After a career that spanned more than 35 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Division employee Ronald J. Tomechko, retired from federal civil service during a Town Hall event that took place on Aug. 29, 2019, at TAD’s headquarters in Winchester, Virginia.
The event was hosted by TAD Commander Col. Christopher Beck who said that throughout his three-plus decades working for the Corps of Engineers, Tomechko “touched more people, more programs, more dollars, and more careers than anyone can imagine.” Beck said if you look up “quiet professional” you would “find the definition of Ron.”
Tomechko began his career with USACE in the 1980s in Fort Worth, Texas, when he was hired as an Air Force Military Construction (MILCON) program manager and spent his entire career working as a PM. He said the most rewarding program he worked was in the early 90s when he was part of the first group of USACE employees deployed for Desert Storm, working in the Strategic Logistics Initiative Program for the Army in Qatar.
“Our initial construction work resulted in the installation now known as As Sayliyah Army Base in Qatar,” he said.
Tomechko’s career culminated in his appointment as Program Manager for TAD’s Programs Integration Division. During his time with TAD, his expertise and depth of technical knowledge helped support more than 280 projects with a combined worth of more than $4.3 billion across eight countries in the Middle East. Prior to receiving his retirement certificate, Tomechko was presented with the Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Medal for his years of dedicated service to USACE and the American public.
“I have always remembered what former TAD commander Brig. Gen. Kendall P. Cox told the TAD staff during those early days when the Division was first established in 2009. He said the only reason TAD exists is ‘to enable the Districts to execute their programs and projects.’ That is what I have strived to achieve as a Program Manager, not to burden the Districts with tasks and reports but to assist in providing the authority, funds, and regulatory and policy provisions to execute and deliver projects to the warfighters.”
However, Tomechko said the most rewarding and important thing he took from his career was that he met his wife in the hallway at work at TAD. He said he is a better person for having met her and is looking forward to traveling with his bride, and taking care of the long list of home improvement projects that she has waiting for him in retirement.