Project manager, LFCC grad, addresses Winchester Rotary

Middle East District
Published Aug. 23, 2016
Joey Behr, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Middle East District addresses the Rotary Club of Winchester during their monthly luncheon Aug. 11 at the Travelodge in Winchester.

Joey Behr, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Middle East District addresses the Rotary Club of Winchester during their monthly luncheon Aug. 11 at the Travelodge in Winchester.

Joey Behr, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Middle East District addressed the Rotary Club of Winchester during their monthly luncheon Aug. 11 at the Travelodge in Winchester.

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Behr was asked to speak by Julie Connell, the rotary club president-elect, who had recently met Behr’s mother, who shared some stories about his work overseas with USACE. Connell invited him to address her club about his experiences working for the district and share his thoughts on leadership and the impact of good leadership.

"As a project manager, I have to motivate, influence and lead a team of over 100 people, and I don’t have any authority over any of them,” he said. “I’ve been able to learn from good leaders, but I’ve learned not to mimic them. The only way to be successful is to be yourself and always be prepared to be questioned."

Behr said as a 28-year-old project manager, he’s at least a decade younger than any of his peers. So he has to be ready and willing to be questioned.

“It’s important to be balanced and to try to put yourself in others’ shoes,” he said. “Always do your research and ask questions.”

Behr began working for the Corps before he even knew what he wanted to do. He was attending business school at Lord Fairfax Community College and accepted an internship with the Middle East District in 2008. Later he was chosen for a Department of the Army internship at the District and he took as much training as he could during that time. These internships led to a permanent position with the Corps after he graduated from LFCC with an associates of business administration and later earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Old Dominion University.

Before being promoted to project manager, Behr worked in the engineering department as a cost estimator and scheduler. He told the Rotary members about the lessons he learned during his travels to the Middle East, including the importance of cultural awareness. He shared that it’s disrespectful to look at or speak to a Saudi woman, and that he learned not to eat or drink in public during Ramadan.

Brandon Chance, a project manager and Behr’s supervisor, said Behr’s upbringing in the intern program and time in the engineering division, have contributed to his success as a leader.

“These experiences have provided him with relationships and insights into processes and people within the organization,” Chance said. “This helps him communicate effectively with the various elements of the (project delivery team) PDT, which is the hardest and most important part of what we need him to do.  Second, he's got a nice, natural blend of an unassuming demeanor and an engineer's persistence and attention to detail which makes folks want to work with him to accomplish the mission.”

Behr summed up his leadership style with his final bit of advice.

“If somebody comes to you so frustrated he has steam coming out of his ears, sometimes the best approach is to just let him talk it out for 10 minutes,” he said. “Don’t interrupt, don’t criticize, don’t offer suggestions. Just let him talk. Nine times out of 10, the problem is nearly solved by the time the person finishes talking it out.”