The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announces that four employees were recently selected to receive a Modern-Day Technology Leader Award at the 2023 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Conference in February.
Resa Holmes, Willie Thomas, Jonathan Malone and Jasmine Ford will be recognized for their outstanding innovation, creativity, leadership and commitment to the future of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The awardees were chosen by a peer review selection committee drawn from a diverse group of scientific and technical leaders.
Resa Holmes is a graduate of Jackson State University where she earned a degree in Civil Engineering. She has been a project engineer in the Construction Services Branch since 2018. Holmes acknowledges “her love for engineering is a result of finding solutions to problems and finding inventive ways to perform daily tasks.”
Willie Thomas, Jr. has worked in the Construction Services Branch since 2018. He is a 2018 graduate of Mississippi State University. He was recently presented the Volunteer Leadership Award for the district and currently serves as the president of the district Engineering and Construction club. He credits his success to his co-workers “who are a joy to work with and make every day interesting and unique.”
Jonathan Malone is a native of Jackson and currently resides in Pocahontas. He earned a civil engineering degree from Jackson State University. Malone began his career with USACE in 2015 as a student trainee in the Dam Safety section of the Geotechnical Branch where he currently works. In 2018, Malone received a Commander’s Coin of Excellence for his performance during the Columbia Lock and Dam Emergency.
Jasmine Ford, a native of Vicksburg, earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering from Jackson State University. Ford has worked in the Levee and Drainage Section of the Design Branch since 2014. She is active in career fairs and job shadowing. In addition, Ford is Vice President of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Vicksburg Post where she is engaged in multiple STEM activities.
The 2023 BEYA STEM Community recognizes STEM accomplishments, promotes diversity and inclusion, offers educational and developmental opportunities and provides recruiting and hiring opportunities for defense industry partners, corporations and federal/military organizations. The mission is to inspire next-generation scientists and engineers.
The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.
