Robert E. McKechnie
Manistique
Summary
Dynamic FEMA Site Inspector with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, adept at damage assessment and regulatory compliance. Successfully conducted over ninety inspections, enhancing disaster recovery efforts. Proven ability in grant management and report writing, demonstrating strong collaboration and communication skills to drive project success.
Overview
49
49
years of professional experience
Work History
FEMA SITE INSPECTOR
United States Army Corps of Engineers Rehired Annuitant Program
Asheville
12.2024 - 10.2025
- Worked as a FEMA Site Inspector assigned to the Asheville North Carolina office under DR4827-NC.
- Conducted over ninety-eight site inspections for diverse applicants across three counties, ensuring accurate evaluation of disaster damage.
- Completed onsite inspection reports, documenting descriptions and dimensions in Grants Manager system for categories C through G to facilitate funding decisions.
- Collaborated with 406 Mitigation, environmental/historical preservation specialists, and navigation team members to align inspection findings with project goals.
FEMA PROGRAM DELIVERY MANAGER (PDMG)
United States Army Corps of Engineers Rehired Annuitant Program
Sioux City
08.2024 - 11.2024
- Served as primary liaison between FEMA and five eligible applicants, including non-profits and local governments, under DR-4796-IA in Sioux City, Iowa.
- Guided applicants and delivered customer service throughout grants process, from exploratory calls to recovery transition meetings.
- Collected and reviewed documentation to ensure completeness and compliance for grant applications.
FEMA SITE INSPECTOR
United States Army Corps of Engineers Rehired Annuitant Program
St Luis Obispo County
06.2023 - 01.2024
- Conducted FEMA site inspections under DR 4699-CA and DR 4683-CA, detailing disaster-related damages to applicant facilities across three counties in California, enhancing recovery efforts.
- Compiled and submitted 45 site inspection reports into Grants Manager, contributing to timely disaster recovery funding decisions.
- Coordinated with 406 mitigation, environmental, and historical specialists from FEMA and the State of California to ensure compliance with recovery standards.
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District
Lake Isabella
07.2017 - 08.2022
- Worked at the Lake Isabella Resident Office maintaining surveillance on a day-to-day basis for a full range of engineering activities associated with the Lake Isabella Safety Modification project in Lake Isabella California.
- Served as Resident Engineer during the wildfire cleanup in Napa County, California.
- Reviewed plans and specifications to ensure contractor compliance and adherence to safety regulations.
- Provided expertise and guidance on all quality assurance matters for all Lake Isabella Residence Office projects.
- Trained forty-one Quality Assurance personnel and five Quality Assurance Crew Leads in all aspects of clean up surveillance and monitoring.
- Attended twice-weekly meetings with Napa County officials to brief on cleanup progress and escalate unresolved issues.
- Served as Project Engineer for the French Gulch Boat Launch Project, conducting inspections, attending conferences, and participating in meetings.
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Border District
Campo
06.2020 - 01.2021
- Conducted quality assurance surveillance for United States/Mexico border wall project in Campo, California, and Nogales, Arizona, ensuring compliance with project standards.
- Performed daily and final inspections, compiling data from subordinate inspectors to deliver comprehensive reports to district commander.
- Monitored contractor compliance with safety regulations and attended daily prework meetings.
- Border wall projects had an accumulated value of $2.6 billion.
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District
Bagram
09.2019 - 04.2020
- Assigned to the Bagram Resident Office as a Senior Construction Control Representative providing quality assurance and surveillance on construction contracts with a value of $50 million.
- Reviewed pay requests, schedules, submittals, design changes, and plans, advising Project Engineers on acceptance to ensure compliance with contract specifications.
- Championed a single process for contract administration using United States Army Corps of Engineers three phase inspection process, enhancing consistency in oversight.
- Guided and supervised twelve local Quality Assurance staff on inspection methods, safety adherence, and contract administration, strengthening quality control efforts.
- Provided local contractors with sample safety checklists and sample quality control plans and guidance to develop their safety and quality control plans.
- Reviewed contract documents prior to advertisement for bids, reviewed basic change documents, requests for bids for existing contracts providing the Resident Engineer and Office Engineer.
