught the Corps' Hydrographic Survey course, and helped update the Hydrographic Survey Manual in 1998 and 2002. He serves on the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping's five-member board that certifies hydrographic surveyors. After the 9/11 attacks, he deployed to Ground Zero to personally supervise the establishment and operation of a constant building monitoring system. This served to verify the stability of the surviving structures and insured the safety of the response crews.

FREDERIC MULLINEAUX contributed 31 years of engineering work to the Wilmington and Philadelphia Districts during his outstanding career. He served as Chief of Construction Division, Chief of Operations Division and Special Assistant to the District Engineer. He exhibited exceptional leadership and engineering ability during the Korean conflict and in dealing with the floods of 1955 and 1962. He served in the Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel. An engineering graduate of the University of Delaware, he was affiliated with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. He retired in 1962.

ALFRED PADULA, P.E. joined the Corps as a Delaware River boatman in the hydrographic survey party. He became Chief of Surveys and then Chief of the Research and Development Branch, Engineering Division. He was instrumental in improving the Corps' dredging techniques and in developing the "harpoon" and "liquid mud" methods of sampling river sediments. He served as Project Engineer for many military projects during the Korean War. He supervised construction at the F.E. Walter, Prompton, Jadwin and Beltzville Dams. He supervised the dredging of the 40-foot Delaware River navigation channel from Philadelphia to Morrisville, PA, and the widening and deepening of the C&D Canal. He retired in 1969 after a 42-year career with the Corps of Engineers.

GEORGE W. PADULA began his 47-year career with the Corps in 1929 as a survey aide. He subsequently performed in a variety of increasingly responsible positions, including Fiscal Accountant and Administrative Officer. He is best remembered for his long and dedicated service as Financial Manager. His outstanding leadership and fund management substantially contributed to the Corps' accomplishment of its mission.

AUGUSTUS RAMBO, P.E. played a pivotal role in developing the programs, projects, and people of the Philadelphia District throughout his 33-year federal career. With a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Drexel University, Gus joined the Corps as an intern in 1977. Transferring to the District as a civil engineer in 1982, he rose to Chief of Design Branch in 2002, then was C4ISR Program Design Manager from 2008 until his retirement. Gus worked on major proposed modifications to the Walter and Prompton Dams, and was the engineer of record for the Indian River Inlet sand-bypass plant, still operating as one of the few of its kind in the world. He developed an inspection program for the C&D Canal’s five high-level bridges that led to the District becoming a USACE center of expertise, and managed all design efforts for the $850 million relocation of the Army’s C4ISR electronics command to 2.5 million square feet of new facilities at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. While results oriented, Gus also exhibited customer orientation and strategic thinking. He took initiative in employing new equipment, materials, and methods, effectively managing resources to accomplish the mission.

CHARLES F. RUFF began his 34-year career with the Corps in 1939 as a junior Clerk Typist. He subsequently held a variety of increasingly responsible positions, including Placement Officer and Employee Utilization Officer. He is best remembered for his long and dedicated service as the district's Personnel Officer. He was responsible for establishing the Corps in a leadership role in developing and implementing a labor management relations program within the Department of the Army. He served as a Captain in the United States Army during World War II and subsequently attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired from federal service in 1973.

THOMAS SCHINA joined the district in 1969 as a junior engineer in training and within three years took on the challenge of expanding the old Permit Section, Navigation & Maintenance Branch into what is now the Regulatory Branch following passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. In 1980 he became Chief, Programs Section, Navigation & Maintenance Branch, where he was essentially the sole project manager for Operation and Maintenance navigation projects. In 1989 he took over as Chief, Program Management Branch, Programs & Project Management Division, just before a twofold increase in the district's civil construction workload. He also led a major rehabilitation of the St. Georges Bridge and took on the duties of congressional liaison. He returned to Operations as Assistant Chief in 1996, overseeing an O&M budget that would reach $7.1 million. He worked closely with the states in obtaining multiyear water quality certificates for the Delaware River, Philadelphia-to-Sea and other navigation projects.

ALFRED G. SCHOENEBECK, Blue Marsh Lake’s first Park Manager, ran the project for the next 31 years as the dam prevented $56 million in damages and the lake hosted 30 million visitors. The 1969 Penn State graduate and Assistant Director of the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department joined the Corps on May 3, 1979, to take charge of the new multipurpose project and its dam operators and park rangers. He directed 24/7 operations when June 2006 flooding resulted in the dam’s first-ever spillway flow. He instituted the visitor assistance program and the Corps’ first project-wide alcohol ban, and oversaw development of the nationally recognized 30-mile trail system.  In 1981, Al ran the first annual Take Pride in Blue Marsh Day, which by his retirement had involved 13,000 volunteers and saved $800,000. Thanks to his joint efforts with local and state conservation interests, Blue Marsh Lake was the only North Atlantic Division project named an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. Always leading by example, Al earned the respect and loyalty of both his permanent staff and the 400-plus seasonal employees he hired over the years.

