As the Transatlantic Division joins the rest of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in celebrating Engineer Week 2020, it was fitting that the Division inducted two former TAD employees into its new Gallery of Distinguished Civilians (GoDC) in front of family, friends and former co-workers. The two inaugural inductees – Donn Booker and Jo-Ann Evans – complement this year's Engineer Week theme, which is “Pioneers of Progress.”
Both were inducted into the GoDC during a ceremony held Feb. 20, 2020 at TAD’s headquarters in Winchester, Va.
Booker served in TAD over a seven year period. First as the Chief of TAD Business Management Division from 2009 through 2010, then as a member of the Senior Executive Service as the TAD Contingency Regional Business Director from April 2012 to April 2015. During that time, he deployed to serve as the Senior Executive Service Director for the Joint Programs Integration Office, U.S. Forces – Afghanistan. His superlative efforts while in this position enabled mission accomplishment and the achievement of the commander’s objectives for both United States Forces Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan during a massive construction program budget. Mr. Booker has served with exemplary distinction in his diverse, complex, and critical positions while with TAD.
Evans led the entire Resource Management Program for TAD’s headquarters, and provided crucial financial oversight to four subordinate Districts over a six-year period. Her leadership, dedication, and selfless service directly resulted in countless successes for the Division and Middle East District. She served as the consummate subject matter expert in all matters concerning resource management policy and guidance, to include budgetary, financial, workload, workforce and manpower analysis to numerous TAD Division commanders and District Financial Managers.
The GoDC will be housed at TAD's headquarters, in the Executive Conference Room. Both inductees unveiled their framed photos that will be hung in the new gallery, and also received framed letters commemorating their induction from TAD Commander Col. Christopher Beck, who said the event was a landmark occasion for the organization.
“Today we recognize two tremendous leaders, visionaries, professionals, faithful Federal servants, and friends who will forever be known as the inaugural inductees into this Gallery of Distinguished Civilians,” Beck said. “This effort to recognize our distinguished civilians began 18 months ago with the drafting of policy and guidance to define the process and criteria for nominating potential candidates. Action officers devoted many hours combing through the records of past civilian personnel who served at TAD after 2009. Comprehensive nomination packages were drafted that highlighted each candidate’s most significant accomplishments, and justifications focused not only on their actions but also on the impact and results of each nominee’s specific accomplishments. The final result of this long process have culminated in today’s ceremony, as we recognize two long-serving civilians for their outstanding achievements.”
TAD was originally established in 1991 in Winchester to support the increased reconstruction activities following Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. It stood up for a second time on September 29, 2009 and is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ninth and newest major subordinate geographical command. Despite what some may consider a short history compared to other USACE organizations, TAD has designed, constructed and executed billions of dollars of engineering-related services in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to establish the conditions for regional security and stability. It also enables the U.S. Special Operations Command’s global construction program through centralized planning and programming on behalf of the USACE enterprise.
“Given the remarkable achievements of our Transatlantic Division civilian team in the Middle East – most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan – it is fitting at the start of a new decade that we should celebrate those who have made lasting contributions across the division. Contributions that are outstanding among all who have performed similar duties,” Beck said.