The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is getting a new commander.

A change of command ceremony installing Col. Adam Czekanski as Pittsburgh district commander will take place 10 a.m. Thursday at the Sen. John Heinz History Center on Smallman Street in the Strip District.

Czekanski succeeds Col. Andrew Short, who has been commander in Pittsburgh since 2018, according to the Corps.

Col. Kimberly Peeples, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, will preside over the traditional military ceremony.

The change of command ceremony symbolizes the continuation of leadership and unit identity, according to Short. The ceremony represents the transfer of responsibility and authority from one individual to another while continuing the mission.

The ceremonial passing of the unit colors from the departing commander to the incoming commander physically represents the transfer of authority.

“The change of command isn’t about me, it’s about the district,” Short said.

“This is an opportunity for the entire Pittsburgh district to reflect, celebrate and welcome a new commander,” he said.

Czekanski comes to the Pittsburgh district following an assignment as a professor of military sciencefor the Army ROTC program at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural and biological engineering from Cornell University, as well as a master of science degree in environmental and water resources engineering from the University of Texas.

Short said Czekanski has served in key leadership positions such as district commander for the Buffalo district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, operations officer for the Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division and deputy district commander for the San Francisco district.

He served two tours in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and a tour in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As commander and district engineer, Czekanski will lead the Pittsburgh district in delivering integrated solutions that minimize risk and enhance reliability for the region’s water resource infrastructure while improving the environment.

The Pittsburgh district covers an area of approximately 26,000 square miles comprising the upper Ohio River Basin and extending into five states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and New York. The district supports commercial navigation on the upper Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, operating and maintaining 23 locks and dams.

Pittsburgh’s flood-damage reduction mission encompasses 16 multi-purpose reservoirs that have prevented an estimated $68 million in flood damages during 2020, according to the corps. The district’s flood-risk, management portfolio also includes more than 80 local flood protection projects, which have prevented more than $5 billion in flood damages during their lifetime.

Czekanski is a native of Sheridan, N.Y., and is married to the former Wendi Lynn. They have a daughter, Annabelle, and a son, Nicholas.

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