(JACKSONVILLE, FL. Nov. 29, 2023) – Anelis Nazario-Castillo, Lead Contracting Specialist/ Contracting Officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, was recognized as the South Atlantic Division’s (SAD) Excellence in Contracting Awards Program (ECAP) Contract Specialist of the Year and Nolan Eusebio, Area Engineer, West Palm Beach Area office, Construction Division as ECAP Administrative Contracting Officer of the Year for 2023.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Daniel H. Hibner, South Atlantic Division Commander, applauded the winners and nominees in the official ECAP 2023 announcement released earlier this year.
“I am extremely pleased to announce the 2023 SAD Excellence in Contracting Awards Program winners,” said Hibner. “The nominees for each award category were evaluated based on their leadership, contracting expertise, and professional development.”
Nazario-Castillo and Eusbio were notified in May that they had won; however, Nazario-Castillo was presented with her actual award by
Jacksonville District’s Deputy Commander, Lt. Col. Matthew Miller, during a small ceremony hosted by the Contracting Division in July. Eusebio was presented his award by the then Deputy Commander for South Florida, Lt. Col. Todd Polk.
“First of all, I am extremely honored to receive this recognition and grateful to be part of the Contracting Team,” noted Nazario-Castillo. “This award means my hard work is being acknowledged, I am moving in the right direction in my career, and I am making a significant impact on our nation.”
Nazario-Castillo said that the ECAP award gives her a sense of accomplishment and displays the district’s excellence, dedication, and commitment to the nation.
Recognizing how winning the award will enhance her career development, Nazario-Castillo also noted, “None of this could have been possible without the guidance, advice, and support of the entire Contracting family, especially my mentors Karla Garcia, Joy Crapps, Griselle Gonzalez, and Tedra Thompson.”
Noting that he is one of many Administrative Contracting Officers within the South Atlantic Division doing great things through the execution of their missions, Eusebio stated, “I am humbled and grateful for the recognition of the ACO of the Year for the inaugural year of the SAD Regional ECAP."
"This award results from all the support and guidance from Contracting leadership, Construction leadership, and my peers throughout my career.”
According to the awards announcement, this was the first year that SAD had a Regional ECAP to recognize the significant achievements and contributions of the contracting workforce. Nominees for each award were evaluated based on their demonstrated leadership, contracting expertise, and professional development. Twenty-three nominations for individuals throughout SAD were received, and of the seven 2023 ECAP awards up for grabs, SAJ walked away with two.
At the time of the nomination, Nazario-Castillo served as a Team Lead Contract Specialist for the Puerto Rico Integrated Project Office Branch (PR IPO) and supported mission execution for the Water Resources Section. She has since transferred to the Task Force Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico (TF VIPR) team.
Per her nomination narrative, from April 1, 2022, through March 30, 2023, Nazario-Castillo was the Contract Specialist for high visibility construction requirements with obligations over $12M and execution of awards ahead of schedule. Furthermore, Nazario-Castillo served as the sole team lead for the Contracting PR IPO Branch, where she worked with her branch chief to manage a $6-billion program of over 30 contract requirements.
When nominating her for the award, Karla Garcia, Interim Chief of Contracting, TF VIPR, stated, “Ms. Nazario is a true statement of USACE's mission and vision. Her great contributions described above are evidence of her dedication to deliver to our nation. She has proactively anticipated needs and collaborated with all project delivery team members."
Not once but twice, she awarded two actions ahead of schedule and with savings to the Government for requirements of high importance and visibility; this is a statement of her dedication to the nation.
In addition, she is commended for supporting the Small Business (SB) community on more than one occasion. This is a significant accomplishment, as SBs provide employment and energize our economy. Ms. Nazario’s hard work in training the workforce has enormously impacted SAJ construction and contracting staff members and one of the most critical missions within SAJ, the Puerto Rico Supplemental Program. Ms. Nazario's level of professionalism and dedication is one that others should model.
At the time of nomination, Eusebio was an Area Engineer and ACO on the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) Rehabilitation Program, a Dam Safety Action Classification System (DSAC) Level 1 Dam, and a Mega Project totaling $1.80B. During this award recognition period, the HHD rehabilitation program administered the construction of up to 16 active contracts totaling over $500M.
Per his nomination narrative, Eusebio effectively supervised an office of 80+ diverse Government employees and 40+ contract quality assurance service employees at the height of the program. He and his staff were consistently recognized for numerous successes and achievements from all levels of the vertical chain and senior leadership, including the President of the United States. Eusebio’s efforts and leadership were essential to making the completion date 2023 a reality for the HHD Rehabilitation Program.
Eusebio provided mature guidance to consistently save an overall 30-40% annual price and time on over 90 modifications. He managed the safety program of the HHD Area Office, where annual exposure hours have reached 1 million hours, contributing to the program surpassing 6.6 million hours to date. Additionally, he worked diligently through the COVID-19 pandemic with contractors on complex HHD construction projects. He supported his team’s hard work and perseverance, achieving physical completion and successful transfer of several structures by crucial milestone dates.
Eusebio has since transferred to the West Palm Beach Area Office to administer and execute another mega project, the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER) Program.
Eusebio stated that winning the ECAP award signified the ACO’s role in the overall accomplishments of the HHD Rehabilitation Program. "It reinforces the processes, procedures, and guidance I use to execute work and as an ACO moving forward.”
He said, “The award also encourages myself and others to innovate ways to improve upon them.”
For Nazario-Castillo, the ECAP award gives her a sense of pride and accomplishment and displays the District’s excellence, dedication, and commitment to the nation.
She noted, “I am extremely honored to receive this recognition and grateful to be part of the Contracting Team. This award means my hard work is being acknowledged, I am moving in the right direction in my career, and I am significantly impacting our nation.”
Other SAD ECAP award winners were Addision Layfield, Charleston District, Procuring Contracting Officer of the Year, the 81st Readiness Division Team, Charleston District, Team of the Year, Brian Miles, Savannah District, Procurement Analyst of the Year, Orlando Grimsley, Mobile District, Manager of the Year, and Maj. Ryan Oliver, Savannah District, Contracting Professional of the Year.
(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District on the district’s website at https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JaxStrong.