A Conversation with Reclamation’s Engineer of the Year, Anna Hoag

Written by: Stephen Major

2019 Reclamation Engineer of the Year, Anna HoagOne of the great things about being a Public Affairs Specialist for the Bureau of Reclamation is the opportunity to meet fascinating and inspiring people like this year’s Bureau of Reclamation Engineer of the Year, Anna Hoag.

Reclamation’s Commissioner, Brenda Burman, stated in a press release that “Anna embodies our core values of professional excellence, safety and respect. Her significant engineering contributions throughout 2018 have enhanced public safety and optimized new water supplies throughout the West.”

I had the chance to talk with Anna during her recent visit to Washington, DC where she was celebrated by Reclamation leadership for her extraordinary accomplishments.

Stephen Major: Anna, thank you so much for being here, and congratulations!

Anna Hoag: Thanks Stephen, it has been an incredibly humbling experience to be nominated by my coworkers and selected from my peers for this award. I am honored to get to represent all those who have helped me on this journey. As a young woman working in government, I feel that I have been given so many opportunities and am incredibly blessed to have achieved so much.

SM: How did you become a Civil Engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation?

AH: I received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2011. While working on my undergraduate degree, I spent two summers as an intern for Reclamation at the Oklahoma-City Field Office. I worked for four years in water resource planning at Reclamation’s Oklahoma-Texas Area Office in Austin, Texas. I then took a position at the Oklahoma City Field Office in the Engineering Infrastructure and Services group in 2016. I finished my Masters in Environmental Engineering from California State University, Fullerton and became a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Oklahoma in 2017.

SM: You work at the Oklahoma-Texas Area Office, are you from that area?

AH: I grew up in Quinton, Oklahoma, a small town in the southeastern part of the state. I am a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. I currently live in Oklahoma City.

SM: What projects have you been working on at Reclamation that led to your winning this award?

AH: I have been given the opportunity to work on several diverse projected while at Reclamation. I was nominated for my work on handicap accessible recreation projects as well as on a new tool to improve management of water supplies during times of drought. Drought planning and management can be especially challenging due to a lack of available data. By working with technical experts, we were able to extend our observed record in a scientifically informed manner using a new tool to determine and manage risks. Water resource managers in west-central Oklahoma can now make more informed decisions to prepare for and respond to drought.

SM: What do you like to do with your free time?

AH: I am active in a number of volunteer activities that work with elementary and high school students. I enjoy spending time with family, traveling and crafting. I especially love visiting state and federal parks.

SM: Is there any specific advice you like to give to the students you volunteer with?

AH: I tell students to work hard and take every opportunity. I had not planned to work at Reclamation, but I was given a chance to work as an intern and am so glad that it has worked out.

SM: What has your experience at Reclamation been like so far?

AH: My favorite thing about working for Reclamation is how each project is unique. Every day brings new, real-world challenges, and it is so interesting to see how we can bring together our resources at all different levels to work through it. Reclamation is a small agency with a lot of talent. I have had the privilege to work with some very ingenious people and have really learned a lot.

SM: Anna, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Congratulations again on winning this prestigious award!

AH: The pleasure is all mine.

Shortly after being celebrated at Reclamation’s headquarters, Anna Hoag was honored at a luncheon held by The National Society of Professional Engineers, who recognized Hoag as a 2019 NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year Agency winner.

Published on February 28, 2019