By Luke Waack
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District (SWG), held its 4th Quarter, Fiscal Year 2024, Townhall meeting and marked several important milestones and observances at the district headquarters in Galveston, Texas, Sept. 20, 2024.
SWG Deputy Commander, Lt. Col. Darryl W. Kothmann presided over the meeting and spoke of 4th Qtr. operations, observances, and notable events.
Lt. Col. Kothmann reviewed the celebration of Women’s Equality Day, the observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month and Suicide Prevention Month, and the installation of a new air conditioner “chiller” atop the Jadwin Building.
New Commanders
The Deputy Commander also spoke to the audience about the new Southwestern Division Commander, Col. George H. Walter, who took command Aug. 2, 2024, Sept. 3, 2024, who along with SWD Deputy Commander, Col. Seth W. Wacker and paid his first visit to SWG, Sept. 3, 2024, and met with various division chiefs of the Galveston District.
“Col. Blackmon, Byron Williams and our staff provided Col. Walter and Col. Wacker with a high-level overview of SWG’s mission and current projects,” Kothmann said. “It was a great visit, and the Colonel (Blackmon) wanted me to pass along to you all that he truly appreciates all the work that went into putting our best foot forward.”
USACE Headquarters also welcomed a new Commanding General, Lt. Gen. William “Butch” H. Graham, Jr., Sept. 13, 2024, as the Army’s 56th Chief of Engineers, Kothmann said.
“Lt. Gen. Graham most recently served as the USACE Deputy Commanding General and Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations at the Washington D.C. headquarters,” Kothmann said. “He has additional prior USACE experience as the North Atlantic Division Commander in Brooklyn, N.Y., Pittsburgh District Commander and USACE Chief of Staff in Washington. Lt. Gen. Graham has been a big supporter of the Galveston District’s mega projects.”
Project Management Branch
SWG Project Management Branch (PMJ), Deputy Branch Chief, Dr. Orlando Ramos-Gines, recognized project managers for their efforts and gave an update on project milestones.
“I am proud to represent the Project Management Branch in this event, where we already recognized three of our best project managers, Carlos Tate, Ramon Navarro and Franchelle Nealy,” Ramos-Gines said. “This is the fiscal year where we, the workforce of the Galveston District, once again brought execution credibility and positioned all of us as the best of the best workforce and district in civil works execution nationwide.”
The PMJ helped deliver 70 percent of the total district funding obligations of approximately $700 million, Ramos-Gines said, which included $494 million in obligations for the Houston Ship Channel, Segment 3 ($170 million), Brazos Island Harbor, Segment B ($105 million), and the Sabine Neches Water Way ($219 million) contracts, Ramos-Gines continued.
Through all the challenges associated with executing hundreds of millions of dollars in civil works contracts, project manager leadership was essential to maintain focus, support, energy, and momentum toward successful outcomes, they delivered, Ramos-Gines concluded.
Corps of Engineers Safety and Occupational Health Managers System (CESOHMS)
SWG, Chief of Safety, R. Jason Shreve, gave Champions an update on the district safety program.
Shreve reminded supervisors to review their employees Position Hazard Analysis, which should be completed after Oct. 14, on the SWG Intranet at: https://usace.dps.mil/sites/APP-PHA. Forty-one percent of SWG Champions have submitted their PHA’s and the Safety Office’s goal is, all employees will have a PHA completed by December 2025.
“As we grow in our CESOHMS Effort we are establishing the following,” Shreve said, “the CDSO program with training currently being completed. The First Responder Program, with First Aid CPR Training scheduled for the First Quarter, Fiscal Year 2025 and the CESHOMS Advisory Board, which held its first meeting in early September.”
Combined Federal Campaign 2024
The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) officially kicked off on September 1, 2024. The CFC is a vital charitable initiative for federal employees, enabling them to make a meaningful impact in their communities.
The SWG CFC Coordinator, Dr. Rose Caballero, encouraged Champions to find a charity they feel passionate about and donate to it.
This year, for the first time, federal employees can direct their contributions to benefit local communities by allocating part or all their donations to the United Way (UW). The UW collaborates with local nonprofits to support vulnerable populations in Galveston, including seniors, children, mothers, teens, and at-risk individuals www.uwglav.org.
Find more information on the CFC at the SWG intranet homepage news slides.
Upcoming
The SWG will hold its next Stakeholder Partnering Forum at the Tremont House in Galveston, Texas, Nov. 6, 2024. This SPF’s theme is “Environmental Justice & Justice40 Initiative.” The SWG conducts annual SPFs with non-federal sponsors, customers, and agency partners to collaborate on best practices regarding programs ranging from ecosystem restoration to flood risk management, maintaining and improving Texas coastal navigation systems, and regulatory oversight of U.S. waters. For more information, visit https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Events/Stakeholder-Partnering-Forum/.
These events help SWG identify opportunities to better support stakeholder commitments and emerging interests for Planning Studies, Preconstruction, Engineering and Design, Construction, Operations and Maintenance.
The forum serves as an opportunity for non-federal sponsors, customers, and agency partners from along the Texas coast to network and exchange ideas on ways the Galveston District can improve value delivery to the nation across civil works and regulatory business lines.