Ken Myers has built a nearly five-decade career dedicated to federal water infrastructure, dam safety and flood risk management — spending more than 20 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento District and over 30 years supporting major civil works programs in the private sector. After graduating from Chico State University in 1978, he joined USACE through its two-year Junior Engineer Training rotational program. His early assignment as a construction inspector on the New Melones Dam — completed while he was onsite — sparked a long-term commitment to complex dam and flood control projects. Upon completing his rotations, Ken landed in the District’s Levees and Channels Section, where he spent many years advancing urban flood protection work and gaining deep knowledge of the federal project development and delivery process.

After more than two decades of federal service, Ken transitioned to the private sector, where he continued to support USACE and its non-federal partners across California. Over the past 14 years with ArchTam, he has remained closely aligned with the USACE Sacramento District, working with regional flood agencies and joint power authorities to deliver major dam, levee and flood system improvements. In his current role, Ken helps guide ArchTam’s partnership with USACE and advance critical water infrastructure programs that protect communities and support long-term resilience.

Tell us about what inspired your career in dams.

I attribute my interest in dams and flood control to my dad during my childhood, even though he likely had no idea he was influencing my future career path. When I was growing up in the 60s, a large dam was being built on the Feather River, not far from the small agricultural town where I was raised. My dad used to take us up to the overlook where you could see the dam under construction. It seemed like we went there every single weekend, and I remember seeing it slowly rise and take shape, bit by bit.

That river had flooded the year I was born, in 1955, and the Oroville Dam eventually alleviated a lot of that threat. Before the dam was fully completed in 1970, there were still moments when high river stages created real concern. I remember one Christmas when I was about seven or eight, the Feather River was running so high it was almost up to a bridge crossing in town. Even though the Oroville Dam wasn’t fully functional yet, there was enough of the embankment built to help buffer that flood risk. Our family left home for a few days because of the threat, and when we returned, we discovered that my dad and grandfather had moved things up off the floor — including the big console TV — to try to floodproof the house. Looking back, I had no idea how much all of that was sinking in. When you are a kid, it is not a conscious thought that you are going to become a civil engineer because of dams and flood control projects. But looking back, I’m sure those experiences shaped me — even if I didn’t realize it at the time.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

One of my favorite projects at ArchTam has been the Folsom Dam Raise. The goal is to raise the perimeter of the reservoir by six and a half feet. Folsom has the main concrete dam with the spillways and tainter gates, but then around the perimeter there are these low spots, including embankment wing dams, eight earthen saddle dams, and the mile-long Mormon Island Auxiliary Dam (MIAD). ArchTam was awarded the work on Dikes 7 and 8 and MIAD, and we have been working on this project for about seven years now.

At the project kickoff, USACE let us know they wanted Dike 8 completed on an accelerated schedule, and we worked closely with them to make that happen. As we continued with the designs for Dike 7 and MIAD, project priorities evolved, and we supported USACE through an alternatives analysis to determine the best approach moving forward. Originally everything was going to be a full earthen raise, but through that process the decision was made to go with parapet walls on top of several of the embankments instead. That meant reworking some of the designs, including Dike 7 from final design and MIAD from about 65 percent, but it was the right solution for the project.

Construction of the MIAD raise has just been completed, with Dike 7 construction planned to follow. It has been a complex, multi-year effort with changing needs and fast-track milestones, but it has been incredibly rewarding. Working side by side with USACE, adapting as the project developed, and helping move a major flood risk management project forward has made this one especially meaningful for me.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the communities in California.

A lot of the work I am most proud of has been in the Sacramento region and up through the Yuba City/Marysville area. These are places where communities were directly affected by flood risk, to the point where flood moratoriums were put in place. One example is the Natomas area, just north of downtown Sacramento. At one point, no new development was allowed, and it was very difficult for people to get flood insurance. Through the flood improvement work in Natomas, and in the Yuba River Basin as well, we were able to help demonstrate adequate progress to FEMA. There is a whole process behind that, but once the region met those requirements, the moratorium was lifted and you could start to see infill development return.

