Roger Wilson, the navigation chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Project office, was awarded the Modern-Day Technology Leader Award at the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year Award ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Modern-Day Technology Leader Award is a prestigious part of the BEYA STEM Outstanding Achievement Award Category, granted to exceptional individuals in the workforce. A panel of industry, government, and academia leaders recommends these nominations.

Wilson’s win was praised by Nelson Sanchez, Mobile District Chief of Operations, who expressed his happiness for Wilson and deemed him most deserving of the award. Justin Murphree, Tenn-Tom Project Office Manager, was also thrilled about Wilson’s recognition and expressed his honor to supervise and work with him.

Wilson attributes his success to the exceptional individuals he collaborates with on the Tenn-Tom and those who paved the way before him, including his father, whose influence made winning the award possible.

Carlos Whetstone, a project engineer for the Florida Area Office, also received the Modern-Day Technology Leader Award during the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year Award ceremony in Baltimore, Md., on Feb. 15.

Whetstone said he was amazed when he got the news he had been chosen to be recognized by BEYA. Kenith Ward, the Florida Area Office Area Engineer, said Whetstone is a rising star in the Mobile District’s Construction Division.

“He continues to expand on his technical knowledge, and his interpersonal skills allow him to excel in stakeholder management,” Ward said. “The Florida Area Office is proud that Carlos is being recognized for his hard work and has the opportunity to represent USACE, the Mobile District, and the BEYA Conference. Congratulations, Carlos.”