JUNE 2021
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The Voice THE OFFICIAL EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER OF JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT
What's New JAXSTRONG BIDS LTC SAHL FAREWELL LDP SEEKS APPLICANTS SANCHEZ RECEIVES TOP HONORS AND MORE!
Lt. Col. Sahl’s positive impact on Jacksonville will be felt long after his departure Story by Peggy Bebb
Change is inevitable, and often, change, is the hardest. Deputy District Commander Lt. Col. Joe Sahl’s tenure at the Jacksonville District is quickly winding down, and it is with much sadness that we must say goodbye to our beloved deputy commander. From his quick wit and fantastic sense of humor to his down-to-earth personality and genuine love and care for the district, Sahl will leave a void in the heart of Jacksonville’s team that will be hard to fill.
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While growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Sahl remembers his dad, an Army physical therapist during the Vietnam War, caring for wounded warriors returning from battle. His dad’s selfless service set the ball in motion early on for him to follow in his footsteps by giving back to this country. Sahl knew the time had come for him to do his part for his country and joined the Army after Sept. 11, 2001, when his family could not reach his sister, who lived in New York City and commuted daily under the World Trade Center at the time. After talking with his recruiter, he landed in the Combat Engineering field, uncovering a track that would best suit his future skill-set and prove marketable for the civilian world. In 2015, quite a few years into his Army career, he had the opportunity to join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and transferred to the Fort Worth District. "I honestly didn't want to because that wasn't really why I joined the Army, " said Sahl. "But I'm so thankful I got the opportunity." At the Ft Worth District, he experienced what USACE does and saw the other side of the engineer regiment. Although different, he became excited once realizing what the USACE mission was and how valuable it is to the people of the district. He classified it as a humbling experience as he was exposed to the Department of the Army civilians for the first time, some of whom would deploy and put on the uniform, just like he was wearing.
Pictured: Lt. Col. Sahl celebrates the 2019 Black History Month Brain Brawl winning team.
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“USACE’s mission and helping people, which is why I wanted to join the Army, gave me the opportunity to fulfill that servitude vision more so than some of the other roles I played in the operational side of the Army.” After Ft Worth District, Sahl spent a few years with the 46th Engineering Battalion at Fort Polk, Louisiana. From there, he came to us and back to USACE as the deputy district commander for the Jacksonville District. As he settled in under his new title, he worked on defining his role. His challenge was understanding the district. Sahl noted that the most significant difference, besides the USACE mission, is that each district is unique, some more unique than others. With Ft Worth District heavy military construction-focused, Jacksonville is primarily a civil works district, with one of the largest programs in USACE.
PICTURED: Lt. Col. Sahl, wearing his infamous cowboy hat, delivers opening remarks at Corps Day.
“So, really being able to understand what that meant for my role was hard to get in the first few weeks,” said Sahl. “But the things that were evident to me from the start was that the district was overworked and the folks doing the work, to some extent, felt underappreciated for it.”
Sahl set goals for his tour in areas where he saw a need to focus more from the start. Sahl had a full plate from re-energizing the Sandcastle Club, hiring more personnel, strengthening the district’s emergency management and preparedness response, and improving logistics support. In addition to setting up an office to help the district better manage and support human capital, he got to work as the deputy commander. His first conversation about Jacksonville with then South Atlantic Division Commander Gen. Diana. Holland revealed a few things.
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“First, we needed more people. Second, we needed the people we had to make this large district have the feel of a small district - to tighten the bond and make us feel like a family. Lastly, because we were so busy, we didn’t have the support we needed, which presented some challenges with district synchronization, especially when looking at the G&A staff support to the district.” Sahl went on to say that his initial thoughts were to get more people, integrate new hires, and synchronize the district to provide internal support. In other words, focus internally on improving the systems and support to our people. Although Sahl stated, he did not meet all of these goals, especially once COVID-19 hit. "We lost some ground on hiring folks and haven’t been able to achieve our goals. However, we all made some progress together on better addressing our people first.” During his tenure, Sahl watched as the district grew by around 200 people. Although 120 of those came from his first full year, the hiring process continued at a much slower rate since the pandemic hit. Just as the district was understaffed, so was G&A across the board. Sahl created critical positions within the Corporate Communications Office, Safety Office, and the Internal Review Office. In addition, he established the Business Management branch and brought on a chief of staff. Sahl acknowledged he could see a lot of his work coming to fruition, but most will happen after his departure. With the chief of staff coming onboard and taking on integrating Human Resources, Logistics Management, and Information Technology, it will enable future deputy commanders to focus on the other G&A functions a little more holistically; It will also allow the deputy to become the driver for change and initiatives of the Corporate Board.