This flood protection development made a real difference for people living there. I live in a floodplain myself, and because of the work that local flood agencies have done in partnership with USACE, I believe the risk of flooding has been reduced. I still carry flood insurance, but at a much more affordable, preferred risk rate. Without these improvements, my insurance bill would be sky high. Knowing that our work has helped lower that burden for entire communities — and reduced their flood risk at the same time — is something I feel really good about.

Share a piece of career advice.

My advice is to make sure you become technically proficient in your field. A strong technical foundation really does carry you through your career. When I first started doing design work, I was drawing on mylar with a T-square and calculating quantities with a planimeter. Now technology is completely different, from digital design tools to modern surveying equipment, and it continues to evolve. It has been remarkable to see how much things have changed and how much more precise the work has become. Building solid technical skills early on will help you adapt to those changes and set you up for long-term success.

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A civil engineer by training, he focuses on aligning community development goals with ecological and long-term climate objectives, designing integrated strategies that blend green and gray infrastructure to build safer, more adaptable communities. He has been instrumental in building and leading our coastal resilience team, bringing together engineers, scientists, and planners to tackle complex challenges and expand the group’s impact across the region.

Chris has led major projects for the Texas General Land Office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), including serving as engineering project manager for the Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan since its inception. From storm surge protection and fast-tracked design following Hurricane Ike in Houston-Galveston to stakeholder engagement across coastal Texas, he brings a collaborative, forward-thinking approach grounded in technical excellence and a deep commitment to community resilience.

Tell us about what inspired you to work in coastal resilience.

I became a civil engineer because I wanted to work on projects that could directly benefit both the environment and the community. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of blending the power of our natural ecosystems with the practical side of engineering, and civil engineering felt like the right fit.

When I began my career, my work focused primarily on flood risk, with a particular emphasis on community resilience to flooding. Over time, I’ve been able to integrate that with my original interest in environmental stewardship. Looking back, that’s where my passion truly started. It’s been rewarding to bring those elements together under one professional umbrella, rather than specializing in just one area. I’ve always held onto the goal of doing work that helps comprehensively when possible, and that’s ultimately shaped the path of my career.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

My favorite project has been the Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan, which has also been a foundational project for our team. We worked with the state on the first plan iteration released in 2017, then updated it in 2019 and 2023, and we’re now working on the 2028 version. It’s been a unique and rewarding opportunity, as we’ve been able to support the Texas General Land Office on this plan since its inception. The plan includes over 367 miles of coast and 3,300 miles of bays and estuaries, addressing challenges such as storm surge, sea level rise, habitat degradation, and coastal erosion. It emphasizes nature- and infrastructure-based solutions, integrating innovative methodologies like living shorelines and sediment management. The plan has resulted in the funding of hundreds of millions of dollars for coastal resilience projects along the Texas coast. I like to think that’s because we’ve put a lot of heart and effort into it, making it representative of the coastal stakeholders and ecosystems of Texas.

This work demonstrates our strong commitment to the Texas coast, its communities, ecosystems, and the complex challenges they encounter. In partnership with the General Land Office, we continuously listen to and learn from the knowledge and experiences of stakeholders, professionals, and academic experts across the entire Texas coast. Through this collaboration, we have created a set of resilient design guides for stakeholder use that translate the plan components into actionable steps.

Through these connections, we find solutions that balance environmental needs with community resilience, addressing current issues while anticipating how challenges will evolve over time. It has been an incredible chance to lead and help shape the long-term vision for the Texas coast. It’s an ongoing opportunity to better serve the state, its communities, habitats, and ecosystems, improving resilience and making the coast as safe, accessible, and sustainable as possible – a coast that many generations can enjoy.

Why is it important to take a proactive approach to coastal resilience?

Unfortunately, it feels like we have a new flood or hurricane-related disaster far too frequently these days. It often seems like we’re stuck in this constant cycle of responding to the latest disaster. Our resilience practice is working to shift that mindset from reactive to proactive. Instead of waiting for worst-case scenarios to happen, many of which are unprecedented and unexpected, we want to think ahead.

