Andrea Williams-01
The journey of an engineering leader is paved with challenges, learning, and opportunities. The journey of a BEYA-winning engineer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stands as a testament to the power of determination and leadership. As Chief of the Operations Division Memphis District, and the first woman in this position, Andrea Williams’ story is inspiring. The biggest takeaway? It takes a village.
Winning a BEYA Career Achievement Award
Personally, I’m honored and grateful. Professionally, I hope the attention that this brings to my career can be inspiring to others in STEM fields. I want to show the generations of STEM community members both present and to come that hard work does pay off. Representation matters.
The Job
As Chief of Operations Division in the Memphis District, I am responsible for the management of over 250 personnel through 5 subordinate supervisors and over $1B in land and floating plant. Memphis District Operations Division is home to the Dredge Hurley that performs mainstem Mississippi River dredging and two-thirds of the Regional Channel Improvement fleet responsible for river bank stabilization on the lower Mississippi River. We own and operate Huxable Pumping Plant in the St. Francis Basin, one of the largest pumping plants in the United States, and the Graham Burke Pumping Plant on the White River. A typical day for me consists of a lot of meetings and coordination. I’m the girl behind the curtain making everything go.
Career Path
I earned my undergrad degree in civil engineering from Tennessee State University and went to Virginia Tech for graduate school. I started as a summer student with the USACE in Nashville and then joined the Memphis District as a civil engineer in 2000. In 2002, I became a supervisory hydraulic engineer in the Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch, overseeing water data collection in the region. In 2019, I moved to the Galveston District as an operation project manager. In 2020, I deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, as chief of the Technical Services Branch, managing over $335M in funds for Operation Freedom Sentinel. After returning to the US in 2021, I continued working in Kuwait for the Transatlantic Expeditionary District until 2022. Currently, I am chief of the Operations Division in the Memphis District.
Exciting Projects
My most exciting projects have been marine maintenance projects. The replating of boats and barges. These projects are the reason why I came back to the Memphis District Operations Division and Ensley Engineer Yard. I love what we do here; tearing boats and barges completely apart and putting them back together again. The work we do at Ensley Engineer Yard extends the life of some very old and specialized plant that are used to keep the mighty Mississippi River open and moving commerce.
Obstacles
Engineering is engineering. It’s an exact science. Managing people can be tricky. My most significant obstacle has never been an engineering problem but managing people. People come with their own personalities, issues, and skills. For many years now, my job has been to understand those personalities, issues, and skills and help the employees use them to get the best out of themselves and for the benefit of the mission.
Tips and Advice
Learn all you can and develop a great work ethic. Even if you don’t understand all that is being taught, if you involve yourself and make yourself available with a good attitude and work ethic, people will take notice and you’ll have the opportunity to participate in projects that bring it all to light. Work ethic and attitude are everything no matter what field you are in.
Reflections
I have a few years left before retirement so while I’m here I hope to continue to share my knowledge with others, learn as much as I can, and provide opportunities to those who might not otherwise have had a chance.