The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District announced Thursday the selection of Laura Barlow as chief of the Management Support Branch, Operations Division.

The mission of the Management Support Branch is to provide financial management of quality engineering and other professional services for operation and maintenance of flood control, navigation, recreation, water supply, hydropower, fish and wildlife projects, natural and national emergencies, regulatory, and environmental engineering activities, as well as, manage all programs to ensure consistent and thorough implementation of policy, guidance, procedures, and programs as directed by higher headquarters in such a manner that meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations, USACE officials said.

Barlow began her career with the Vicksburg District in 2019, as an auditor in the Internal Review office. She has worked in the Operations Division as a program analyst for the past four years in the Management Support Branch, where she most recently served as a team lead for the River Operations and Revetment Branches.

Prior to joining MVK, she spent eight years working in public accounting. Barlow is a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a MBA from Mississippi College. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Defense Financial Manager – Acquisition Specialty (CDFM-A).

Barlow is a native of Vicksburg. She is married to Jay Barlow and they have one son.

The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.