A Dam Conversation With…

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. 

On this episode, we welcome Doug Boyer, a civil engineer and engineering geologist with 35 years of experience in dam engineering and dam safety. He currently serves as the Chief, Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM) Branch of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Before joining FERC in 2016, he held positions with the US Army Corps of Engineers Risk Management Center and Bureau of Reclamation in Denver. He also served as the Chief, Dam Safety Branch, Department of Water Resources for the State of Colorado. Before federal employment, he had nearly 15 years of consulting experience. Mr. Boyer has a Bachelor of Science degree in geological sciences and a Master of Science degree in civil engineering. Mr. Boyer is a licensed professional engineer, professional geologist, and certified engineering geologist.

Key Takeaways From This Episode

• 8:20 - Case histories to explore dam failures and dam safety: Fontenelle Dam
• 10:49 - What are your key takeaways and lessons learned?... Recognizing signs before failure and how to intervene! How do we prevent hindsight bias?
• Industry Changes: What are the current theories? How do I get rid of my “jump-to-conclusions mat?!
• 23:25 - What makes risk analysis so enticing?
• 30:45 - Lessons learned! Ask questions & seek more information - sometimes you strike gold!
• 35:30 - Roles of mentoring and being mentored in a post-Covid world (be deliberate, reach out, and ask for help if needed!)
• 41:30 - What’s been the most rewarding in your career?... Seeing growth in younger engineers, watch them fly!
• 47:00 - What are the differences between working as a consultant vs. a regulator?
• 51:30 - How do you keep learning and growing?... Reach out! Join professional societies! Read up! Attend meetings!

It was a busy day for train operators and emergency help during this recording! Apologies for the train horns and signals in the background, but we appreciate the operators and law enforcement who used signals to keep our neighbors safe!

We want to hear from you! Send us a message at [email protected] and let us know your questions for our leaders and innovators. 

Get Involved!

ASDSO Membership

In addition to free resources for the Dam Safety community, membership with ASDSO provides the following list of benefits and more! Follow this link to join! https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member  

• Member discounts on all training and products
• Unlimited access to full ASDSO conference papers
• Online member directory
• Journal of Dam Safety

Committee Membership

Consider joining one of the many ASDSO committees and Interest Groups. Find the full list at the following link:  Committees and Interest Groups | Association of State Dam Safety

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Find upcoming training opportunities, including on-demand webinars, live webinars, seminars, and past content in the Training Center! Training Center | Association of State Dam Safety

ASDSO Toolbox

The ASDSO Toolbox (www.damtoolbox.org) is intended to be a one-stop shop for current guidelines and regulations of the dam safety industry. Consider volunteering as a moderator, proposing new content, or suggesting additional resources. 

This program was copyrighted in 2024 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials with All Rights Reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. 

Today, we welcomed Mia Kannik, a Program Manager with the Ohio Dam Safety Program with over 26 years of experience. Mia, thank you for your stories and advice!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• 7:00 – “Co-Ops can be great; they can also teach you what you don’t like as well”
• 11:25 – Benefits of working for a state agency include work-life balance, an opportunity to work on a lot of interesting projects, and opportunities for upward mobility
• 12:20 – Soil Mechanincs and Earth Structures coursework in Master’s Degree Program helped prepare Mia early in her career
• 13:10 – There is a benefit to pursuing a Master’s Degree in Geotechnical Engineering for a successful dam safety career
• 14:30 – There is a transition in the industry from building new dams to rehabilitation and decommissioning of dams
• 26:30 – Advice to younger self – Get involved and learn/collaborate with the community
• High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Information
• ASDSO’s Collaborate Website (Collaborate | Association of State Dam Safety)

We want to hear from you! Send us a message at [email protected] and let us know what questions you may have for our leaders and innovators.

Get Involved!

Association Membership

In addition to free resources for the Dam Safety community, membership with ASDSO provides the following list of benefits and more! Follow this link to join! https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member  

• Member discounts on all training and products
• Unlimited access to full ASDSO conference papers
• Online member directory
• Miscellaneous surveys archive
• Journal of Dam Safety

.Committee Membership

Consider joining one of the many ASDSO committees and Interest Groups. Find the full list at the following link:  Committees and Interest Groups | Association of State Dam Safety

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Find upcoming training opportunities, including on-demand webinars, live webinars, seminars, and past content in the Training Center! Training Center | Association of State Dam Safety

ASDSO Toolbox

The ASDSO Toolbox (www.damtoolbox.org) is intended to be a one-stop shop for current guidelines and regulations of the dam safety industry. The content is growing but we need your help to further the momentum! Consider volunteering as a moderator, proposing new content, or suggesting additional resources. 

This program was copyrighted in 2024 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials with All Rights Reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. 

Today, we welcomed Chris Goodell, a leader in HEC-RAS modeling, providing risk-based solutions to dam owners worldwide. Chris, thank you for your stories and advice!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• 1:30 - Discussion on playing to your strengths: Civil Engineering is so broad! Find your own path - structural, hydraulic, geotechnical, mechanical, environmental, and many more licensures play a part in dam safety and dam engineering. What’s your passion?
• 11:00 - Technology revolutions, how to adapt, and a new software developed by Chris: “McBreach.” I bet you’ve never had a McNugget this good!
• 17:30 - How does one find a mentor?... Be present, reach out, and ask smart people dam questions!
•  20:25 - HEC-RAS: Chris’s vlog and podcast about H&H modeling. 
• Links here:
   https://www.kleinschmidtgroup.com/full-momentum-vodcast/ 
  • https://therassolution.kleinschmidtgroup.com/
•  23:25 - As engineers, we love to solve problems. But it takes practice to ask for help and increase our knowledge and efficiency. You’d be surprised how many professionals are happy to reach out!
• 26:17 - Importance of networking for developing your career (even for introverts!)
• 27:55 - Continuing education and teaching others: get training, get involved, present, teach others, and go for it!
• HEC training (FREE!!): https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/training/
• Chris was just named as one of the top 75 most influential people in hydropower by Water Power Magazine, take a look! The Influencers 75 most influential people in hydropower 

We want to hear from you! Send us a message at [email protected] and let us know what questions you may have for our leaders and innovators. 

