NOLA mayor announces MSU alumnus as public works director
January 3, 2012
NEW ORLEANS, La. — New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced that retired Lt. Col. Mark Jernigan has been hired as director of the city’s Department of Public Works effective Monday, Nov. 14.
Jernigan is a licensed professional engineer and certified project management professional with over 20 years of active duty service as an engineer officer in the United States Army.
“Lt. Col. Jernigan served the citizens of New Orleans for many years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and I am honored to have him continue to serve in such a vital position at City Hall,” said Landrieu. “With Mark at the helm, we hope to improve customer service and the quality of life for our residents by better-maintaining our public infrastructure.”
Jernigan most recently served as deputy commander for the New Orleans District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the organization’s largest district, with over 1,400 military and civilian employees, more than $1 billion in fixed assets, physical plant, and equipment at 50 separate sites and installations in southern Louisiana. There, he helped oversee construction and completion of the region’s multi-billion dollar 100-year level Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System.
Originally from Mobile, Ala., Jernigan has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University and master’s degree in the same field from the University of Missouri at Rolla. During his career in the Army, he served in a variety of assignments and positions of increasing responsibility including instructor at the United States Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; deputy commander, Albuquerque District, US Army Corps of Engineers and in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. He is also a member of the American Public Works Association.
“I would like to thank Mayor Landrieu and Deputy Mayor Grant for this incredible opportunity and am looking forward to building on the outstanding work being done by the department to support this great city,” said Jernigan.
Jernigan will report to Cedric Grant, deputy mayor of facilities, infrastructure and community development.
Grant said, “We are grateful to Nguyen Phan for serving as interim director during our recent transition. I know Lt. Col. Jernigan is up to the challenge of transforming this vital department.”
The Department of Public Works is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and administration of transportation elements affecting vehicular, pedestrian and rail movement within the public right-of-way in New Orleans. This includes repairs to potholes in the city’s streets, maintenance of street lights, cleaning of catch basins, parking enforcement, maintenance of street signs and traffic signals, issuance of street closure permits, and towing of abandoned vehicles among other duties.