Col. Michael McCormick has taken command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Protection Office in New Orleans. He succeeds Col. Jeffrey A. Bedey, who is retiring. The HPO will award more than $7 billion of new work in coming months to raise the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to 100-year levels by 2011. The total program cost is $14.6 billion, of which 75% has yet to be executed. McCormick previously was commander of the Seattle district.