BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board (CPRA) presented the R. King Milling Distinguished Coastal Service Award to Mark Wingate, Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District (USACE).

Established in 2022, the award was created and established to honor individuals or organizations who epitomize Milling’s unwavering support for the state’s coastal program.

Over a span of more than two decades, Milling emerged as one of the earliest and most impactful advocates for safeguarding Louisiana’s coast. His advocacy helped to highlight issues of coastal land loss and the urgent need to center science and engineering when seeking solutions.

“Mark Wingate stands out among a select few whose contributions in the coastal sector match the standards set by King,” said CPRA Chairman Bren Haase. “The work Mark has done to help foster the current cooperative relationship between CPRA and USACE has been immeasurably beneficial to Louisiana’s coastal communities. The partnership between our two agencies has resulted in the design, engineering, construction, and funding of some of the most innovative and transformational coastal projects in CPRA history. Without a doubt, I can say that we owe much of our current progress to Mark’s unwavering commitment and hard work.”

Wingate has served the USACE New Orleans District in multiple positions, including Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management, Project Management Branch Chief, Senior Project Manager, Study Manager, and Hydraulic Engineer. Prior to joining USACE, Wingate worked in the private sector as a Civil/Hydraulic Engineer focusing on Hydrologic and Hydraulic modeling.

His mix of project management, planning, and engineering expertise in both federal government and the private sector has uniquely positioned Wingate to oversee large-scale projects and civil works programs for the USACE New Orleans District.

Throughout his 30-plus-year career with USACE, Wingate has had innumerable successes related to flood risk management, storm damage prevention, navigational projects, environmental and coastal restoration/sustainability, river stabilization, and harbor development.

Wingate became the first recipient of the R. King Milling Distinguished Coastal Service Award, which will be awarded annually to an individual or organization selected by the CPRA Board Chairman from a list of nominees who meet rigorous criteria set forth by the Board.

###