Colonel John S. Kem
Commander U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District

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John S. Kem was born in Chicago, Illinois and commissioned in the Corps of Engineers after graduating as a distinguished cadet with a bachelor of science in civil engineering in 1985.

As a Lieutenant, he served in the 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division and also served in the 1st Squadron, 1st United States Cavalry as the Patrol Leader for the VII Corps team that won the 1988 Boeselager NATO Cavalry Cup. From 1989 to 1993 he served in the 307th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division including service during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, command of Alpha Company, 307th Engineer Battalion (ABN) from 1991-1993 and later service in the G3-Training, 82nd Airborne Division. From 1993 to 1995 COL Kem attended the Kellogg Business School, Northwestern University with a follow-on assignment as an assistant professor of economics and Executive Offi cer in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy, West Point. After graduating from Command and General Staff College in 1998 he served as the S3, 10th Engineer Battalion and later as the Engineer Brigade S3, 3rd Infantry Division (Mech).

In 2001, COL Kem was selected for a Congressional Fellowship and served for one year as a staff fellow on the United States Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittees on Defense and Military Construction. He later served as a Congressional Budget Liaison in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller.

COL Kem commanded the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division from June 2003 to June 2005. He led the battalion for 13 months during combat operations in Baghdad and Karbala. After Battalion Command, COL Kem served as a military assistant for the Secretary of the Army. Just prior to assuming command of the Europe District of the Army Corps of Engineers, he served as the Executive Officer to the Director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization.

COL Kem holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (1 oak leaf cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (6 oak leaf clusters), Senior Parachutist Wings, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge and Ranger Tab. COL Kem is a registered Professional Engineer (VA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Lieutenant Colonel P. Anela Arcari
Deputy Commander U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District

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LTC P. Anela Arcari serves as the Deputy District Commander in the United States Army Corps of Engineers Europe District. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers in 1991, LTC Arcari served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and Construction Officer during her first assignment at Fort Carson, Colorado with the 52nd Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy). While assigned to the 52nd Engineer Battalion, she deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope and to Haiti as part of Operation Restore Democracy. Follow on assignments include Topographic Officer for V Corps in Heidelberg, Germany and Company Commander of A Company, 94th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) in Hohenfels, Germany. She then served as a Company Tactical Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York before deploying to Camp Doha, Kuwait. In Kuwait, she served as both an Operations Officer and Facilities and Construction Officer on the Engineer Staff of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She most recently served as the Deputy District Commander in the United States Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District.

LTC Arcari holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Norwich University and a Master of Science in Education (Counseling and Leadership Development) from Long Island University. She is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Her military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal.

Mr. Mark Roncoli
Deputy District Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District

Mark Roncoli became the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District's Deputy District Engineer and Chief of its Programs and Project Management Division in February 2006. In his current position, he is responsible for management of District programs and activities throughout the Europe District's area of operation.

Prior to this assignment, Roncoli served in the U.S. Army for over 27 years, most recently at the rank of Colonel, while functioning as the Deputy Director for the Officer Personnel Management Directorate (OPMD) of the Army's Human Resources Command (HRC). Prior to serving in HRC, he was the Commander of the Chicago District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Other assignments included: Chief of the Combat Support Arms Division within OPMD, Assistant Director of Civil Works for Headquarters, USACE; Assignment Officer for Engineer Colonels for the U.S. Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM); as the Commander of the 864th Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy) at Fort Lewis, Washington; as the Executive Officer to the Chief of Engineers and Commander USACE; as the Assignment Officer for Engineer Majors for PERSCOM; as the Executive Officer and Operations Officer for the 588th Engineer Battalion at Fork Polk, Louisiana and in Southwest Asia during Desert Storm; as a Deputy Area Engineer and Project Officer for the Far East District, USACE, in the Republic of Korea; as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at Eastern Michigan University; and as a company commander in the 299th Engineer Battalion at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Roncoli is a 1978 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In addition, he holds master's degrees in Industrial Technology from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan; in Civil Engineering Construction Management from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida; and in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Washington.

In addition to graduating from the Senior Service College at the National Defense University, Roncoli's military education includes the Engineer Basic and Advanced Courses and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Among his military decorations are the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal (Nine awards).