SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Five employees at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District recently earned prestigious awards within engineering, construction, and contracting fields.
The individuals and their respective awards are as follows:
- Spencer T. Waganaar — Early Career Geotechnics Professional Award
- Thomas C. Savage — Landscape Architect of the Year
- Christopher Paxman — Administrative Contracting Officer of the Year
- Chandra Jenkins — Section 408 Professional of the Year Award
- Roxanne B. Carlson — Hard Hat of the Year
Each award recognizes the outstanding contributions of these individuals and reflect the higher caliber of talent and professionalism within the district.
Spencer Waganaar is a civil engineer in the geotechnical and geology branch and works as the geotechnical discipline lead for the Lower San Joaquin River Levee Improvement project.
Over the last year, Waganaar managed a multimillion-dollar geotechnical exploration contract and supported analyses for segments of the levee that are in design. He also provided engineering support to the Sacramento Weir Widening project during foundation installation for the vehicular bridge.
“It is a great honor,” Waganaar said. “I am humbled by the recognition and give thanks and appreciation to all the incredible engineers and coworkers I have been fortunate to work with and learn from throughout my time at USACE as well as in my engineering career before USACE.”
Thomas Savage is a senior landscape architect. He started working at the Sacramento District in the summer of 2009. Recently, Savage has worked on environmental mitigation, restoration, and military and civil vertical design projects across multiple districts.
Savage said the projects he’s worked on since joining USACE have been rewarding.
“It feels really good to get recognition for these projects and the effort I have put into them,” he said. “My favorite memories growing up were largely outdoors, going hiking and fishing. I still spend time in nature whenever possible. I am proud to plant forests and oversee their journey from saplings to self-sustaining and regenerative plantings. It is gratifying to see the impact on the environment and habitat over time. Seeing my sites progress through the lens of Google earth is especially rewarding.”
Christopher Paxman is the acting resident engineer of the Utah Resident Office. Currently, Paxman oversees over 20 open projects in that office. Over the last year, the URO team managed a portfolio of 32 military projects and successfully closed out 10 projects.
“Receiving the Administrative Contracting Officer of the Year Award was welcome affirmation that not only my efforts, but the team’s efforts are meaningfully contributing to the Sacramento District and USACE's core goals, plans, and mission,” he said. “I'm proud to know that my team has helped others, and that they helped lay the groundwork we will all need to handle the existing workload and substantial projected mission growth in the next few years.”
The Hard Hat of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievements in construction contract administration management and oversight. Roxanne Carlson was announced as the recipient for her role as a construction control representative on Dikes 1 through 6 around Folsom Lake as part of the Folsom Dam Raise project.
“I thought it was really cool to see that recognition,” Carlson said about receiving the award. “I am really dedicated to the mission we have at USACE and ensuring we build, and our contractors build, quality flood control structures to protect the Sacramento Valley.”
Carlson works diligently every day alongside contractors and partners to solve technical problems and make progress on the project while maintaining quality and safety. She says that she finds purpose in making sure the work is up to contract standards so that the people downstream the Sacramento River are protected.
“What keeps me going is that someday I’m going to look back on this and be proud of what we did and how we got there and that we persevered through all the challenges,” she said. “I have a really good team working around me and supporting me, and we have a really good working culture on this project.”
Chandra Jenkins is the chief of 408 Permissions Section in the district’s Operations Division, Section 408 Coordinator and the Acting Chief of the Regulatory Division Nevada Section.
“Receiving the [Section] 408 Professional of the Year Award is meaningful and humbling recognition of the work I’ve dedicated myself to in the Section 408 Program. This award affirms not just the technical and strategic efforts our district has contributed to the Section 408 program, but also the importance of collaboration, mentorship, and consistency in 408 regulatory processes.”
Jenkins’ efforts have had both local and national impacts as she has been a key contributor to the development of the Section 408 Training Course and served as the Section 408 Coordinator for USACE Headquarters for four months.
“This recognition also reflects the collective effort of an outstanding 408 team, supportive leadership, and a professional community that shares in the mission of flood risk management and public safety,” she added. “I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to support the 408 program—and to see the ripple effects of those efforts in a broader sense in the program. Receiving this award inspires me to continue sharing knowledge, and to continue helping shape a stronger, more effective regulatory and operations framework for the 408 program for the future.”