- Reviewed 35% and 65% design packages providing comments to contractors in Projnet.
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District
Kabul
06.2015 - 06.2017
- Led Afghan Warranty Inspection team in conducting ninety and nine-month inspections, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations.
- Trained three Afghan Engineers to instruct Afghan Engineering personnel on inspection methods and procedures while overseeing twenty-five Afghan Engineers conducting inspections and submitting daily reports.
- Supervised five Afghan personnel in Kabul Resident Office to organize, tabulate, and digitize contract documents, ensuring accurate shipping of hard copies to repository in United States.
Project Engineer/Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District
12.2012 - 03.2015
- Executed contract administration for twenty-four contracts valued at $290 million across five provinces, ensuring compliance and effective project execution.
- Supervised and mentored fifteen Afghan Quality Assurance Representatives, enhancing understanding of U.S. Government expectations and improving quality assurance processes.
- Guided incoming Project Engineers and Construction Representatives on best practices in contingency environments, fostering readiness and adaptability.
- Utilized the Resident Management System to track project data and ensure compliance with contractual obligations.
Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic WY-10
United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District
Soo Area Office
06.2012 - 12.2012
- Performed preventative maintenance and repairs, including diagnostic and operational inspections, at SOO Area Office to ensure equipment reliability.
- Designed scopes of work and supervised asbestos abatement projects, conducting testing and monitoring to ensure compliance with safety standards.
- Notified regulatory agencies and submitted required documents during abatement activities to maintain compliance and ensure project transparency.
Engineering Technician/Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps Engineers Afghanistan District
Kandahar
05.2010 - 06.2012
- Assisted Office Engineers and Project Engineers in daily administration of construction contracts at Kandahar Resident Vicinity Office under direct supervision of Resident Engineer.
- Reviewed Requests for Proposals (RFP) Scopes of Work (SCOW) for accuracy and prepared basic change documents (BCD) to support project adjustments.
- Functioned as Alternate Contracting Officer and ensured project compliance during inspections.
- Tracked project data and facilitated communication among team members using the Resident Management System.
Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District
Taji
11.2009 - 05.2010
- Conducted inspections on construction projects funded by Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) at Camp Cooke, Taji, ensuring compliance with project specifications.
- Inspected rehabilitation of army barracks and warehouses, and construction of refrigeration units, fire stations, and fuel points, contributing to project completion and quality assurance.
- Prepared daily reports in Resident Management System to document project progress and compliance.
Construction Control Representative/ Coalition Liaison
United States Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District
Haditha Dam
09.2008 - 12.2009
- Assigned to oversee operations at Haditha Dam Hydropower Plant in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
- Served as the liaison between coalition forces and hydro plant personnel, facilitating smooth operations of the hydropower plant that provided electrical power to several million people.
- Provided technical support and guidance to the Ministry of Electricity and Ministry of Irrigation for hydro generation and distribution.
- Provided quality assurance for the installation of 400 KV power lines throughout western Iraq.
- Worked alongside 249th Engineering Battalion for successful installation of a 2.4 MW emergency generator.
- Coordinated inspections of Haditha Dam stilling basin with 745th Army Dive Team and Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, ensuring compliance with safety standards.
- Created lock out tag out system and coordinated security measures with Azerbaijani Army.
- Collaborated with United States Army Engineering Group to conduct surveys of Haditha Dam's earthen dam, contributing to structural integrity assessments.
Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic WY-10
United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District
Soo Area Office
03.2009 - 10.2009
- Performed preventative maintenance and repair activities, including diagnostic and operational inspections, at SOO Area Office to ensure equipment reliability.
- Developed scopes of work and supervised asbestos abatement projects, conducting testing and monitoring to ensure compliance with safety standards.
- Notified regulatory agencies and filed necessary documents to maintain compliance during asbestos abatement activities.
Construction Control Representative
United States Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District
Al Asad
12.2008 - 03.2009
- Administered construction contracts for C-5 runways, aprons, fuel points, laundry facilities, and landfills at Al Asad Resident Office in collaboration with Project Engineers.
- Coordinated and conducted final inspections with contractor personnel to ensure compliance with project specifications.
