News

On July 15, 2009, PIANC USA honored four of its veteran members for their contributions to and distinction in the Association by promoting them to the Fellow member grade. At the PIANC USA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA, PIANC USA's President, Major General Bo Temple, presented the 2009 Class of Fellows with a medal and thanked them for their service. The 2009 PIANC USA Fellows included Mr. Thomas M. Ballentine, Mr. Harry N. Cook, Dr. Robert M. Engler, and Mr. John P. Woodley, Jr.

PIANC Fellows are members of the Association who have attained acknowledged eminence in the field of maritime and inland navigation as it relates to ports, waterways, and/or the environment. Fellows have made significant technical or professional contributions to the work of PIANC and have demonstrated notable long-term achievements. The accomplishments that are being honored have contributed importantly to the advancement or application of the sustainable development of waterborne transport, bringing the realization of significant value to the Association.

Thomas M. Ballentine: Mr. Ballentine was employed by the USACE Institute for Water Resources for 27 years. For 10 of those years he served as Executive Secretary (1985-1988) and later as Secretary (1995-2002) of the US Section of PIANC. More recently he has served as the U.S. Representative on the PIANC History Commission and has also prepared a complete history of PIANC USA which will be published soon.

Harry N. Cook: For 39 years, before he retired in 2003, Mr. Cook was chief executive of the National Waterways Conference. A PIANC member since the 1960s, he was a U.S. Commissioner in 1978-85 and, since then, Commissioner Emeritus. He was named an International Vice President in 1996-97 and is now an International Honorary Member. Earlier, he was a newspaper reporter, Congressional staffer, and Governor's press secretary. He is currently editor of "Capitol Currents," a newsletter published by the Waterways Council, Inc.

Robert M. Engler: Dr. Engler (Geochemist-Wetlands Soils and Sediments) was employed in 1973 by the USACE Waterways Experiment Station (WES) and served in numerous positions: researcher, Program Manager, upper-management supervisor, Senior Scientist (Environmental), and technical lead of several national R&D programs supporting the USACE Navigation Mission. He has been a PIANC member since 1978. Dr. Engler served as PIANC's Environmental Commission Chair and on the Executive Committee from 1994 to 2007. He now works for Moffatt & Nichol.

John Paul Woodley, Jr.: Mr. John Paul Woodley, Jr., recently left the Department of Defense after serving more than five years as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, responsible for the civil works activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As Assistant Secretary, Mr. Woodley served as Chairman of the U.S. Section of PIANC. During his tenure, the U.S. Section hosted the 2005 Annual General Assembly of PIANC in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Woodley also led U.S. Section delegations to PIANC meetings in Lisbon, Portugal, Cochin, India, and Beijing, China.