Spotlight on USACE Galveston District's Alicia Rea

Alicia Rea, a project operations manager with the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, knew she wanted to be a

part of the Galveston District since she was a junior

at Texas A&M Galveston. In fact, she started her career with

the Corps as a student employee in the district's Evaluation

Section, Regulatory Branch, before being hired full time in the

Compliance Section.

Having completed 10 years as a Galveston District employee

this year, Rea now works in the district's Navigation

Branch, Operations Division, ensuring America's waterways

remain open for navigation.

"I am currently the project operations manager for South

Texas' waterways, including the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway,

channel to Port Mansfield, channel to Harlingen, channel to

Port Isabel and the Brownsville Ship channel," said Rea. "I

take a lot of pride in ensuring our waterways remain open,

as several of my projects are low tonnage and don't receive

funding."

Rea says she enjoys working with sponsors as it provides

her with an opportunity to assist them in solving complicated

issues related to navigation regulations and feels that her efforts

have not gone unnoticed. Port Isabel San Benito Navigation

District Port Director Bob Cornelison couldn't agree

more.

"Year in and year out, Alicia has tirelessly demonstrated

in words and in deeds her support of our needs here," said

Cornelison. "In my mind, she represents the soul of commitment

to the Corps' mission goal of 'full partnership' with all

its local sponsors."

Cornelison says Rea has diligently advocated for their

projects and in the process mentored and educated sponsors

on how to initiate projects and better partner with the Corps in

these tough economic times.

"We here in Port Isabel consider her a teammate in the

Laguna Madre community's efforts to provide living wage

jobs, environmental enhancements and, of immeasurable more

importance, true hope for the future of the second poorest

county in the nation," said Cornelison.

As the navigation business line manager for the district,

Rea remains busy with the development of plans and specifications

for a Gulf Intracoastal Waterway job that will dredge

high shoals from Corpus Christi to Brownsville and is preparing

to kick off the fiscal year 2013 budget development

process.

Though the job is demanding, Rea says she likes the challenges

and problem solving involved, and said she couldn't

complete her mission without the support she receives from

her co-workers and sponsors.

The Galveston, Texas, native is one of five children who

enjoys spending time with her family, boyfriend and two energetic

pups, as well as volunteering at the Emergency Operations

Center during emergency response missions.

A graduate of Ball High School in Galveston, Rea completed

a Bachelor of Science in Ocean and Coastal Resources

in 2002 from Texas A&M Galveston then continued on to earn

a master's degree in marine resource management in 2003.