ROBERT SHARAMATEW served as Chief of the Contracting Division for his entire 23 years with the Corps. His tenure was marked by exemplary support of all the District’s key projects, and he led the transition of the Philadelphia District into a Tier 1 Contracting Organization. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s at Temple University, then his juris doctor at Widener Law School, Bob began his federal career in 1980 as a senior contracting officer with the Army Communications-Electronics Command in Fort Monmouth, N.J., prior to joining USACE. As Chief of Contracting, he oversaw contracts for military and civil construction; architect-engineer and other services; and vessel design and construction for the Marine Design Center. He also directly supported the Army with power supply contracts in Afghanistan and other overseas locations, leading to the District’s present-day USACE global power mission. In 2002, he was one of only six contracting officers chosen for the Iraq rebuild program. Bob’s legal background, combined with advanced skills in risk analysis and problem solving, helped resolve many claims and disputes in a manner favorable to the Government, yet fair to both parties.

LEIGH D. SHUMAN began his federal career in 1903 at the Bureau of Navigation in the Philippines. After six years there he transferred to the Philadelphia District. From January 1918 to January 1919 he had the distinction of being the only civilian to hold the position of Philadelphia District Engineer. He was recognized as a foremost authority on dredging techniques, equipment and organization, and during World War II he was a consultant on port rehabilitation to the commander of the European Theater of Operations. An individualist and a forceful and dedicated leader, he retired in 1950 as Chief of the Operations Division.

FRANK SNYDER, a graduate of the Fine Arts Academy in Rome, began his career in 1951 as an illustrator, and eventually became the illustrator for the NAD Commander. His knowledge of Corps' missions and projects contributed to his excellent portrayals of district assets. His sketches and paintings greatly enhanced public appreciation of the Corps' many roles. He achieved a virtually flawless record of dependability depicting Corps' plant and projects with exacting detail. Under his direction, the district history team produced an exhaustive, detailed, finely written and illustrated book, "District History, 1866 to 1972." He participated in the efforts to preserve the Gruber Wagon Works and was effective in providing the renderings which were used by area Congressmen to secure funding. After retiring he directed the efforts to preserve the Old Pump House at the C&D Canal as a museum and constructed a scale model of the pump house on his own time.

HENRY R. SPIES, C.L.S., started his career with the district as a Supervisory Survey Technician in the early 1950s and was promoted to Assistant Chief of Survey Branch in the early 1960s. In 1971, he was promoted to Chief of Surveys and served in that capacity until 1983. His expertise in hydrographic surveying placed him in great demand not only at the district level but nationally. He was the prime developer and coordinator for microwave positioning systems and automated hydrographic data collection and processing. Under his leadership, Philadelphia became one of the first districts to successfully automate hydrographic surveys. The author of numerous papers on hydrographic surveying, he also served as an instructor of Corps' Prospect courses.

LEE H. TRADER began his 45-year career with the Corps of Engineers in 1927 as a laborer at the Pedricktown Basin. In 1942 he was promoted to Labor Foreman in charge of maintenance of disposal areas, in which position he directed personnel who assembled and changed the locations of pipelines. He also supervised construction and repairs to trestles, sluices, spillways and drainage pipe. He completed these assignments under difficult conditions and in the most expeditious manner, receiving many commendations and awards for his proficiency. His leadership contributed immensely to the effective operation of the Fort Mifflin Project Office.

CAPTAIN JOSEPH P. VILORD, following seven years in the Coast Guard, started with the district in 1965 as 3rd Mate of the Goethals and eventually served as Master or Assistant Master of all four of the district's hopper dredges. Aboard the McFarland from 1982 to 1999, and as Master from 1994, he earned the respect and admiration of all his crew. He was never too busy to discuss a problem or offer guidance, and he always encouraged self-development to supplement the many hours he spent training them. Known Corps-wide for his superb ship handling skills, he also trained the officers of the new Essayons in 1983 and helped save the life of a McFarland crew member during a 1984 pump room fire. He led the McFarland on emergency dredging assignments along both the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Maine to Louisiana, including a post-hurricane response in 1997 to reopen the federal channel serving Fort Bragg, N.C. In leadership, customer service, professionalism, and technical expertise, he set a standard for Army Corps of Engineers dredge masters that prevails to this day.

FRANK W. VINCI, P.E. joined the district in 1953 after receiving his bachelor's in civil engineering from Villanova University. He became Assistant Chief of the General Design Branch in 1963 and was responsible for the engineering and design of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal expansion, the Beltzville Dam and Reservoir, rehabilitation of the Cold Spring Inlet jetties at Cape May, and ship anchorages in the Delaware River. As Chief of the Engineering Branch from 1974 until his retirement in 1984 he was involved in the design and construction of Blue Marsh Dam and the Bernville Protective Works; rehabilitation of the Manasquan Inlet jetties, using precast concrete armor units; reconstruction of Wilmington Harbor; and a major rehabilitation and upgrade of the Chesapeake City Bridge. He also headed the district's first inspections of nonfederal dams, and helped the emerging African nation of Gabon develop its transportation infrastructure.