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PICTURED: Lt. Col. Sahl is festive at a district holiday party gathering with G&A staff.
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Sahl saw an immediate need in emergency management and envisioned ways to help strengthen their processes. He focused on responding internally and reinforced support with our partners in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “One of my main goals was getting the right people in place and supporting those people. Creating the Crisis Action Team (CAT) was a big push that I think will pay off dividends.” He pointed out that although it was a heavy push to get the CAT team started, it was the folks that carried it through that made it better than what he could have ever envisioned. Additionally, Sahl turned his focus externally to strengthen those critical relationships with the Florida, , Puerto Rico, and USVI emergency management professionals.
PICTURED: Lt. Col. Sahl gives JaxStrong a thumbs up outside of the Prudential Building in downtown Jacksonville.
His goal was to inform the state on what our capabilities were and what we can and cannot do under our authorities under Public Law 4899. In addition, he looked and found opportunities to layer support between federal, state, and local partners. He noted that he thought the district had done a really good job over the past few years.
“We look a lot more deliberately now at where we are and how we posture to support. My role in the state EOC was to serve as a USACE Liaison along with Angie Huebner, to educate them on what we can and cannot provide,” said Sahl. “It is critical to have that understanding because if not, that can lead to frustrations." As Sahl became more in-tune with the district, he saw a need to support communications internally to our people. “Our folks in one cubicle didn’t know what the person in the next cubicle was doing or know what the district was doing and what their role in the district was.” The uncertainty could be demoralizing at times, so he added onto the function of the Corporate Communications Office to not only provide external support but to also communicate internally to the district by re-instituting the district newsletter, The Voice. THE VOICE
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Overall, Sahl stated that while he wasn’t able to accomplish all the goals he had set out with, he was very encouraged by the growth of the district – strengthening emergency management support and ensuring we were more capable and better integrated with the district’s federal, state, and local partners. Secondly, the development and improvements in our logistics support; And, lastly was setting up the G&A staff to better support the Jacksonville District people in the execution of our large and critical programs. While serving the Jacksonville District, Lt. Col. Sahl made an impression on nearly everyone he met. Whether it was walking around the various floors singing songs to proudly wearing his cowboy hat at Corps Day or just being approachable, accessible, and down-to-earth, his departure will leave a hole in the heart of the district. Sahl left a few parting thoughts about his time in Jacksonville. “I have had a lot of laughs with a lot of people. It has been so much fun due to the great people of this district. The most significant and honest response is how impressive a group the Jacksonville District is and how important the people are to providing the capability to the district.” “It always comes back to the people. We always remember district commanders and deputies by, maybe less about the individual accomplishment and much more so how they integrated into the team. So when you talk about what I am proud of, not necessarily proud of but humbled by and appreciative of the way the team integrated me into the district and how confident I am that the people in the district will continue to do great things.” “Hopefully I made some of their lives a little better while I was here and with the ultimate goal that some of the things that we put into place will continue to support those who push such an important program.” “I am proud to be a part of a team that truly valued people for who they are and not just what they can do. Both are important – we’ve got a phenomenal group of very talented individuals, without a doubt. But that organizational talent and excellence comes about because we care for and about each other. A team that values diversity, not just because it’s the right thing, but because it’s the best thing." When you value people for who they are, you find out that you can celebrate differences (diversity) and form an even stronger bond (inclusivity). When I reflect on Jacksonville, it will always be about the people that make this place unique and truly make it JaxStrong!”
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On July 1, Lt. Col. Sahl will take over as commander of the Nashville District in Tennessee. “Although a lot of things have me fired up to take command, what has me most excited is taking everything I have learned from my time here with the Jacksonville district team and integrating some of that into another great team in Nashville. You can’t be too bummed about moving to Nashville. And I already have my cowboy hats, so that’s a bonus!” That inevitable change has now arrived, and it is time we say our farewells to one of our own. Lt. Col. Sahl, we wish you nothing but the best as you and your family press forward into your new role leading the Nashville District. You will truly be missed by the JaxStrong team and with only one last remark, sir, ESSAYONS!
