LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District marked the end of an eventful year with its End-of-Year Town Hall Oct. 16 at its headquarters in downtown LA.
“The great news is that we had a great year from the delivery standpoint,” said Col. Andrew Baker, commander of USACE Los Angeles district. “(We had) 811 contracting actions — $2.17 billion — the biggest dollar amount in 127 years.”
More than 250 Los Angeles District employees tuned into the meeting, both in person and virtually, to celebrate the end of the fiscal year and recognize district and employees’ accomplishments.
Baker highlighted several of the district’s projects that were completed in the fiscal year, including USACE’s response to the LA County Wildfire Debris Mission, in which the district supported the mission with more than $1.8 billion in contract actions. Other notable projects included the completion of the Veterans Administration Long Beach Healthcare System’s mental health in-patient and out-patient facilities and groundbreaking crucial water infrastructure improvement projects for Yavapai-Apache Nation near Camp Verde, Arizona under the Section 595 Environmental Infrastructure Program.
The Eaton and Palisades fires began Jan. 7 and were some of the most destructive wildfires in USACE history. The debris mission set the benchmark for more properties cleared in just six months – less time than in any comparable wildfire recovery mission in recent history.
“This was an enterprise effort. It started with SPL, and it’s going to end with SPL,” Baker said. “(In total, we had) 1,223 personnel on site — (about) 220 of those folks were from the Los Angeles District. We still have folks out there to this day … so just an amazing effort and an historic effort for the enterprise and for us.”
Baker’s presentation was followed by overviews from division chiefs, each summarizing the year’s accomplishments and challenges.
“If I could have 10 slides, it still wouldn’t be enough for all the accomplishments that we’ve done in the district this year,” said Kimberly Thomas, LA District deputy district engineer and chief of the Programs and Project Management Division. “I’m so proud to be part of the team. We’re doing more with (fewer) people, and we’ve got to figure out how to simplify things and take things off of folks’ plates.”
Her presentation, like those of other division chiefs, listed some of the district’s accomplishments in reaching their goals on several key infrastructure projects the Los Angeles District is responsible for across its 226,000-square-mile area, including dams and levee improvements, coastline dredging, and water infrastructure and construction projects across four states and tribal lands.
“I think that this just really shows the professionalism and the dedication to the mission,” Thomas said.
In total, 10 divisions discussed their success stories, complex challenges they resolved and how each business line added overall value to the district.
Baker also recognized three district employees, who have died during the fiscal year: Jenny Ayala, John Oshima and Kenneth “Larry” Miller, recognizing their contributions to the LA District and asking for a moment of silence in their honor.
The district created the “Superhero” Award in honor of Oshima, who passed away in August. The “Jenny Ayala Award: Beyond the Call of Duty” was named in Ayala’s honor. She passed away in October 2024.
Following the presentations, district leaders recognized several individuals who demonstrated considerable effort and value to the team over the past fiscal year.
AWARD PRESENTATION
Kevin Inada Employee of the Quarter Award
The recipient of the Kevin Inada Employee of the Quarter award was Rana Mishra. The award was named after Kevin Inada, the district’s former deputy chief of the Construction Division, who died in 2012. It is given to employees who demonstrate traits exemplified by Inada during his time with the district. Inada was known for his “taking care of people” philosophy. Rana is recognized for delivering compelling, narrative-driven presentations to the Change Control Board regarding high-profile projects such as the LA River Ecosystem Restoration and the Port of Long Beach Deepening.
Commanders Eagle: Casey Cai
Casey Cai received the Commander’s Eagle Award, which recognizes a district employee who exemplifies the motto of the LA district, “building strong and taking care of people,” through his or her efforts in going the extra mile for district customers, stakeholders and team members. Casey is recognized for resolving a complex issue with a credit on a government purchase card which was causing accounting discrepancies, displaying patience, technical expertise and dedication to customer service.
Compass: Patricia Bonilla
Patricia Bonilla was the recipient of the Compass Award, which recognizes an employee who provides experience-based advice to help show the way to other employees and navigate through unfamiliar terrain. Patricia is recognized for mentoring four contract specialists and one contracting officer as she successfully managed over sixty contracts totaling more than $100 million. She borrows from more than fourty-years of experience in government contracting.
