SAVANNAH, GA. – Richard Thomas, area engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District's, Robins Area Office in Warner Robins, Georgia, was honored as a Modern-Day Technology Leader during a ceremony at the BEYA STEM Annual Conference held Feb. 16, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland.
A native of Huntington, West Virginia, Thomas graduated in 2003 from West Virginia University Institute of Technology with a degree in civil engineering. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Kentucky and a warranted Contracting Officer.
The Black Engineer of the Year Awards recognize African American scientists and engineers around the country who are shaping the future of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as promoting diversity and inclusion in the STEM pipeline. The winners were announced in December, but the conference to officially recognize all winners was Feb. 16.
“Richard is well-deserving of this award from BEYA, as he epitomizes the type of leadership we seek in Construction Division,” said Troy Funk, Chief of Construction Division, USACE, Savannah District. “He has the technical knowledge and passion for working in the construction field. More importantly, he has a desire to share that information with and mentor the next generation of construction personnel.”
Thomas has spent his entire career with the Corps of Engineers, starting as a Cooperative Education Student with the Huntington District in Huntington, West Virginia, to his current position as the Area Engineer at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia.
In his current role, he oversees all construction activities at Robins and Moody Air Force Bases, as well as in the Atlanta-metro area. Additionally, Thomas has also completed one-year deployments to Afghanistan and Bulgaria, overseeing more than $400 million in construction. To learn more about Thomas, read this Q&A story: Richard Thomas BEYA Q&A Story.
– 30 –