James Confirmed To Lead Army Civil Works

On the afternoon of January 25, by a vote of 89-1, the Senate confirmed the nomination of R.D. James to serve as the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. James, a farmer and manager of cotton gins and grain elevators in New Madrid, Mo., has been a member of the Mississippi River Commission since 1981.

A strong advocate for the Army Corps of Engineers program, he is also a civil engineer. During his service on the Mississippi River Commission, James has provided water resources engineering direction and policy guidance. He received the prestigious Bronze de Fleury medal for his significant contributions to Army engineering.    

In an email notification to its members, the National Waterways Conference said, “We congratulate Mr. James on his confirmation and look forward to working with him in support of the nation’s critical water resources infrastructure.”