H2O Helping Hands for Others: Tracey Eccles and Marilyn Sheehan
Tracey Eccles and Marilyn Sheehan both received the H2O Helping Hands Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrated the best example of selfless service on which the individual voluntarily took initiative to assist others making an impact on the district’s community. Tracey is recognized for her distinguished reputation among her peers for always being willing to assist in challenges and being a reliable subject matter expert in contract administration. Marilyn is recognized for her outstanding service as a regulatory assistant, where she was deployed on an emergency basis to aid in the recovery efforts for the Eaton and Palisades wildfires.
Outstanding PDT Member: Andrew McLarty
Andrew McLarty was the recipient of the Outstanding PDT Member Award, which recognizes a model member having demonstrated a significant positive influence on the project delivery team. Andrew is recognized for his exceptional leadership as the technical lead for the San Luis Rey River project and ability to communicate technical information about levee repair efforts to technical and non-technical staff.
Outstanding PDT: Los Angeles Post-Wildfire Flood Hazard Assessment
The Outstanding PDT Award went to the Los Angeles Post-Wildfire Flood Hazard Assessment. The award reflects the best example of a team in which the members took individual responsibility, communicated well, worked hard, had fun and efficiently achieved an important accomplishment. The Los Angeles Post-Wildfire Flood Hazard Assessment team is recognized for their development of advanced hydrology and hydraulic debris flow models, mitigating short-term flood risks and directly aided in the decision-making praxis of impacted communities. This demonstrated excellent interagency collaboration and involved the Hydraulic Engineering Center, California Department of Water Resources, Los Angeles County Public Works, California Institute of Technology and the California Geological Survey.
Other awards presented, included:
Civilian Service Commendation Medal: Craig McCarthy, Joyanne Brill, Patricia Vasquez, Raymond Schmid
Civilian Service Achievement Medal: Joshua Keever, Edgard Soto, Lesly Pineda, Shane Bush, Glen Tucker
Meritorious Civilian Service Medal: Eleanor Encinas
Certificate of Achievement: Araceli Duran, Kevin Kenworthy, Lisa Kinn, Nevin Heitner, Renae Gonzales, Rose Deese, Vonda Bellante, Joseph Devincenzi
2025 Excellence in Contracting Awards Program District of the Year: Abegail Banaga, Brett Young, Dominic Pebenito, Dominic Porchia, James Elsberry, James Piersa, John Oshima (post humous), John Stephens, Master Sgt. Courtney Brock, Neil-Richard Tugaoen II, Richard Fontanilla, Roger Minami, Rubyann Prout, Shaun Frost, Stephanie Parra. The award recognizes the exceptional performance, commitment and collaboration exhibited by the recipients.
Year End Award Superheroes Honorary: Joseph Devincenzi, Capt. Jeff Yin, Jonathon Thorpe, Margie Tizon, Maricris Lee, Michael Robinson and Vincent Andrada. The award recognizes employees who have displayed extraordinary skills and abilities in successfully completing and closing a contract or adhering to a firm deadline.
Year-End Award Heroes: Aaron Cruz, Adriana Kiesling, Alphonso, J. Dunston, Amanda Wagner, Anna Alvarez, Aurelia Sigsbury, Bilqis Ali, Brandon Durham, Carmen Lara, Casie Cai, Clarence Mangalang, Cynthia Wong, Fany Anderson, Guadalupe Guerrero, Hap Pho, Hassan Harirchi, Hector Herrera, Helen Sanchez, James Piersa, Janice Opperman, Jeffrey Luong, John Lee, Joyanne Brill, Julio Cuadra, Julio Ramos, Kelly Howard, Kevin Yu, Keyle Sawyer, Kristen Steinmann, Leonard Williams, Mark Cooke, Mary Carmona, Mary Connor, Mary Wrightson, Megan Craig, Michael Lawton, Milthon Galindo, Mylene Guron, Nhat Mach, Olufunke Ojuri, Pamela Kostka, Patricia Bonilla, Patrick Klein, Portia Pham, Raj Cooper, Robert Kwan, Ryan Rivas, Sandra Estrada, Santiago Munoz, Stephanie Dang, Susan Yarbrough, Thomas Luu, Tracey Eccles, Trevor Synder, Veronica Gonzalez and Vincent Andrada. The award recognizes significant contributions to the successful implementation of high-priority, extensive end-of-year activities for the Los Angeles District.