In the season one finale, Kathryn Fenstermaker is joined by Jeanne Arceneaux Hornsby, director of Fenstermaker’s water resources team, to discuss the often overlooked but crucial world of drainage infrastructure. Hornsby, a professional engineer and certified floodplain manager, draws on 15 years of experience in numerical modeling, watershed management and project planning. She outlines the major challenges facing drainage projects: right-of-way constraints, insufficient funding and the tendency to react after storms rather than plan proactively. Hornsby stresses the importance of early collaboration with agencies like FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state departments of transportation, bringing all stakeholders to the table from the outset. She shares how transparent communication with the public through town halls builds trust and ensures that citizens understand the hurdles engineers face. The conversation also covers the need for new technologies, the value of team management, stress management and why she encourages engineers to get involved early in efforts to reduce flooding.
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Jeanne Arceneaux Hornsby on Drainage Infrastructure
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- January 17, 2020
- Episode: 5
- 48 mins
Episode Summary
“Right of way and funding are definitely the struggles we face – many people build right up to the edge of a channel, making maintenance and widening difficult.”
“A lot of times we’re an afterthought: after the storm, let’s do a drainage project. Being proactive is key.”
Meet the Leader Behind the Vision
Jeanne Arceneaux Hornsby is a professional engineer and director of Fenstermaker’s water resources team. She holds a master’s degree in hydraulic and environmental engineering and has 15 years of experience in numerical modeling, water resource engineering and project management. Hornsby leads projects focused on coastal and watershed modeling, roadway design and construction, and assists communities with flood mitigation funding and drainage ordinances. A certified floodplain manager, she also participates in FEMA’s community rating system and helps draft flood protection ordinances.
“At the beginning of a project we sit down with all the key players – DOTD, FEMA, the Corps – and put everyone on the same page.”
Jeanne Hornsby on Drainage Infrastructure and Flood Mitigation
Episode Highlights
- Hornsby identifies right-of-way acquisition and funding as the two biggest hurdles in drainage improvement projects and urges communities to plan proactively rather than react after storms.
- She emphasises sitting down with all stakeholders—DOTD, FEMA, the Corps of Engineers and local agencies—at the beginning of a project to establish expectations and timelines.
- Transparent communication through public meetings and town halls helps citizens understand project challenges and builds support for drainage infrastructure.
- Hornsby encourages engineers to embrace new technologies and to involve themselves early in community flood mitigation efforts, from attending town halls to volunteering on committees.
- As a manager, she stresses the importance of building a strong team, supporting diverse specialties and balancing professional and personal responsibilities to manage stress.
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