WEDA PRESS RELEASE: WEDA PRESENTS “DREDGER OF THE YEAR" TO SHELLY ANGHERA

PRESS RELEASE 

2023 WEDA DREDGER OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTED TO

SHELLY ANGHERA

AT THE WEDA SUMMIT & EXPO, JULY 17-20, 2023, LAS VEGAS, NV  

In recognition of her extensive and outstanding contributions to the dredging community and to the Western Dredging Association, Dr. Shelly Anghera has been named the 2023 Dredger of the Year at the WEDA Summit & Expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Throughout her career Dr. Shelly Anghera has dedicated herself to the advancement of science surrounding the work in the dredging industry, sharing knowledge, and leading others towards creative solutions to practical and regulatory issues. Her Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences and Ecotoxicology from UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, has given Shelly unique skills to analyze and prepare solution-based decisions to accommodate dredged sediments. 

Dr. Anghera is one of the nation’s leading experts on testing, categorizing, and reporting on sediment chemistry with an eye toward constructible permit conditions. Her career/education dove-tailed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing protocol, which allowed her the opportunity to immediately apply her skill set and analytical abilities to further dredge project implementation. Having run her own company, she understands the business side of consulting and is currently on the Moffatt & Nichol Board of Directors. Her ability to partner as well as her long-term relationship building has been an enormous benefit to reaching consensus with a variety of team members ranging from military command to individual homeowners. 

Her tireless efforts for the Western Dredging Association began with her involvement at the Pacific Chapter and quickly spread to the national organization with her contributions to The Paper Committee (TPC). Under her auspices, the quality of the technical papers process and submissions for the Summit & Expo has been extensively upgraded. 

Prior to the 2016 WODCON in Miami, paper submissions for WEDA were simply reviewed for commercial bias and formatting. Dr. Anghera advocated for improving the quality of the technical program at the annual Summit & Expo in general, and for a better review process specifically. Following her suggestions to the TPC, new and improved extended reviews were implemented and it was a no-brainer to ask her to take over as chair of the TPC.  Despite her heavy workload, she accepted and continues to champion the technical quality of WEDA’s program. 

The job of TPC chair is very time-consuming, carrying as it does the weight of the technical program, leading the committee, corralling authors and reviewers, and supervising the overall scheduling of the Summit & Expo. In addition, Dr. Anghera has introduced innovations such as presentation-only sessions, a revised and more rigorous review process, an electronic submission process, and revamped TAMU seminar. She was instrumental in acquiring software that allows WEDA to more systematically work with authors in order to improve the quality of their submissions and has raised the bar in terms of WEDA’s focus on quality papers and science.           

Dr. Anghera brings her energy and enthusiasm to everything she does and continues to be heavily engaged in WEDA planning and goal setting and has been involved with the two most recent iterations of WEDA’s strategic plan. During both endeavors, her input and comments have pushed the organization to more deeply consider how WEDA adds value to our members. Her collaborative and bridge-building skills brought together several of our board committees to review where we might improve our annual summit and add value to our members. 

As a Principal Scientist, Vice President, and Board Member at Moffat & Nichol, and in her position on the WEDA Board of Directors, as chair of the TPC, and her role on the WEDA Nomination Committee, Dr. Anghera is a proven leader and valued colleague. And, in line with WEDA’s efforts to be more inclusive, she provides an outstanding role model for young women who might consider a career in the dredging industry. 

For further information, please contact Craig Vogt at Craig@CraigVogt.com or Tom Cappellino at tcappellino@westerndredging.org or see the WEDA website: www.westerndredging.org. 

Best regards,

Craig Vogt
WEDA Awards Committee Chair
Craig@CraigVogt.com

Thomas P. Cappellino
WEDA Executive Director
tcappellino@westerndredging.org