Melanie O’Meara, a Senior Project Manager in the New York District’s Regulatory Branch of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), lives for the outdoors, so it makes sense that her daily work serves to protect what she loves. In this role she analyzes impacts of project proposals on the aquatic environment, as well as endangered species, cultural and historical resources, and the overall public interest.

Melanie partners with other federal, state, and local agencies to ensure thorough and meaningful review of project proposals. She works with applicants, the general public, and stakeholders to educate them on federal permitting programs and to promote communication throughout the project proposal review process thus minimizing the negative effects to the aquatic environment.

Prior to working at USACE, Melanie dirtied her boots as an Environmental Scientist at ARCADIS-US and also at Ecology & Environment, Inc., where she aided in the clean up of Superfund and Brownfields Sites in upstate New York and western Massachusetts.  Melanie also worked with the United States Environmental Protection Agency as an ORISE Fellow in the Wetlands Division.

When time allows, Melanie sits in her kayak or atop mountains with her two dogs—Smarty and Jack—in tow.

For more about Melanie read the Fall 2009 Dukenvironment feature (pgs. 2-7)