Courtesy Photo | Alou Rice, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District environmental engineer, holds...... read more read more
MOBILE, Ala. — There is a saying that goes, “I learned the value of hard work by working hard.”
A member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District Water and Wastewater Technical Center of Expertise (WWTCX) within the Engineering Division, Alou Rice, has over 39 years of experience in the engineering field.
Another valuable saying is that hard work eventually pays off, as it did in the case of Rice, who was named the 2025 Civil Engineering Professional of the Year.
“Winning the award was a culmination of supporting many varied work experiences over the last few years, from my water/wastewater support in the Tyndall Air Force Base Rebuild Program in every aspect of water/wastewater work,” Rice said. “It was also because of my 40-plus project designs to my water system support of various other areas, such as the Jackson, Mississippi water crisis, Hurricane Maria water/wastewater systems restoration support of Puerto Rico, as well as support of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, and the City of Atlanta water line breaks.”
While he has given approximately 40 years of service to the Mobile District, Rice has stepped up his game over the last three years with assisting a variety of emergency management missions, as well as other ongoing projects.
In 2023, Rice supported the Vicksburg District as the WWTCX subject matter expert on the Jackson, Mississippi, water crisis. In 2024, Rice supported the New Orleans District as a WWTCX SME on the saltwater wedge emergency. Additionally, in 2024, he supported the South Atlantic Division and the Savannah District as a WWTCX SME on the City of Atlanta Water Crisis. Lastly, supporting recovery efforts in Asheville, North Carolina, following Hurricane Helene and in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
Jason Krick, USACE Mobile District Chief of Engineering, said Rice is not only a success in all he does, but he is also a role model to the junior staff.
“Alou consistently demonstrates a high level of technical competence in all projects he works on and possesses a can-do attitude which contributes to his success and sets the example for our junior staff,” Krick said. “He is an outstanding mentor, and he is paving the way for the development of our future Civil Engineers. It’s been an honor to work alongside Alou for the past 25 years.”
Rice, who is married to his wife Mary and has a son, Alou II, who recently graduated from Bishop State and a daughter Conner who is a rising senior at Blount High School in Mobile, said his family has always been a source of support to him throughout his career along with his faith, said his Mom Lille, played a massive role in who he is today.
“My Mom drug me to church down throughout my formative years and the way she raised me with discipline, chores, etc., helped build character in me and respect for others,” Rice said. “She sacrificed a lot of her life to raise me the way she did, and I don’t know what would have happened to me if she didn’t raise me the way she did. So, shout out to my Mom.”
Rice said his wife, Mary, and the rest of his family have stepped up to play a vital role in his success.
“My family has played a vital, vital role,” Rice said. “When I’m called out to go on an emergency mission at a moment’s notice and I might be gone a month or be working overtime like 12 hours a day, seven days a week, my wife would have to stand in the gap to get the kids where they needed to go and other things. She has always stepped up and taken care of things at home so I could do my job for the Corps.”
Rice said his advice to young people considering a career with USACE is to consider the wide range of opportunities USACE offers.
“If you are looking for a diverse organization that provides a wide range of opportunities, USACE is the place,” he said. “USACE has great job security and excellent benefits. It is just a great organization to work for, with great opportunities for advancement and training.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2025 10:18 |
| Story ID: | 545164 |
| Location: | MOBILE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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