Our approach to resilience considers both what has happened and what hasn’t happened yet. How do we develop solutions — whether engineered, nature-based, gray infrastructure, green infrastructure, or a mix — that go beyond traditional methods? It’s about building on our previous knowledge but also pushing the envelope to be more innovative and thoughtful. Recently, we assisted NASA with these specific considerations by working with them at the Kennedy Space Center to assess opportunities for enhancing site resilience against coastal surge and erosion. We aimed to do this by leveraging the natural beach and dune system along the Atlantic shoreline and living shoreline on the estuarine shores.

A big part of this is recognizing that we can’t just build stronger infrastructure. We also need to educate and inform communities, sharing knowledge and helping residents become responsible stewards of their environment — whether that’s the coast, river systems, or flood-prone areas. Fostering that awareness and centering it in a community’s culture is key. As an example, we partnered with FEMA and The Nature Conservancy in Puerto Rico to develop job aids for local communities, providing a technical foundation to assist them in transitioning from traditional infrastructure designs to natural and nature-based solutions along sandy shorelines, riverine streambanks, and urban stormwater systems.

Ultimately, the goal is to reduce the need to respond repeatedly to disasters by implementing measures beforehand. That way, when events do happen, their negative impacts are mitigated because proactive steps were taken. That’s the heart of what we’re trying to do with resilience.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

As an individual member of the public, a lot of the work our team does tends to be expected — or even taken for granted. People don’t expect heavy rainfall to disrupt their ability to get to work on any given day, much less cause loss of life. Often, we’re fortunate enough to expect those kinds of events won’t happen, or at least that they’ll remain extreme exceptions.

What we try to do is make resilience and hazard mitigation fundamental — something that happens quietly behind the scenes. In an ideal world, much of what we do goes unnoticed by the public because it’s so reliable. At the same time, we want people to become more knowledgeable and aware of these issues through education and outreach, whether it’s working with schools, running public campaigns, or providing resources.

It’s about cutting through some of the bigger challenges in society, like politics or funding limitations, and focusing on what matters most: projects that truly benefit the public. What’s critical to us is not just the technical excellence of our work, but also making positive impacts and changing perspectives. That way, awareness of resilience becomes less of an exception and more a part of how communities understand and prepare for their environment.

Share a piece of career advice.

First, as a young engineer, scientist, planner, or any other professional, it’s essential to diversify. Find opportunities that allow you to work in different spaces, take on different types of projects, and learn new skills. That versatility benefits you by keeping your career from becoming repetitive and provides a broader range of exposure to unique projects.

Second, take initiative. Do what’s in front of you, but don’t be afraid to express interest in other areas. If you hear about something that excites you, reach out — whether it’s within your group or another one — and have a conversation to learn more. Authentic interest is what makes a real difference. We want to work with people who are genuinely invested in the work, because that’s when you do your best work.

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Tony Gibbon specializes in design and build projects in water supply, wastewater and flood risk reduction. He collaborates with designers across the country, identifying best practices and lessons learned, covering carbon reduction and sustainability as well as buildability and constructability.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I started my engineering career as a trainee draughtsperson for a highway authority while studying civil engineering part-time. It was during that role that I developed an interest in the drainage of highways, which led me to work on flood risk reduction projects for local and national government. These early experiences allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge further to take on the design and delivery of water and wastewater projects.

I realized I like engineering solutions to complex problems, like reducing flood risk or mitigating environmental harm sometimes associated with waste and wastewater treatment. I especially enjoyed projects where I used my skill and knowledge to reduce flood risk while also improving public accesses to the restored environment.  39 years later, I’m still thinking about ways to improve people’s lives and the environment.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

My favourite project with ArchTam has been the Major Utilities Diversions for the extension of Euston Station in London, which was part of the High Speed 2 Rail project — one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. The project brought together talented engineers from across the United Kingdom and our Enterprise Capabilities team in India to deliver major complex utilities design alongside complex temporary and permanent works for the station.

