As Director of the Institute for Water Resources, Mr. Shawn Komlos oversees a multi-disciplinary Field Operating Agency that supports USACE’s Civil Works (water resources) missions through water resources planning, policy and decision-support model development; hydraulic and hydrological engineering; dam and levee safety; and training and national/international interface with academia, professional societies, and non-government organizations. This work is accomplished through IWR’s centers that include the Water Resources Center (WRC), Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC), Risk Management Center (RMC), and Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center (NDC).
Prior to becoming the IWR Director, Mr. Komlos served as Director of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center (NDC). As NDC Director, he led a multi-disciplinary workforce of scientists, engineers, statisticians, and computer scientists assigned to offices in Alexandria, Virginia and New Orleans, Louisiana responsible for management of waterborne commerce, navigation infrastructure performance, and civil works mission data and associated data systems. The NDC works with its stakeholders at USACE Headquarters and in the field to deliver data and data products that support their investment decision, strategic planning, and operational needs. In addition to delivering annual and near-real-time data and data products relating to the characteristics, effectiveness, utilization, and consequences of navigation and civil works investments, the NDC delivers logistical and technical support to USACE Headquarters and users of data and data systems maintained and operated by the NDC. Mr. Komlos came to CEIWR in 2019 from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), where he served as Deputy Associate Director for the Land Resources Mission Area (LRMA) and its portfolio of research and operations components. Before joining the USGS in 2016, Mr. Komlos served as Senior Water Resources Planner and Enterprise Group Manager, supporting CEIWR, Corps Headquarters, and Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in technical and management roles including water resources policy and planning analysis, decision-support, and planning model and application development.
Mr. Komlos began federal service as in 2001, assigned to the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) South Florida Office to support the scoping, planning, and review of water resources development plans, projects, and affiliated activities occurring across central and southern Florida. In 2003, he joined the USFWS Ecological Services Office in Vero Beach, Florida at the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program’s (CERP) Interagency Modeling Center. There, he served as a member of the center’s interagency modeling team supporting the formulation, simulation, evaluation, and interpretation of study alternatives associated with Everglades restoration program and related water resource planning and management activities in southern Florida. He later joined the USACE Jacksonville District’s Planning Division where he served at the Interagency Modeling Center as a technical liaison between engineering and planning divisions during the scoping, execution, review, and evaluation of modeling efforts designed to address planning and regulatory information needs of agencies responsible for delivery and/or oversight of water resource planning/management activities in central and southern Florida.
Prior to federal service: Mr. Komlos worked for the National Audubon Society’s Everglades Campaign Office where he served as its representative on Florida’s Lower East Coast Regional Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee and related water resources management efforts in central and southern Florida; and previously worked for an international environmental consulting company performing a variety of environmental due diligence and related services associated with investigation and management of environmental risk and liability. Mr. Komlos received his M.S. (Geology) and his B.S. (Geology) from Florida Atlantic University, and is a Professional Geologist licensed in the state of Florida.