Prestigious Dept. of the Army award bestowed to Indianapolis Army Corps of Engineers Deb Snyder

Published June 14, 2013
Regulator Deb Snyder works during a field visit for the Indiana Interstate 69 Evansville to Indianapolis highway extension.

Regulator Deb Snyder works during a field visit for the Indiana Interstate 69 Evansville to Indianapolis highway extension.

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Deb Snyder,  Indianapolis Regulatory Field Office for the Army Corps of Engineers, has been named the Louisville District Corps of Engineers Regulator of the year, but even more prestige has been bestowed on this recognition because she has been selected as Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Regional regulator of the year. This distinction also propels her forward to compete for the national award, The Don Lawyer Regulator of the Year in Washington, D.C.

Snyder began her career as biologist at the Corp's Pittsburgh office where she worked in the corp’s project planning section from 2000-2004. She was later offered a position in the Louisville District Army Corps of Engineers and has served in Regulatory for nine years, mostly in Indianapolis.

Besides being a self-starter who takes initiative to keep projects moving, she is known for successfully managing and leading complex transportation permitting projects. One of those projects found her as lead and senior project manager for the Indiana Interstate 69 Evansville to Indianapolis highway extension. It is a contentious, complex and ongoing project fraught with litigation and public sensitivities.  The National Interstate I-69 Project is needed to facilitate interstate and international movement of freight through the I-69 corridor.

The area has significant karst resources and many high quality “waters of the United States.” Snyder investigated impacts to these waters while using the corp’s guiding  principles to  balance economic benefits and environmental  factors. 

She uses the word “complicated” to describe the process on the I-69 project, but she never lost sight of her agency’s goals and completed milestone after milestone moving the permitting forward. “Working with Indiana Department of Transportation and federal highways – through the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) process – I was the lead project manager and liaison for the Corps,” she said. “I had to find and communicate what the least damaging practible alternative was.”

Snyder said she attributes her success on this project because she genuinely liked interacting with this project team. “It was good to see them, and let them know someone is ready to address their concerns,” she said.

Louisville District Corps' Regulatory Chief Jim Townsend, who initiated the award nominations, said her work on the Indiana I-69 permit applications and decisions was outstanding. “Of particular note were Sections 3 and 4 of I-69. We prevailed in District Court on Section 3 and the appeal was recently heard at the U.S.  circuit court.

“Section 4 involved a lot of analysis to high value and sensitive resources, and to that end, she has done excellent work as the lead project manager for INDOT applications,” Townsend said. “She ensures a professional and transparent relationship with INDOT and other agencies.” 

Greg McKay, regulatory chief of the north section, also pointed out in the award nomination that under Synder’s leadership, processing time for permits was significantly reduced. Snyder also received high marks from her coworkers. Laban Lindley, Indianapolis Office regulatory lead said, “Her knowledge, work ethic, and enthusiasm are all characteristics that make Deb a model regulator. Deborah is a valuable member of our Indy Regulatory Team, and we are all extremely proud of her winning this award.”