From February 3 to June 27, Ms. Laura Vicinie, with the Corps Institute for Water Resources completed a developmental assignment at the Corps Jacksonville District where she worked in the Coastal-Navigation Section of the Plan Formulation Branch. In her role as the planning technical lead (PTL) for the Manatee Harbor Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) she worked with the project team (including Jacksonville employees from engineering, project management, cost engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental planning, economics, and operations branches) to identify an environmentally acceptable, feasible for engineering purposes, and economically sound plan to dispose of the dredged material from O&M dredging events at the harbor over the next 20 years. She and the project managers met with Port Manatee representatives to present project goals and updates regarding the problems and opportunities related to each alternative plan.
Ms. Vicinie took on other responsibilities during her developmental assignment such as preparing the cost-sharing assessment for the Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project LRR, helping with the trade route analysis for Manatee Harbor Phase III GRR, and providing general support to other planners in the Coastal-Navigation section as needed.
Developmental assignments are important opportunities for Corps’ IWR staff, especially those new to Corps because it gives hands-on experience to better understand how a Corps district functions.
“Having the opportunity to work in the Plan Formulation branch was ideal for obtaining a better understanding of how the Corps works on a district level because it allowed me to work one-on-one with Corps employees from different branches.” Ms. Vicinie stated. “ In doing so, I was able to really see the contributions and perspectives of workers in various branches of the Corps. It also allowed me to understand how a Corps project is the result of the efforts of people from many different disciplines. The people in the USACE Jacksonville District office were so welcoming and willing to help me learn about what they do and how their district works. I was truly taken aback by their willingness to sit with me and explain the technical elements of their disciplines and contributions to the projects we were working on together. I’m very grateful for those in the Jacksonville District and at IWR who made this developmental assignment a reality for me.”
Not only does the employee gain from this enriching experience, but IWR benefits as well. Ms. Vicinie says it best: “I definitely learned more about the technical elements that go into making a Corps project work. I learned more about the development and review processes for Corps projects, which I am hoping will better inform me to help make this process easier and more efficient in time. A primary mission of IWR is ‘to provide forward-looking analysis and research in developing planning methodologies to aid the Civil Works program’, and I feel that understanding these methodologies at a ground level is an essential component of being able to best fulfill this mission. IWR was established with the intent of being a resource to USACE districts and divisions, and I think having this experience working in a district and learning so much from district employees has provided me with the potential to help IWR function even better as a resource to Corps districts.”
Jacksonville District gained from this developmental assignment as well. Ms. Candida Bronson, Section Chief and Ms. Vicinie’s supervisor while in Jacksonville, had only praise. "Laura is a self-starter, finding resources and developing a path forward. Laura helped with other office tasks as needed, including writing a review plan for Manatee Harbor, creating a cost sharing table for Dade County, reviewing cost calculations for Charleston Harbor, and updating the SAJ electronic library. Laura was a huge asset to the District while on detail and would be welcomed for additional work at any time."