New Location for DEC:  KSU's Marietta Campus - W. Clair Harris Textile Center, Room 133.  Limited Parking, so please carpool.  A boxed lunch will be provided with registration.

Time:  Networking 11:30 - Noon,  Program Noon - 1 pm

Topic:   Overview of the Safe Dams Program of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division

This year is the 45th anniversary of the creation of the Safe Dams Program in Georgia after the failure of the Kelley Barnes Dam in Toccoa. This presentation will talk about the history of the program, and where it stands today. Additionally, we will take a look at dam failures and near failures which have occurred in the (not too distant) past, and how they could have potentially been prevented.

Speaker:  David M. Griffin, P.E., Safe Dams

David Griffin joined the Safe Dams Program in the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in 2014 as a staff dam safety engineer.  In 2021, he was promoted to manager of the program after the previous manager’s retirement.  Prior to working with the Safe Dams Program, David spent 15 years with the Georgia Department of Transportation, where he was initially responsible for highway design projects, and later was involved in the maintenance, design, and construction of the state’s ports and waterways.  David graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Georgia.  David and his wife Brooke have three children, Alex, Abi, and Maggie.  In his spare time, David is Scoutmaster for his son’s former Boy Scout Troop, and enjoys camping.