SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – The Army Corps of Engineers has a new commander for its Savannah District.
The federal agency officially welcomed Col. Joseph R. Geary as its top officer in Savannah during a ceremony Friday.
The Army Corps’ Savannah District operates three hydroelectric dam and reservoir projects on the Savannah River and maintains the shipping channels to the seaports in Savannah and Brunswick. The district has overseen the $973 million deepening of the Savannah harbor to make room for larger cargo ships.
The Savannah District also handles federal permitting for developments impacting streams and wetlands throughout Georgia.
Geary comes to Savannah from the Pentagon, where he worked on stabilization and peacekeeping policy issues for the secretary of defense, according to a news release.
His predecessor, Col. Daniel H. Hibner, is headed to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, after leading the Savannah District since 2018.