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Leadership Development Program seeks applicants for FY22 Story by BJ Fagan JaxStrong is seeking applicants for the FY22 Leadership Development Program! The objective of Jacksonville’s Leadership and Development Program is to provide education and training to career employees that will prepare them for potential leadership opportunities within USACE. This program exposes participants to decision-making, personal development, communication, and organizational skills that will benefit other life and workplace areas. All levels of the organization will benefit through the enhanced performance of employees. Other benefits include: Building self-confidence. A spirit of cooperation. A pool of professional and competent individuals who can lead during times of change and uncertainty. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with a mentor, participate in formal classroom training, and shadow assignments with senior leaders in the organization. The ultimate goal of the LDP is to create a corporate culture where people value strong leadership and strive to make it. This program is the second level of leadership development offered by USACE and is a prerequisite to the Regional Leadership and Development Program (RLDP). THE VOICE
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The FY20 Team Visionary graduates stated that “making new friendships and establishing working relationships was the best part of their year.” The FY22 application window is now open so let’s see what the FY21 LDP Team Paradigm has to say about the program. They will host a lunch and learn on June 10 from 1130-1230. The FY21 participants are: Alberto Alvarado, Planning Michelle Bartley, Regulatory Leo Bastante, Construction Ricardo Esbri, Engineering Matt Filer, Engineering Ryan Hendren, Regulatory John Jensvold, Real Estate Allison Joura, Program and Project Management Virginia King, Regulatory Pierre Massena, Engineering Jacob Schmaltz, Engineering Jessica Spencer, Operations Jenifer Tyler, Construction Eva Velez, Program and Project Management James (Mike) Worf, Operations The points of contact for the program are Roberta Cotton, SAJ Training Coordinator, and B. J. Fagan, LDP Program Manager.
PICTURED: LDP participants pictured with Okee the Osprey during a training session at the Prudential Building.
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Celebrate Success: Sanchez receives top Army honors by Amanda Parker Public Affairs Specialist Brigida (Bri) Sanchez recently received first-place selection as USACE Herbert A. Kassner Communication Competition Award recipient Photographer of the Year and Videographer of the Year. Bri's first-place win for the USACE Kassner competition moved her forward to compete in the Army's 2020 MG Keith L. Ware Communications Awards Competition. PICTURED: Brigida (Bri) Sanchez
The MG Keith L. Ware Communications Award Competition recognizes soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians for excellence in achieving Army communication and public affairs objectives. On behalf of the Secretary of the Army, the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs conducts the competition annually to recognize, cultivate and inspire excellence within the Army public affairs and visual information communities. Bri received top honors and was named the Department of the Army Civilian Photographer of the Year. The Civilian Photographer of the Year award recognizes outstanding photography among Army civilians in the public affairs and visual information communities. In addition to Bri's first-place win for Civilian Photographer of the Year, she received secondplace honors for the Clark Taylor Civilian Videographer of the Year. For placing in both of these categories at the U.S. Army level, Bri now competes in the Defense Media Awards competition. She will be up against the best of the best at the Department of Defense (DOD) level. We offer Bri a huge congratulations on these outstanding achievements and our very best to her as she competes at the DOD level. The following photos are a portion of Bri's award-winning submission.
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Photos by Brigida (Bri) Sanchez
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Photos by Brigida (Bri) Sanchez
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DoD Pride Month Observance Events provided by EEO In observance of Pride Month, acknowledging the contributions of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) community, to the nation, the Jacksonville District invites you to join in the following events sponsored by the DoD: June 9 2021, 9:30am -10:30am, DOD PRIDE, 10th Annual LGBT Pride Month Celebration, featuring remarks by the Honorable Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense; Maj Gen Leah Lauderback, Director, ISR, U.S. Space Force and LT Kristopher Moore, Surface Warfare Officer, U.S. Naval Academy. Streamed live from the Pentagon at: www.dvidshub.net/webcast/26309 www.dodpride.org/pride-events June 22, 2021, 2:00pm EST, Mental Health Risk and Resilience Among LGBTQ Populations: The science of minority stress and how to combat it.
https://usacel.webex.com/meet/lee.trueheart (Video Meeting Number: 199 965 5379 / Password: June-Pride-2021) - or - (Audio Call In: 844-800-2712 / Access Code: 199 965 5379#) (The event will be recorded and will be available after) June 25, 2021, 2:00pm EDT, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation -Federal EEO Elyssa Santos-Abrams. https://usacel.webex.com/meet/lee.trueheart (Video Meeting Number: 199 965 5379 / Password: June-Pride-2021) - or - (Audio Call In: 844-800-2712 / Access Code: 199 965 5379#) (The event will be recorded and will be available after)
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