The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) is welcoming a new chair of the DFI Seepage Control Working Group (SCWG). Michael Kynett, P.E., is levee safety program manager for the engineering division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Sacramento District. He succeeds David Paul, special assistant on dam safety for USACE, who transitioned to the DFI Board of Trustees in January 2017.

The SCWG is a group of government engineers, construction representatives and DFI members who network to advance the state of the practice of seepage control design, construction and quality assurance.

At the USACE Sacramento District, Kynett is responsible for coordinating, assigning, scheduling and overseeing teamwork to achieve the levee safety program and the inspection of completed works program.  He is currently a member of the engineering flood response team and the infrastructure assessment planning and response team (IA-PRT). Kynett was deployed for emergency operations to the Corps’ headquarters for Superstorm Sandy response and relief efforts. He is also a California Office of Emergency Services Safety Assessment Program (SAP) coordinator.

Kynett earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Sacramento State University. He has authored and co-authored several published technical papers on levee evaluations and seepage cutoff wall design and construction.

To learn more about the Seepage Control Working Group visit www.dfi.org/commhome.asp?SCWG.

The DFI is an international association of contractors, engineers, academics and suppliers in the deep foundations industry with more than 3,300 members worldwide. For more information about the Deep Foundations Institute, visit www.dfi.org.