- Assisted with customer requests and answered questions to improve satisfaction.
- Provided excellent service and attention to customers when face-to-face or through phone conversations.
Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic
United States Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
Soo Area Office
06.1986 - 09.2008
- Distributed work at SOO Area Office to junior mechanics based on skill level, ensuring efficient task allocation.
- Provided technical assistance and guidance to junior mechanics and recommended improvements to supervisory engineers for project planning and development.
- Supervised and designed asbestos abatement projects, ensuring compliance with safety regulations and project specifications.
Quality Assurance Inspector
United States Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District
01.2005 - 12.2006
- Represented Resident Engineer for cleanup and repair following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, ensuring adherence to safety and quality standards.
- Monitored debris landfills and right of way cleanup in Cameron Parish as Quality Control Representative for Lake Charles Louisiana Resident Office, ensuring compliance with regulations.
- Supervised third-party quality control personnel to ensure compliance with project standards.
- Served as Blue Roof estimator for sixty days during Katrina cleanup, assessing damage and determining repair needs.
Engineering Technician
United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District
07.1976 - 06.1986
- Executed hydrographic and topographic surveys in multiple roles, enhancing data collection accuracy.
- Operated surveying equipment for data collection and analysis.
- Fulfilled roles of instrument man, rodman, deckhand, and deck equipment operator during survey operations.
- Collaborated with engineers to develop technical specifications and documentation.
- Conducted site inspections to assess engineering project compliance.
Education
Lake Superior State University - Engineering and Business Administration
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie MichiganSkills
- Site inspection
- Damage assessment
- Field assessment
- Disaster relief coordination
- Regulatory compliance
- Report writing
- Construction oversight
Professional Skills Training
- FEMA Program Delivery Manager, 08/26/24 to 09/07/24, Des Moines, IA
- FEMA Site Inspector, 07/19/23 to 07/26/23, Rancho Cordova, CA
- Electrical Quality Verification, 01/2019, Overland, KS
- Earthwork Quality Verification, 04/2018, Vicksburg, MS
- Construction Contract Administration, 05/2018, Sacramento, CA
- Leadership Development Program, 1996, Detroit, MI
- Safety and Health for Hazardous Waste, 1996, Kennesaw, GA
- Crane Safety at USACE Development Center, 1996, Memphis, TN
- Writing EEO Reports, 1996, Detroit, MI
Licenses Certificates
- State of Michigan licensed Asbestos Building Inspector and Contractor
- USACE Licensed to enter hazardous toxic and radioactive waste sites
- Certified welder.
Honors Awards Special Achievements
- Received annual performance awards each year from 1976 to 2022
- Twenty-nine special act or service awards.
- Six Superior Civilian Performance Awards in Afghanistan.
- February 2007 received the Department of Army Civilian Award of Humanitarian Service
Timeline
FEMA SITE INSPECTOR
United States Army Corps of Engineers Rehired Annuitant Program
12.2024 - 10.2025
FEMA PROGRAM DELIVERY MANAGER (PDMG)
United States Army Corps of Engineers Rehired Annuitant Program
08.2024 - 11.2024
FEMA SITE INSPECTOR
United States Army Corps of Engineers Rehired Annuitant Program
06.2023 - 01.2024
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Border District
06.2020 - 01.2021
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District
09.2019 - 04.2020
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District
07.2017 - 08.2022
Senior Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District
06.2015 - 06.2017
Project Engineer/Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan District
12.2012 - 03.2015
Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic WY-10
United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District
06.2012 - 12.2012
Engineering Technician/Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps Engineers Afghanistan District
05.2010 - 06.2012
Construction Control Representative
United States Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District
11.2009 - 05.2010
Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic WY-10
United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District
03.2009 - 10.2009
Construction Control Representative
United States Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District
12.2008 - 03.2009
Construction Control Representative/ Coalition Liaison
United States Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District
09.2008 - 12.2009
Quality Assurance Inspector
United States Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District
01.2005 - 12.2006
Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic
United States Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
06.1986 - 09.2008
Engineering Technician
United States Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District
07.1976 - 06.1986
Lake Superior State University - Engineering and Business Administration
Lake Superior State University