Get Involved!

Association Membership

In addition to free resources for the Dam Safety community, membership with ASDSO provides the following list of benefits and more! Follow this link to join! https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member  

• Member discounts on all training and products
• Unlimited access to full ASDSO conference papers
• Online member directory
• Miscellaneous surveys archive
• Journal of Dam Safety

Committee Membership

Consider joining one of the many ASDSO committees and Interest Groups. Find the full list at the following link:  Committees and Interest Groups | Association of State Dam Safety

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Find upcoming training opportunities, including on-demand webinars, live webinars, seminars, and past content in the Training Center! Training Center | Association of State Dam Safety

ASDSO Toolbox

The ASDSO Toolbox (www.damtoolbox.org) is intended to be a one-stop shop for current guidelines and regulations of the dam safety industry. The content is growing but we need your help to further the momentum! Consider volunteering as a moderator, proposing new content, or suggesting additional resources.

This program was copyrighted in 2024 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials with All Rights Res

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. 

Today, we welcomed Bill McCormick, Past president of ASDSO, former Chief of the Colorado Dam Safety Branch for ten years and now a consultant at Black and Veatch. Bill, thank you for your stories and advice!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• 5:10 – “One of the good things I learned… was to not burn bridges”
• 12:00 – Discusses importance of technical trainings and benefits of building out your experience for a career in dam safety engineering.
• 15:15 – “Seek opportunities to get involved with construction projects”
• 25:00 – Don’t be afraid of change or trying new things, and do it for the right reasons
• Colorado-New Mexico Precipitation Study (Dam Safety Bureau (nm.gov)_
• Chimney Hollow Project Information, 360-foot tall asphalt core dam (Home | CHRP | Northern Water)

We want to hear from you! Send us a message at [[email protected]] and let us know what questions you may have for our leaders and innovators. 

Get Involved!

Association Membership

In addition to free resources for the Dam Safety community, membership with ASDSO provides the following list of benefits and more! Follow this link to join! https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member  

• Member discounts on all training and products
• Unlimited access to full ASDSO conference papers
• Online member directory
• Miscellaneous surveys archive
• Journal of Dam Safety

.Committee Membership

Consider joining one of the many ASDSO committees and Interest Groups. Find the full list at the following link:  Committees and Interest Groups | Association of State Dam Safety

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Find upcoming training opportunities, including on-demand webinars, live webinars, seminars, and past content in the Training Center! Training Center | Association of State Dam Safety

ASDSO Toolbox

The ASDSO Toolbox (www.damtoolbox.org) is intended to be a one-stop shop for current guidelines and regulations of the dam safety industry. The content is growing but we need your help to further the momentum! Consider volunteering as a moderator, proposing new content, or suggesting additional resources. 

This program was copyrighted in 2024 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials with All Rights Reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. 

Today, we welcomed Amanda Hess, Hydrology and Hydraulics Group Member of Gannett Fleming with over 25 years of experience. Amanda, thank you for your stories and advice!

Key Takeaways from This Episode

• 1:25 – Amanda’s first experience with engineering was a High school trip to Carnegie Melon
• 8:00 – Graduate level coursework in hydraulics required students to learn the theoretical equations within HECRAS, helping Amanda to have a better understanding of the software
• 9:33 – Some factors to consider when deciding to pursue a Master’s Degree include funding opportunities, difficulties with working full-time while taking coursework, and other professional related motivations
• 13:20 – Motivations for staying at the same firm for so many years include relationships (very important!), remote work was not an option and her location wasn’t a large city with many options working in dam safety, Gannett Fleming was very flexible when Amanda had young children
• 18:55 - As a hiring manager – “The thing that usually impresses me the most is excitement about their work… I don’t expect people to know all the answers… Communication is also very important… someone who isn’t afraid to ask questions”
• 21:42 – ASDSO is a great way to “Get Involved” as a young professional 
• 27:40 - Understanding potential failure modes can be a great way to better understand risk in dam safety
• 30:00 - Advice to younger self – be yourself, be genuine, and don’t worry so much about the perception (don’t need to be polished in your first presentation!)
• 32:15 – On what’s next… “Have an open mind and put yourself out there a little bit”
• Amanda is one of the authors of FEMA’s Selecting and Accommodating Inflow Design Floods for Dams (Selecting and Accommodating Inflow Design Floods for Dams (fema.gov))

We want to hear from you! Send us a message at [[email protected]] and let us know what questions you may have for our leaders and innovators.

Get Involved!

Association Membership

In addition to free resources for the Dam Safety community, membership with ASDSO provides the following list of benefits and more! Follow this link to join! https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member  

• Member discounts on all training and products
• Unlimited access to full ASDSO conference papers
• Online member directory
• Miscellaneous surveys archive
• Journal of Dam Safety

.Committee Membership

Consider joining one of the many ASDSO committees and Interest Groups. Find the full list at the following link:  Committees and Interest Groups | Association of State Dam Safety

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Find upcoming training opportunities, including on-demand webinars, live webinars, seminars, and past content in the Training Center! Training Center | Association of State Dam Safety

ASDSO Toolbox

The ASDSO Toolbox (www.damtoolbox.org) is intended to be a one-stop shop for current guidelines and regulations of the dam safety industry. The content is growing but we need your help to further the momentum! Consider volunteering as a moderator, proposing new content, or suggesting additional resources.