Sea level rise poses a significant threat to coastal regions and communities, especially in the Hampton Roads region. Our district is home to the largest population of active duty and veterans in the nation, along with numerous DOD and Federal assets which are at risk from sea level rise. Standing with the [coalition] is a step towards combating the potentially devastating effects to our communities, infrastructure, and military capabilities.
Paul B. Olsen serves as the President and CEO of Honor Builders, LLC, a strategic engineering firm specializing in Sea Level Rise planning, critical infrastructure assessment, and complex project management. He also serves as the Director of Programs and Partnerships for the Old Dominion University Research Foundation, where he enables research projects between the University and key federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and NASA. Olsen also leads regional organizations in the public and private sectors.
Olsen retired from the United States Army in 2015 as a Colonel after nearly 30 years with the Corps of Engineers, where he held leadership positions in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, with decorated combat service in Somalia, Bosnia and the Iraq. Additionally, he has held a number of strategic planning assignments with Headquarters, U.S. Army, and the Department of Defense. His culminating assignment was the command of the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he gained national recognition in Sea Level Rise Planning and Port Modernization.
Olsen was named the 2014 Champion of the Port for Hampton Roads, the 2015 Government Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the winner of the Pentagon’s 2004 Pace Award for Innovation. Olsen also serves on the Norfolk Botanical Garden’s Board of Directors.