PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SAD) South Atlantic Division, Brig. Gen. Zachary L. Miller visited the Jacksonville District and multiple projects in South Florida.
Miller, who recently took command of SAD, used his first visit as an opportunity to meet employees at the South Florida Area Office in Palm Beach Gardens, and the South Florida Operations Office in Clewiston, to interact with project managers and engineers, and gain a first-hand perspective of the operations and projects within the district's area of operation.
"This was a great visit that provided me with a better understanding of the intricacies associated with the Central and Southern Florida systems and how the district manages water in Lake Okeechobee," said Miller.
Eva Velez, the Chief Ecosystem Branch for the Everglades Restoration, updated Miller on the Central Everglades Restoration Program, the ongoing system aimed at reversing the environmental damage to the Florida Everglades ecosystem. The primary strategy is the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a joint state and federal initiative aimed at restoring the natural flow of water, improving water quality, and enhancing the overall health of the ecosystem.
Milian Mora, Chief of Navigation, briefed on Navigation projects and Coastal Storm Risk Management.
"I think he gained an understanding of how important the Central Everglades Restoration Program is to the Corps and the Florida," said Velez. "This visit allowed him to see first-hand how CERP fits different project components necessary to complete the restoration puzzle and restore the connected ecosystems of the Greater Everglades.
He met with Port Everglades leadership, received project briefs from Steve Meyer and Kristen Donofrio, both Port Everglades project managers. Christ McNees and Nestor Rivera, both project managers for the Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane protection projects in Bal Harbour, provided details of the beach renourishment projects.
Jennifer Johns, a planning technical lead, and Tim Gyson, both Jacksonville District project managers for the Big Cypress Basin, Water Conservation, and Broad-Based Stormwater Ecological Enhancement and Restoration (BBSEER) programs, explained components and initiatives within the broader framework of CERP and the Central and Southern Florida Project and BBCW BBSEER projects in Matheson Park in Homestead, Fla.
Miller met with the leadership of the South Florida Water Management District, took an aerial flight over Lake Okeechobee, and visited work sites at the Central Everglades Planning Project and the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir construction village. Miller was able to see progress first-hand on the Corps' largest ecosystem restoration and flood control projects.
Juan Sanchez Bulted, Jacksonville District area engineer for the Everglades Agricultural Area project, welcomed Miller to the EAA project and led a tour of the construction site, briefing him about the specialized machinery and operations.
After the EAA Reservoir project briefing, he stopped at the South Florida Operations Office in Clewiston, Fla. The Operations team manages and operates five navigation locks and dams along the Okeechobee Waterway.
He met with employees and recognized five Park Rangers for World Ranger Day, awarding them coins for outstanding duty performance.
Miller took a few minutes to hand out coins and wish a crew of park rangers 'Happy World Ranger Day'. He seemed to relish talking with the operations team, and they were impressed by his attentiveness to their comments and opinions.
"First of all, thank you for your hard work. Being around you reminds me of when I commanded the Memphis District," said Miller. You are the backbone of the Corps of Engineers, and it is always great to get out and talk to the hard-working men and women at the various districts. It is our civilian work force that provides the expertise that we use daily, and I thank you for that."
He met with employees and recognized five Park Rangers for World Ranger Day, awarding them coins for outstanding duty performance. He visited the district July 28-31, 2025 to meet with leadership and employees, see district projects firsthand, and understand the challenges in Navigation, port projects, Beach Erosion Control, Coastal Storm and Risk Management, and Hurricane Protection projects. VIEW ORIGINAL
At each stop, General Miller shook a lot of hands and interacted with as many people as he could to get to know them, but he also used conversation to gauge the critical issues and better understand the district's civil works mission.
Ms. Stephanie L. Hall, Director of Regional Business for the South Atlantic Division, accompanied Miller during his visit and stated that the division commander understood he needed to see the projects and meet with the people to help him gain a clear understanding of the district.
"This has been a great visit that not only helps him understand how large of a program Jacksonville has but it puts the work into perspective for his staff," said Hall.
He learned and saw a lot. However, what caught his attention most was not the facilities or projects, but the district's greatest asset.
"It was my privilege to meet and talk to him and to see that he cares about what we do here in the Jacksonville District every day," said Lydia Graham, acting Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Florida office, after she briefed Miller. "As he asked each employee their names and jobs, I could see it was important to him to understand our roles."
The district project overview culminated in an airboat tour at the Everglades National Park in Miami, Fla., where he was briefed by staff on the water management challenges in the southern portion of the Central and Southern Florida project.
"The biggest impression I'm walking away with is about the hard work of the people and how they continue to solve complex problems," said Miller.
Beautiful Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats and the native plants and animals that call it home. The cloud cover reflects on the water below as the river of grass. It was established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity. Everglades National Park protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. This photo was taken July 30, 2025 by photojournalist Mark Rankin.
VIEW ORIGINAL
Beautiful Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats and the native plants and animals that call it home. The cloud cover reflects on the water below as the river of grass. It was established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity. Everglades National Park protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. This photo was taken July 30, 2025 by photojournalist Mark Rankin. VIEW ORIGINAL
Beautiful Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats and the native plants and animals that call it home. The cloud cover reflects on the water below as the river of grass. It was established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity. Everglades National Park protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. This photo was taken July 30, 2025 by photojournalist Mark Rankin. VIEW ORIGINAL
"I'm very impressed and proud of the people in this district who are making an impact on these projects and their communities."
The general also met with employees at the Jacksonville District Headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., on July 13 and took time to share his leadership perspective with managers and the corporate board.
(The public can obtain news, updates, and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District on the district's website at https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/JaxStrong.'
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