Posted on August 20, 2025
Ashley Foster, an Emergency Management Specialist with the Jacksonville District, was named the 2024 USACE Emergency Management Specialist of the Year. She is recognized primarily for taking on additional workloads, revamping Jacksonville’s Emergency Operations Center’s (EOC) Planning Section and through her efforts in recruiting, training and leveraging technology.
Col. Brandon Bowman, Jacksonville District commander, announced Foster’s selection, during a visit and briefing with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Zachary Miller, thanking her for“being such a great representation of all the experts we have in SAD” and “working behind the scenes with professionalism and a commitment.
Foster’s primary role is the lead (FEMA) Program Manager and Deployment Coordinator. In this position, she is responsible for district volunteer management to include the Temporary Housing Planning and Response Team, serves as the FEMA Program Manager, and prepares to respond to disaster events occurring in the Jacksonville District Area of Responsibility as well as the coordination of supporting events that occur outside the Jacksonville District.
Foster joined the Corps of Engineers in June 2017 serving in the Regulatory Branch for the first three years, and taking on a new and challenging role after a deployment stirred her interest in an Emergency Management role with the Jacksonville District.
“Ashley’s efforts and leadership have been recognized, and we are thrilled that she represents the South Atlantic Division,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Zachary Miller, during a recent visit to the Jacksonville District. “Her dedication and commitment to mission success reflect great credit upon herself, the Jacksonville District, the South Atlantic Division and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
Foster said she was surprised by the award, and she feels blessed to know that her work is appreciated, she credits her coworkers, people from around USACE that volunteer for deployments for mentorship, support and motivation.
“I am thrilled to do the work I do and having the opportunity to meet people from divisions, and USACE that help me learn and improve processes,” said Foster. “Several of the best things about working for the Corps is, being able to serve the public, meeting and work with great people from around USACE.”
She credits training, synchronized coordination and preparation for her innovative approach and revised procedures that are being replicated by many other districts across the enterprise.
Foster revamped Jacksonville’s Emergency Operations Center’s (EOC) Planning Section through her efforts in recruiting, training and leveraging technology. Those efforts paid off tremendously during the 2024 Hurricane Season when Florida was impacted by Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Logan C. Wilkinson, P.E. Chief, SAJ Emergency Management Branch said Foster has grown into one of the most competent Emergency Management Specialists in the Nation and is well deserving of the 2024 Emergency Manager of the Year award.
He said Foster after coming into an Emergency Management role, Foster singlehandedly deployed 100 USACE personnel from the Jacksonville District to support the COVID-19
Alternate Care Facility response in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most recently, in the Baltimore USACE Emergency Operations Center and Key Bridge Unified Command during the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Response in Baltimore.
A highlight of her expertise was showcased when Foster deployed to two events in 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Md, and the Hurricane Milton Emergency Field Office, (EFO) in Sarasota, Fla., totaling over 35 days while also spending several months executing response and recovery missions from the District Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during a very active hurricane season.
USACE) was a key player in the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Foster led a team of more than 20 Army Corps personnel leading the effort to clear the wreckage and restore the Fort McHenry Federal Channel. USACE activated its Emergency Operations Center immediately after the collapse on March 26, 2024. The team worked with a Unified Command of federal, state, and local agencies to address the situation.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), specifically the Jacksonville District, Foster was the Chief of Planning and coordinated hundreds of personnel’s movements from all USACE’s divisions that supported, the state of Florida, in particular, Sarasota, Florida, through the Operation Blue Roof program. This program, managed by USACE on behalf of FEMA, provides temporary roof repairs using fiber-reinforced sheeting to protect homes from further damage. An Emergency Management Field Office (EFO) was established in Sarasota to facilitate this mission.
Wilkinson said the Jacksonville District plays a significant role for USACE in responding to hurricanes, working with FEMA and other agencies to provide engineering support, infrastructure repairs, and debris management and Foster plays a large role in organizing the team.
“She is dedicated to her craft and has a unique ability to create calm out of chaos and keep the team focused during activations,” said Wilkinson. “Her leadership qualities have vastly improved our planning and personnel deployment processes.”
Wilkinson said Foster successfully led a diverse team through a high-turnover volunteer environment, demonstrating exceptional patience, leadership, and training capabilities across three major storm events. Her leadership was particularly instrumental in managing the Emergency Operations Center’s (EOC) Planning Team, and culminating in her Planning Chief role at the Hurricane Milton Recovery Field Office (RFO) in Sarasota, FL. Under her guidance, the Planning Team enhanced operational efficiency by leveraging innovation and automation to streamline responder deployment and tracking processes. Her team implemented tools such as Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, Power BI, Community of Practice and SharePoint, refining the deployment process through the implementation of the Deployee Information List. These advancements enabled a more agile and mission-focused response, notably supporting the Temporary Roofing Mission, which set the record for the fastest first install, within just 48 hours of Mission receipt.
“Ashley is a true professional, who is helpful, smart, kind, motivated and dedicated to meeting the needs of those she serves, and we appreciate her,” said Gabby Eurillo, a GIS developer, who works closely with Foster in the Emergency Operations Center.
Eurillo said, Foster is the person that enjoys her work and puts a lot of thought and effort into her work product.
“She is most deserving for this award because we can give her anything and she dives right in and gets it done,” said Eurillo. “She is a very detailed orientated person and enjoys the work she does for the Corps.
Foster said she knows there are many people that work hard, care about what they do, take pride in their job and equally deserve to be honored.
“Family is priority number one,” said Foster. “I love doing my job, doing the best I can, and I believe accolades will come.”
She is a native of Florida and earned her undergrad degree in Technical Management from DeVry University and a Master of Business Administration from Keller University. She is also a Navy veteran.
Foster’s hobbies martial arts, soap making, raising her chickens, traveling, visiting exciting places and spending time with husband Robert, family, friends on their family property in Alabama.
Her future career goals include achieving a Certified Emergency Manger certification and improving USACE Emergency Operations Center Standard Operating Procedures enterprise