The innovative and creative way the team addressed the constraints, both physical and programme-related, was my personal highlight.  One example of this was a 1000-milimeter drinking water main that needed diverting in two phases through the same location, several months apart. Due to the strategic nature of the water main only one shutdown of the water main was permitted by the water company.  Through collaboration with the contractor and the water company, and the utilisation of an innovative cross shaped thrust restraint, designed to work in temporary and permanent instances, the main was diverted in one shutdown. The collaborative culture at ArchTam fostered and inspired enhanced teamwork among stakeholders and clients, driving improved outcomes for all parties involved.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

As part of the Major Utilities Diversions for the extension of Euston Station project, the team engaged with stakeholders within the local community to mitigate the impacts of the work, including rescheduling the installation of a new large diameter gas main in a narrow city street to avoid the annual street food festival. This helped sustain the local economy and build further trust with the local community.

Share a piece of career advice.

When chairing or running a meeting, always pay attention to those who are not speaking as they often have a nugget of knowledge or suggestion just waiting to be found. The loudest voice in the room is not the only voice and rarely is it 100 percent of the answer.

We all have a voice and helping people to find that voice and have the encouragement and support to contribute fully is how we find the true value.

Just because I am leading this project, or I am a senior leader, I do not assume I know everything. As engineers we are taught “know what you know, know what you do not know and know to ask.”

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Rob has worked in dam engineering for 15 years with eight of those years in Australia, where he has supported the design and construction of new dams and the upgrade of many existing dams. He is currently a supervising engineer under the Reservoirs Act 1975 and Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 and is in the process of applying to become an all-reservoir panel engineer.   

What inspired you to join the industry? 

After completing a degree in geology and with an increasing focus on climate change when I was at university, I decided to complete a master’s related to water management, as it was apparent at the time that challenges facing water supply were going to be an issue well into the future. Various types of dams were covered as part of the course and I remember my interest being piqued by the fact that all disciplines of engineering play a role in their design and construction. I then focused my career from my early days as an engineering geologist at a site investigation company to becoming a dam engineer. Since, then I have had the opportunity to work on and lead the design and construction of new dams and the upgrade of existing ones whilst lending my hand to all disciplines of engineering which has kept the job both interesting and challenging. 

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?  

My favourite project at ArchTam has been the abandonment of Purdomstone Reservoir, which is owned by Scottish Water (SW), particularly as I learned a lot about the complexities of abandoning a reservoir, which doesn’t happen very often. SW is the United Kingdom’s largest dam owner with around 280 reservoirs, however more than 100 of these are no longer used for water supply yet still represent an ongoing concern for the business. This is due to the societal risk they pose, with many of these reservoirs upstream of towns and villages.  

I began working on this project in 2020, conducting a study to determine the best course of action for the reservoir—whether to invest in upgrades or abandon it. Since the reservoir was no longer used for water supply, I demonstrated that abandonment was the preferred option due to the societal risk it posed if retained and the ongoing costs to Scottish Water. 

I led the detailed design for the abandonment, which included breaching the main and subsidiary dam embankments to restore the original watercourse level, constructing a new access track through the reservoir basin, infilling the by-wash channel, and implementing erosion protection measures. A key benefit of abandonment was enabling fish passage upstream. After consulting SEPA and Scottish Water, I incorporated a bottomless culvert into the access track design to facilitate fish movement. 

One major challenge was managing sediment accumulation in the reservoir. Based on our analysis of the sediment depth, I developed a solution to pump water from the reservoir into storage lagoons at higher elevations within the basin. A flocculant was then added to separate the silt from the water, which was subsequently discharged into the by-wash channel. 

Throughout 2024, I provided onsite construction support, addressing technical queries during the works. My lasting impression of the project came at its completion, as I marveled at how quickly the reservoir basin reverted to a natural state. 

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community. 

As a result of working on dams, we regularly benefit the communities we serve. Flood storage, in particular, is often what delivers the most tangible benefits for residents. I have been involved in the design of several flood storage reservoirs (FSRs) at ArchTam that have protected the downstream population from flooding. One of the largest of these was Robin Dam situated on the River Garnock in Ayrshire. I was a lead designer responsible for completing the stability and seepage analyses for the dam and also the design of its filter arrangement. 