JOAN WARE joined the Corps as a human resources specialist in 1971, serving the Philadelphia District for the next 41 years, the last 10 as Chief of the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center. She provided full-spectrum personnel services to a civilian workforce dispersed across four states, and invaluable guidance to senior leaders on personnel laws, regulations, policies, and practices. Her office routinely ranked in the highest percentile in Army customer service and technical excellence surveys. Thanks largely to Joan's joint efforts with management toward strategic succession planning, the District hired the greatest number of Department of the Army Interns in more than 30 years. She actively promoted the District’s relationship with the Philadelphia School District and attendance at college job fairs. Joan was instrumental in maintaining workforce stability, such as in managing the rapid staffing increase for the $850 million C4ISR relocation program, then successfully placing employees who became excess upon its completion. Also, while HQUSACE was centralizing the IM/IT and Logistics functions, she helped ensure that no existing District employees would be adversely affected.

ELI K. WELLS served as a Marine Engineer for 34 years prior to his retirement in 1959 from his position as Chief Engineer aboard the Dredge Goethals. His entire career was spent in the Philadelphia District except for brief periods of service with the Wilmington and Norfolk Districts. He served as Chief Engineer aboard the Goethals, Delaware, and Clatsop and acquired a Corps-wide reputation as a top marine engineer both in steam and diesel-powered vessels. His skill frequently enabled the dredges to operate under the most adverse conditions, thus saving the government incalculable hours of labor and substantial sums of money.

CLARENCE F. WICKER was Chief of the Engineering Division from 1944 to 1962 in which position he provided outstanding direction to numerous military and civil engineering projects. He was recognized internationally as an authority on tidal hydraulics and was engaged as a consultant on a number of programs overseas. As chairman and member of the Corps' Tidal Hydraulics Committee, he contributed enormously to the documentation of knowledge in the field of tidal hydraulics. A Penn State graduate, he retired in 1962 after 33 years of federal service.

MARY A. WILSON began her federal career in 1934 with the National Housing Agency and joined the Philadelphia District's Marine Design Division in 1942. In 1951, she was assigned to the Supply & Procurement Division and in 1961 she became chief of the division, a position she held until her retirement. She provided procurement support for the Chief of Engineer's worldwide military construction program and became Contracting Officer for the Susquehanna District in 1972 when that district was temporarily established in the wake of Tropical Storm Agnes. She retired in 1973 with 39 years of service.

LINDA TOTH>, known for her expertise, problem-solving abilities, and grit, Linda Toth helped shape the District’s Contracting Division into a nationally respected organization. She served the USACE Philadelphia District with distinction for her entire 38- year career (and later as a rehired annuitant). She frequently served as the contracting officer on challenging and complex projects. From 2007-2011, she served as the lead contracting officer for the construction of three million square feet of facilities at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act. She also often led contracting on challenging dune and beachfill projects in the early to mid-2000s when the program was still relatively nascent. And she directly supported a variety of other programs including Marine Design Center projects and overseas military and power contracts. Linda was known for her ability to integrate herself into teams and always offered sound advice that enabled favorable and expedient outcomes.

DENISE DETITTA As a Contracting Officer/Procurement Analyst, Denise DeTitta served the USACE Philadelphia District with distinction for 42 years. She never accepted the status quo and sought to improve methods and processes to better serve the District and its external partners. Denise was known for her exceptional attention to detail and mission-focused mentality. Her attitude and abilities enabled numerous key programs and projects to move forward, including the construction of three million square feet of facilities at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act; architectural and engineering contracts; and hundreds of millions of dollars of beachfill and environmental remediation. Later in her career and as a rehired annuitant, Denise shared her expertise in numerous contracting-related systems and processes with others. She routinely mentored the next generation of contracting specialists who have served USACE and other government agencies with distinction.

FRANK J. CIANFRANI The District’s first and only Regulatory chief upon his 2015 retirement, and still the Corps’ longest tenured at 33 years, Frank Cianfrani steadily shaped the Regulatory Branch into a perennial leader in processing metrics and customer service. His collaborative and systematic approach, including the encouragement of “pre-application” meetings, simplified and streamlined the permit process for countless applicants over the decades. He pioneered the 1993 agreement that transferred management of the Section 404 program to the State of New Jersey within its non-tidal waters. Most notably, not one of the 16 commanders he served while branch chief had to devote any significant time to regulatory issues. And his superb succession planning has seen the Regulatory Branch continue forward seamlessly, not only excelling but improving in its performance, under two successive branch chiefs who were products of his mentorship.

WILLIAM F. GRETZMACHER III Over the span of 25 years as its Director, Bill Gretzmacher built the Marine Design Center into a lean, innovative and high performing organization based on a culture of honesty, integrity and respect. He treated his organization like a business, seeking to control costs and keep their services affordable, while encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset and calculated risk taking. He promoted development of multiple design features that improved efficiency, enhanced sustainability, and reduced environmental impact over a wide range of Corps vessels. Under his direction the Marine Design Center built or upgraded hundreds of vessels instrumental to the USACE navigation mission, including more than 60 for the Philadelphia District. Starting before her 1982 transfer to Philadelphia, he closely supported the Dredge McFarland throughout his Corps career, and was instrumental in securing her eventual replacement within the USACE Minimum Fleet..