Vicksburg District employee named USACE National Water Safety Employee of the Year

VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District employee is named the USACE National Water Safety Employee of the Year.

Caitlin Sloan, a natural resource specialist for Bayou Bodcau Dam and Reservoir in Haughton, Louisiana, was selected for her innovation and dedication in promoting water safety. Throughout the pandemic, Sloan used her creativity to develop new water safety programs and initiatives which ensured the Vicksburg District’s water safety program continued to excel.

“Ms. Sloan is much deserving of this honor,” said Col. Robert Hilliard, Vicksburg District Commander. “She continued to show incredible dedication, passion, and determination despite the challenges at hand. We are very lucky to have her on our team.”

One of the biggest challenges Sloan faced was the lack of educational and public face-to-face events. She overcame this obstacle by developing a virtual pilot school program to promote water safety through educational videos and online lesson plans. She provided links, digital resources, and materials along with relatable scenarios adaptable to the children’s ages and preferred activities.

Sloan also collaborated with the district’s cartographers to incorporate pop-up water safety messages and a printable boat inspection check list at each of the boat ramps and fishing piers into an interactive map. Furthermore, she designed business cards promoting the interactive map to pass out to visitors for their convenience.

Sloan continued to establish new partnerships through partnering with the Bayou Chapter of the Ozark Society to improve a canoe/kayak trail by cleaning up litter and installing new signs promoting water safety. She also partnered with a local high school and organized a “Swamp Tour” of Bayou Bodcau where 65 students learned about canoeing safety, proper lifejacket wear, and environmental ecology.

USACE is one of the nation’s leading providers of outdoor recreation with over 400 lake and river projects in 43 states and more than 250 million visits per year. This requires us to conduct the most effective educational programs and campaigns to teach the public about safe and responsible ways to enjoy the water.

The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.