Share a piece of career advice. 

Take full advantage of any opportunities that present themselves when you work for a large multinational company like ArchTam. I took an opportunity to move to Australia and it was the best decision I ever made, based on the project experience I gained, and the people I worked with, which has helped shape my career to date.   

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This week, we are highlighting Doug Bellomo, a flood risk management expert from our global Water business line, based in Arlington, Virginia. Doug shares how he and his team conducted a study that demonstrates the lifesaving and economic benefits of disaster resilient building codes. 

Doug specializes in flood risk management and emergency services. Following his previous tenure with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), he moved to ArchTam to pursue his interest in private sector innovations and solutions that help shape public policy and create more resilient communities, businesses and natural landscapes. Prior to joining us five years ago, he oversaw the execution of several federal programs including FEMA Risk MAP, National Dam Safety Program and FEMA’s Mitigation Planning Operations with an average annual budget of $260 million. 

Tell us about a project that has impacted or been a major highlight of your career. How is it delivering a better world?  

What drew me to ArchTam was its mission of delivering a better world. I researched the company, talked to people, and decided ArchTam would be a good fit for me. Public service, flood risk reduction, building community resilience and delivering positive environmental and social outcomes have always been a big part of why I do what I do — and that’s also the case for so many of my colleagues at ArchTam.  

Having witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, I am grateful to be able to play a part in promoting the value of disaster-resistant building codes. In 2020, I worked on a FEMA project called “Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study of Loss Prevention,” which demonstrates how disaster-resilient building codes can prevent the direct losses — economic harm and human suffering — often caused by three types of natural hazards that are earthquakes, flooding and hurricane winds. It compares average annual losses between buildings designed with higher codes versus minimum codes. ArchTam, as part of the COMPASS Joint Venture (JV), played a pivotal role in managing the work and developing the analytical framework, which was based on a database of 18 million buildings, the hazard frequency in each locality, and the type of building code in effect at the time. This work resulted in user-friendly materials with actionable guidance to help emergency management professionals, policymakers and others adopt modern building codes and avoid future losses.   

What was a key challenge you/your team faced while working on this project? How did you solve it?  

The technical side was difficult. There is no detailed national data set of adopted building codes. We had to comb through various resources to make sure the data accurately represented which elements of codes were adopted. We also experienced a lot of challenges around organizing the data sets, making sure the data was aligned and distilling credible results at the end. We worked closely with the client to effectively meet their objectives in a technically sound manner, despite a variety of constraints.  

The COMPASS JV team and I collaborated with ArchTam communications specialists to help FEMA develop a brochure of the findings. Despite the benefits of resilience outweighing the costs of resilient construction, we discovered that as much as 65 percent of U.S. counties do not have modern building codes.  

We also sought to predict how hazard resilience may change over time. With an expected average of 577,000 new buildings per year, approximately 13.9 million buildings will be added to the U.S. inventory between 2016 and 2040. We projected that about 70 percent (approximately 9.7 million) will be built to international codes (I-codes) or similar codes. Based on results of the Average Annualized Losses Avoided (AALA) — a risk-based metric —the cumulative savings will be $132 billion. That number would grow significantly if there was broader adoption of modern codes.   

Since the study’s publication, the federal government (through its Federal Flood Risk Management Standard) and the American Society of Civil Engineers have continued the push to improve resilient building design. It is really exciting to see the continuing conversation around the importance of building codes.  

How has ArchTam enabled you and your teams to cultivate the expertise needed to deliver this project and future work like it?  

I have always been impressed with ArchTam’s breadth of experts and capabilities, including the architects who take concepts and present them in much more compelling ways than the tables and charts engineers often use. As an engineer with a flood hazard and risk management background, having access and opportunities to learn from experts in other fields has been a great way for me to develop professionally. I also learned a lot from our communications experts during this study. I am a big fan of these experts because they help us to simplify complicated information and make it more accessible to the public and decision makers.   

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