Engineer Research And Development Center In Vicksburg Gets New Leader

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) welcomed a new leader, as Col. Teresa Schlosser, ERDC’s first female commander, relinquished command to Lt. Col Christian Patterson, its first African-American commander, at a change of command ceremony at its main headquarters in the Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, Miss., July 14. Maj. Gen. Richard Heitkamp, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presided over the ceremony.

Patterson is a 28-year veteran with deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Afghanistan and has completed assignments in France, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and St. Kitts and Nevis. He served as the ERDC director of communications since 2019, building strong relationships within the organization, the Corps and the local community.

A retirement ceremony for Schlosser was held immediately following the change of command. Schlosser has commanded ERDC since September 2019 and led the organization during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

The ERDC commander is responsible for the site management and planning of all associated installations and laboratories and leads the Command Staff Division. In their role, commanders assist the ERDC director and deputy director in planning and executing research and development activities, with emphasis on identifying warfighter requirements and providing liaison to districts, installations and the Engineer Regiment.