VICKSBURG, Miss. – After more than three decades of service to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Dr. Edmond Russo, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL), closed the book on his storied career.
A retirement ceremony honoring Russo was held in EL’s Bob Engler Main Conference Room on July 14, attended by colleagues from across ERDC and USACE, who joined both in person and virtually. Russo served as EL’s director for six years and recently had a stint as acting director of ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire.
At the ceremony, Russo was presented with several awards, including the distinguished Silver de Fleury Medal, a prestigious U.S. Army Engineer Association award honoring individuals who have rendered outstanding and significant support to the Army Engineer Regiment.
“This medal isn’t given to everybody, as it is only given to a handful of people throughout USACE and even fewer through the engineer regiment, or the Army as a whole,” said ERDC Commander Lt. Col. Joshua Haynes, who presented the Silver de Fleury to Russo. “This is a major contribution to Edmund, and I thank him for his service.”
Russo reflected on his career with pride in what he accomplished with his colleagues.
“Serving USACE, the Army, and the nation has been an immense privilege, and I’m profoundly grateful for the opportunities I was given to serve the New Orleans and Galveston Districts and ERDC,” said Russo. “I’m proud of the coalitions we built and the talent we nurtured in USACE and ERDC.”
Being a leader for EL and CRREL was a significant moment for Russo. He expressed his appreciation for working with both teams to further ERDC’s success.
“My tenure as EL director has been a highlight for my career. I’m incredibly proud of everything that we accomplished together, from significantly growing our program to enhancing our world-class facilities to being named the best place to work for several years,” Russo said. “Your dedication to innovation and excellence has been the driving force behind our success. Thank you for your hard work, collaborative spirit, and unwavering commitment to solving our nation’s toughest environmental challenges.”
“I thank the team at CRREL for the warm welcome that they extended to me during my recent temporary assignment as acting director. I gained a deep appreciation for their mission, partners, programs, and people. I’m proud of the sustainable progress we made together, and it was a distinct honor to work alongside them,” said Russo.
As Russo exits the organization, he’s confident that ERDC will continue to rise.
“I want to extend my gratitude to the entire ERDC workforce. I will always cherish the professional relationships we have formed over the years. I’m confident that ERDC will continue to lead the way in world-class science and innovation, delivering outstanding value to the Warfighter and the nation. I leave with confidence that the incredible people of EL, CRREL, ERDC and USACE enterprises will continue to achieve unprecedented success.”
Highlights at the ceremony included a trip down memory lane, as Dr. David Moore gave a brief history of Russo’s childhood and USACE journey, followed by tributes from his colleagues and friends. Dr. Todd Bridges, retired ERDC senior scientist, shared funny moments from his two-decade-long friendship with Russo, while applauding him for the impact he left on the organization.
“One of the gifts that a rich career like yours provides is stories for you and your friends, and you’ve made me laugh hard many times with your stories and ways of communicating,” said Bridges. “Stories are what you take with you, but what you leave behind and have abundantly produced in your career is momentous impact. Through each of your roles, you delivered meaningful and enduring impact, and I respect you for that.”
Acting EL Director Dr. Brandon Lafferty sent Russo his well wishes in his future endeavors.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you,” said Lafferty. “You’ve done a great job leading EL through our most challenging and successful times. I hope you enjoy retirement.”
Admiration for Russo continued, as Dr. Jennifer Seiter-Moser, technical director in EL, and James Lindsay, chief of EL’s Ecosystem Evaluation and Engineering Division, thanked him for his support and mentorship.
“Thank you for all the support you’ve shown me and EL throughout the years,” said Seiter-Moser. “You’re an excellent example of a leader.”
“I want to thank you for your mentorship,” said Lindsay. “I hope that your next adventure is as great for you as it has been for us in EL.”
ERDC Director Dr. Beth Fleming gave Russo a heartfelt sendoff.
“I’ve never seen someone so admired because of how you deliver,” said Fleming. “Every time something is tough, people call Edmond, because he is a person that you can count on – you know he’s going to get the job done. I appreciate you for always being the go-to person to get things done, your super program manager capabilities, being an opportunist, a finisher, and a challenge lover. Edmund also gives back because he cares about the organization's employees. We will truly miss you and thank you for your leadership.”
Before becoming EL’s director in 2020, Russo served as deputy district engineer for Programs and Project Management in the USACE Galveston District and held several leadership positions within ERDC-EL and the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL). His USACE career began in the New Orleans District, where he served in a variety of engineering, planning, project management and operations roles. During his career, Russo advanced the fields of coastal resilience, navigation, environmental sustainability, and water resources management through technical leadership, research, and collaboration across government, academia, and industry. His professional contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal and the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.