VICKSBURG —  Management analyst Terri Lewis of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg has received notification that she has become ERDC’s first certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.  LSS Black Belts primarily focus on project execution.  They are responsible for bringing new ideas to their teams and creating a positive environment for improvement within the organization.

Lewis received LSS training in 2013 and received certification in September 2015 after completing a mandatory project.  The project reduced the average cycle time for ERDC to accept reimbursable work from 14 days to two days.  This business process improvement has an estimated cost avoidance of approximately $900,000 annually.

Prior to joining ERDC, Lewis served as a program analyst for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District from 2008 to 2010.  From 2003 to 2008, she managed and coordinated the office duties for more than 1,600 employees in support of the district project management program.    During her professional career with USACE, Lewis participated in the Department of the Army internship program and was awarded the Intern of the Year Award in 2005.  She recently deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan.