Jen Roach, P.E., F.ASCE, the deputy city engineer for the city of Savannah, Georgia, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
As a licensed professional engineer and Certified Floodplain Manager, Roach joined the City in May 2024. In her role, she helps oversee work programs within the Savannah’s Development Services Department, including floodplain management, site development permitting and inspections, surveying, and GIS. She is responsible for enforcing the City’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and ensuring compliance with FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program, which offers vital insurance premium discounts for residents in FEMA-designated special flood hazard areas.
Before joining the city, Roach spent 17 years as a project manager at Thomas & Hutton, where her most significant contributions focused on stormwater and floodplain management analysis and implementation. With extensive experience in stormwater and floodplain modeling, she was the company’s expert on FEMA floodplain analyses and LOMC applications. Notable projects during her tenure included the Hyundai Metaplant Stormwater Master Plan and Floodplain Impact Analysis and the West Chatham Regional Watershed Study.
The West Chatham Regional Watershed Study addressed the need for a comprehensive regional analysis of the 60-square-mile Little Ogeechee River watershed, an area prone to flooding, most recently after tropical storm Debby. The study identified existing drainage issues and developed a model to accommodate future development, factoring in increased rainfall intensity and sea level rise. The findings are guiding improvements in drainage conveyance and storage throughout the watershed and pinpointing areas that require more stringent planning and mitigation. By adhering to these higher standards, the resilience of the watershed and its residents is strengthened.
Roach is passionate about giving back to her community, particularly by engaging local youth to inspire them to pursue engineering careers. This passion led her to volunteer at "STEM Night" events in local schools, where students participated in hands-on activities. She later coordinated Thomas & Hutton’s participation in the Boy Scouts of America Exploring Program, focusing on civil engineering. The key objectives of this effort were to engage with local high school juniors and seniors, explore various aspects of the civil engineering field, and highlight alternative career paths within the industry, including surveying, GIS, drafting, and construction management. She aimed to inspire students, including those who might not pursue a four-year college degree, by showcasing these lesser known but vital roles. Roach proudly contributed to this program for several years, seeing former participants thrive as successful adults in the engineering community.
She is also active in several nonprofit organizations, including the Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity (executive board vice president), Girls on the Run of Coastal Georgia & Lowcountry (board member), and the Savannah Engineering Academy.
