Utility Infielder. Applied Pragmatician. Data Scientist.
People over process and when doing nothing is not an option
In 1973, I learned that while you can drive from Cairo to Venice in 635 miles, floating it takes 953 river miles. That discrepancy was my introduction to the complexities of the Mississippi. Tasked with the socio-economic impacts of raising the levees, I found myself navigating a bureaucracy that described the project like blind men describing an elephant.
Success didn’t come from the data alone; it came from answering the foundational question: 'Who are your people?' Navigating that cultural landscape proved as vital as the engineering. When the 1973 flood nearly claimed the Old River Control Structure, the 'no action' alternative wasn't just a checkbox in an EIS—it was a glimpse into an economic catastrophe. It taught me that while doing nothing is always an option, it is the one that requires the most scrutiny.