Tom McDonald, Construction Representative was recognized as the Far East District Hard Hat of the Year Award Winner by the FED Chief of Construction Chad McLeod and FED Commander, Col. Christopher Crary. The Hard Hat of the Year Award is given to the most outstanding construction field office employee capable of best demonstrating successes in construction quality management, contributions and innovations.
McDonald’s efforts have been instrumental in providing quality assurance and construction management for the USFK Operations Center, Camp Humphreys. This project is a critical part of the $10.8B Yongsan Relocation Program, moving USFK out of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area.
As one of the most experienced Construction Representatives (CONREP) in the Security Operations Resident Office (SORO), his team has benefited immensely from his knowledge and experience. According to his superiors, Tom has utilized, “his outstanding communication skills to share his knowledge and experience across cultural boundaries ensuring understanding with our Korean Government counterparts and contractors.”
Additionally, his personal dedication to his team has been consistently exhibited in his willingness to successfully overcome intricate issues. He ensured that USACE quality standards are met despite the complexity of the facility. His work for the Corps has positively affected the project budget, schedule and relationships between all stakeholders; far exceeding the normal expectations of a Lead CONREP. In fact, McDonald has performed the duties of both and Office and Project Engineer at times to provide project continuity and minimize delays. His awareness of critical issues has allowed him to define and eliminate key risk factors that have saved both project time and cost savings.
Mr. McDonald is a wealth of knowledge who strongly supports the idea of mentorship and is always open to share his experiences with his fellow CONREPs and Project Engineers. His leadership shines past the job sites through his creations of presentations and training classes to mentor less experienced members of the team, ensuring they understand USACE’s requirements for successful mission completion. Seeking no credit for himself, McDonald remains focused on the best interest of the project and praising his team’s efforts.
Tim McDonald’s unwavering commitment to the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Far East District have strengthened stakeholder relationships. He is also an active member of the community who spends his spare time helping local farmers with no children or family work on their land, reinforcing the bond between U.S. and Korean culture.