GALVESTON DISTRICT

HOUSTON (April 1, 2012) – Col. Christopher Sallese, district commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, discusses the importance of learning to swim during the 7th Annual April Pools Day event at the Harris County Aquatic Center. Understanding the important role that education plays in saving lives, Col. Sallese requested the assistance of community leaders, volunteers and the public to partner together to help reduce water-related fatalities by encouraging children and adults to learn to swim well. Visit the USACE National Water Safety Program website.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Pursuing media outreach and coordination
• Arranging speaking engagements 
• Answering public inquiries
• Facilitating public feedback through surveys and public meetings
• Managing the district's web and social media sites
• Producing and coordinating audio-visual and print products and services 
• Preparing historical data for archival purposes
• Strategic planning to advance the Corps' mission
• Communicating strategically and transparently
• Providing maximum disclosure of information with minimum delay

Blue Star Deployment Recognition Program: Developed to highlight Corps employees who have deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan in support of OIF/OEF. PAO produces a feature story on each employee; frames the story and provides the commander a blue star flag to present to each respective office as a way to remember team members while they are serving the nation in combat zones. The flags are hung outside each office until the team member return.

Congressional Report: An annual communications publication outlining all construction projects, operations and maintenance efforts and authorized studies tailored to each congressional district within the district. Reports are distributed electronically to community leaders and congressional representatives, including both Texas and Louisiana senators.

Corps in the Classroom: An initiative to pair Army personnel and civil engineers with students to provide opportunities for students to learn about the engineering and science career fields, educate the community about the Corps’ mission and highlight the district’s contributions to the community, state and nation.

Employee Spotlight: A monthly feature story highlighting Corps employees. The spotlights represent a diverse cross-section of the Corps’ departments and offices along the Texas coast and is disseminated to media outlets nationwide.

“Q&A” Series: Produced to inform readers about topics the PAO frequently receives from the public. The articles continue to garner a 100% placement in newspapers and online media outlets and online community news sites.

Water Safety Program: A planned approach designed to aid the Corps in achieving its goals of reducing water-related fatalities at USACE facilities, Corps’ lakes and projects.