Courtesy Photo | Jennifer Plair, a civil engineering technician at Fort Worth District’s Somerville...... read more read more
In the high-stakes world of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where infrastructure projects and disaster response demand precision and innovation, Jennifer Plair, a civil engineering technician at Fort Worth District’s Somerville Lake, learned that individual expertise alone cannot guarantee success. A decorated long-distance runner, Plair discovered that true leadership lies in fostering teamwork and mentorship.
Plair, a native of Somerville, Texas, participated in track and field and cross country at the local high school where she was recognized as the 1993-94 Texas Track and Field Athlete of the Year by the Texas Girls Coaches Association during her senior year. There she was awarded three gold medals at the state cross country and track meets.
These formative years were where she developed her sense of teamwork and began mentoring her fellow teammates.
She remembers running through Welch Park at Somerville Lake for practice with her team as the high school didn’t have a track at the time. This was also where she started learning about USACE.
“We only have a few employees at the lake,” said Plair. “But that’s why we must come together as a team to get our projects completed.”
Plair attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. on a full athletic scholarship after graduating high school. While there, like in high school, she set records. In 1999, she was the Southland Athletic Conference 10,000-meter champion, qualified for nationals, and was named the McNeese State cross country and track athlete of the year. She would go on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management, ranking in the top 10% of her class.
In 1996, while attending McNeese State, she started working as a summer ranger at Somerville Lake. Upon graduation in 1999 she was hired as a ranger at Granger Lake. She remained there until she moved to Somerville Lake in 2003 to work as a civil engineering technician.
“When a position opened up at Somerville Lake, I couldn’t pass up moving back home,” said Plair. “I knew moving from ranger to CET would make me more rounded and a more valuable member of the team.”
Plair continued as a CET until 2017, when a need for additional rangers at the lake arose. Prioritizing team benefit, she resumed ranger duties with USACE.
During this time, she received recognition for her contributions to the lake, region, and district, culminating in the Fort Worth District’s Ranger of the Year award in 2022. She served as a ranger for one additional year. But her knowledge and experience as a CET once again became a priority for the team. So, Jennifer made the decision to return to that role and leave the ranger duties for a newer generation.
“I was on the interview panel to try and get a new CET at the lake,” said Plair. “We just weren’t having any luck finding one. So, I told my lake manager that it seems there’s a calling for me as a CET again and we have a lot of young folks wanting to be rangers.”
In 2021 Plair returned to her role as a CET. Having served in both roles she sees herself as a mentor for the volunteers she leads during the maintenance of the lake and the rangers that work alongside them.
“Jen, as both a ranger and CET, has always worked to help mentor new employees and volunteers at the project,” said Russell Meier, the lake manager at Somerville Lake. “Her years of knowledge are invaluable and providing this knowledge to new employees not only impacts the current mission but will support the mission for years to come.”
Plair wasn’t done receiving awards either. In May of 2025 she was inducted into the Somerville High School Hall of Honor. Like her mentoring with the Corps of Engineers, her greatness has been seen in the town she calls home.
From sprinting past finish lines to building them, Plair traded spikes for steel-toed boots—still running toward the goal, just with a team behind her and a blueprint in hand.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2025 15:22 |
| Story ID: | 545974 |
| Location: | SOMERVILLE, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Teamwork and Mentorship in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, by Patrick Adelmann, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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