President Obama appoints Hill as Mississippi River Commission member
VICKSBURG, MISS., January 13, 2016 – President Barack Obama recently appointed Brigadier General David C. Hill as member of the Mississippi River Commission. MRC appointments are nominated by the President of the United States and vetted by the U.S. Senate.
Hill is the commander and division engineer of the Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The division, which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is one of nine Corps of Engineers regional commands. With four district offices in Little Rock, Ark., Tulsa, Okla., and Galveston and Fort Worth, Texas, it encompasses all or part of seven states, and covers some 2.3 million acres of public land and water with an annual program totaling nearly $2.6 billion. As the SWD commander and division engineer, Hill oversees hundreds of water resources development and military design and construction projects that bring value to our communities, our nation and our warfighters. Prior to taking command of SWD, Hill served as director of the Office of the Chief of Engineers in the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Hill received his commission from the United States Military Academy in 1990, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri-Rolla and a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
Hill’s awards and decorations include the two Legion of Merit medals, three Bronze Star Medals, five Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
The Mississippi River Commission was created by an Act of Congress on June 28, 1879, to plan and provide for the general improvement of the entire length of the Mississippi River. This includes improving navigation, preventing destructive floods and facilitating commerce. The presidential appointees consist of three officers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and three civilians, two of whom must be civil engineers.
The commission itself is an advisory body. Its general duties include recommending policy and work programs, studying and reporting on modifications or changes to the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, commenting on matters authorized by law, making inspection trips, and holding public hearings that facilitate exchanges of viewpoints and ideas between the public and the MRC. Since 1879 the commission has been “listening, inspecting and partnering” with water resource interests in a watershed that is influenced by the drainage of more than 41 percent of the United States and two provinces of Canada.
www.mvd.usace.army.mil/mrc