May 19, 2011
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Alexandria, Va. — The Topographic Engineering Center's William Ryder has been selected ERDC's program officer for civil works. Ryder will support the corporate approach to technical program formulation, execution, analysis, review, and documentation; assist the civil works business area in ensuring the civil direct programs are aligned with Corps of Engineers objectives; track technical program execution and performance to ensure programs are executing to plan; and provide leadership and direction in the preparation of ERDC-level responses to data calls and other actions concerning the civil works technical programs.
Ryder began his career as a physical scientist in what is now the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). In 1989, he joined TEC's predecessor, the Engineer Topographic Laboratories (ETL) as a hydrologist/geologist in the Terrain Analysis Center. He then moved to the ETL's Digital Concepts and Analysis Center, where he conducted special studies concentrating on terrain analysis and elevation data and later joined the Geospatial Applications Branch as a team leader participating in a variety of important projects and programs.
Ryder joined NGA in December 2004 as a staff officer. Eighteen months later, he returned to the Research Division where he assumed the duties of program manager/contracting officer for the Spatial Data Standard for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment (SDSFIE). Composed of members from the armed forces and USACE, the SDSFIE's goal is to create the Department of Defense standard for facilities, infrastructure, environment, and civil works. Ryder spent time at Corps headquarters as the assistant director for Installations and Environmental Quality, where he led the Afghanistan Sustainable Infrastructure Plan effort before returning to the Research Division in November 2008. At that time he was detailed as the acting chief for the Information Generation and Management Branch.
Ryder earned a bachelor's in earth sciences from Penn State University and a master's in geography/geographic information systems from George Mason University.