Houston, Minn., man gets Civil Servant Leadership Award from Army Corps of Engineers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WKBT) — Bryan Peterson of Houston, Minn., received the Civil Servant Leadership Award for 2020 from the St. Paul District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Peterson, one of three Civil Servants of the Year the Corps named, is a navigation business line manager for the district who has nearly 39 years of service with the federal government.

Peterson

The districted saluted Peterson for managing a team of 250 employees that ensured continuous commercial navigation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Bryan’s incredible commitment and dedication to the people and the mission has made all the difference in overcoming significant challenges this past year,” said Tamara Cameron, who heads the St. Paul District operations division and is Peterson’s supervisor.
Peterson found the recognition humbling, saying, “It’s the efforts of the entire navigation team and their accomplishments that even made it possible for me to be considered for this award.”
Most lock and dam employees, dredgers, maintenance workers, hydrographic surveyors and dredge inspectors had to be physically at their jobs during the past year to ensure that navigation could continue, he said.
“They all successfully executed COVID-19 risk mitigation measures within their work areas to assure their safety and the safety of the general public,” Peterson said. “These people are truly the civil servants of the year, and I am honored to represent them.”
The St. Paul District presents the awards annually to the top three or four employees on its nearly 700-person staff.
The district navigation mission supports a multibillion-dollar industry that depends on continuous operation of 12 Mississippi River locks and dams and maintenance of 240 miles of river channel through surveying and dredging.
With his team, Peterson ensured continuity of operations throughout the 2020 navigation season, with detailed safety measures to protect crews during the pandemic.