WASHINGTON, D.C. — In recognition of more than four decades of service to the U.S. Army, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Todd Semonite, president of Federal Programs at WSP USA, received the prestigious Gold de Fleury Medal from the U.S. Army Engineer Association (AEA).
Since 1989 the De Fleury Medal has been presented by AEA to honor the top military individual in the regiment for significant contributions to Army Engineering. It is named in honor of François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, a French Engineer in the Continental Army.
Semonite served as the 54th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from 2016 until his retirement in November 2020, where he earned praise for establishing a new vision and revolutionizing its business processes. Under his leadership, the USACE program grew by more than 250 percent.
One of the USACE’s most significant achievements during his time as the Commanding General was leading the design and construction of critical COVID-19 alternative care facilities in 2020 to increase the national capacity for treating patients that were overwhelming capacity at existing medical facilities.
Throughout his 41-year career with USACE, Semonite served in multiple leadership roles, including Commander of the 130th Engineer Brigade and V Corps Engineer; Deputy Commander, Task Force Restore Iraqi Electricity; and Deputy Commanding General of USACE, coordinating a comprehensive response to Superstorm Sandy.
In 2014, Semonite deployed to Afghanistan and served as the Commanding General for Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, responsible for building the Afghan Army and Police into a 352,000-member force.
Today, Semonite is based in Washington, D.C., where he leads WSP’s multi-disciplinary Federal Programs team, delivering engineering solutions for U.S. government agencies and developing timely, cost-effective projects that foster sustainable communities and protect national and natural resources. Federal Programs supports clients in facilities design, master planning, national security programs, logistics and emergency management, environmental services and overseas integrated development.
A native of Bellows Falls, Vermont, Semonite graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in 1979. He also earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Vermont, and a master’s degree in military arts from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
He was awarded the 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) OPAL award for Construction. He was also named an Engineering News-Record Top 25 Newsmaker for 2020 and was the recipient of the 2020 Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Industry Engagement Award and the 2020 ASCE President’s Award. He is a licensed professional engineer in several states.
Throughout his military career, Semonite has received multiple honors, including three Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Award, five Legion of Merit awards and the Bronze Star.
The 2021 award was presented to Semonite at a ceremony held on April 29 at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
During his acceptance speech, Semonite specifically thanked his wife of 40 years, Connie, for her unwavering support of his career, as well as the support from their four children and 10 grandchildren. He also thanked the AEA for the recognition and praised the soldiers in the Engineering regiment and their families “for their service to protect national security during these challenging times of international uncertain threats.”
About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 12,000 employees in 200 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
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