Speakers
Thomas J. Podany
Tom J. Podany is currently serving as the New Orleans District's Chief, Protection and Restoration Office. The New Orleans District has a staff of over 1200 and has a Civil Works program with an annual budget of over $400 million. As a senior civilian in the District, he assists the Deputy District Engineer for Project Management.
A native of Washington, D.C., Tom has Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from George Washington University in Washington. During his career with the Corps of Engineers he has served as a project and study manager on several coastal navigation, flood control, hurricane protection, and environmental restoration projects. He is a graduate of the Corps' Planners and Project Managers Program. He has participated in the Coastal Wetland, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act for many years as Chairman of the Planning and Evaluation Subcommittee and as acting Chairman of the Technical Committee. Tom has assisted in the leadership of the Louisiana Coastal Area Study and Hurricane Recovery Efforts and is a participant on the Corps' Program Management Team. As Chief of the Protection and Restoration Office at the New Orleans District, he is charged with the execution of environmental restoration and implementation of long-term hurricane damage reduction measures for southern Louisiana.
Tom J. Podany is married with four children, ages 16, 15, 11 (boys), and 7 (girl). He is a resident of Harahan, Louisiana.
"Panel Presentation: Hurricane Protection: Where Do We Stand?"
A hurricane and storm damage reduction system for southeast Louisiana is being planned and executed along with system-wide ecosystem restoration and urban flood control measures. The presentation will explore the challenges of implementing risk reduction measures on an emergency basis while exploring the feasibility of ecosystem restoration, urban flood control, and increased levels of risk reduction.