The Voice - September 2021

September 2021

Vol. 7

THE THE

OFFICIAL

EMPLOYEE

VOICE NEWSLETTER

OF

JACKSONVILLE

DISTRICT

IN THIS ISSUE:

Col. Kelly transitions to retirement- 2

Kissimmee River Restoration celebration - 4

Manatee Park benefits from USACE project - 5

JaxStong hosts a family reunion - 7

THE VOICE

"The best job I've ever had." Kelly transitions into retirement Story by Peggy Bebb

As his time draws to a close, Col. Drew Kelly reflects on the past three years serving as the commander of the Jacksonville District and what led up to what he considers the best job he's ever had.

Coming into the Army as a cadet at West Point, Kelly fell into the engineer regiment. "My goal was to become a doctor, but once I realized I wasn't going to get into medical school, I went through the branch selection process."

"I knew a few professors that were engineers, and they looked at engineering as a career. The engineer regiment had a lot of interesting choices and a lot of variability."

"Full combat, airborne, mechanized, and construction, that variety appealed to me. I looked at it as a pretty aggressive mission, so when I graduated West point, I just fell into it, but I have been extraordinarily happy with the result."

Kelly was attracted to the wide variety of work that the engineer regiment handled and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) component with the many districts and civil works was wholly different and hugely variable.

Pictured Right: Col. Andrew Kelly hands the keys of the completed Alternate Care Facility the district built in the Miami Convention Center to Kevin Guthrie, Deputy Director of the Florida Division of Environmental Management. The facility was built in response to the Covid-19 Global Pandemic and was turned over ahead of schedule.

(USACE Photo)

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"I didn't understand that until I was assigned to the North Atlantic Division as the executive officer for the commanding general. It opened an entirely new door, not only of the power and resources that the engineer regiment has total, but the interconnectivity between USACE and the military and the ability to move between the two worlds. I have fallen in love, especially later in my career, with the USACE side of the house, especially Civil Works."

Kelly was notified that he would join the Jacksonville District while attending the War College. After War College, but before arriving to the district, he was assigned to a one-year tour downrange. "I was excited about the fact that it was the first time in the Army where I got my first choice of assignment, and I wanted to come to Jacksonville."

Between the War College then his tour in the Middle East, Kelly stated he didn't have a lot of time to focus on his upcoming stint as Jacksonville District's commander, but it did excite him as he knew, as he put it, fun times were coming.

Before coming to Jacksonville, Kelly stated he knew a few things about the South Atlantic region but didn't understand the Jacksonville District. He expected that he knew a bit of the Puerto Rico side, saw the district as the Everglades, and knew there were many beach missions.

Shortly upon arriving, Kelly saw an explosion in the workload thrust upon the district and had to reset to the new normal.

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"I had no idea how Jacksonville grew so quickly.

Part of his vision was to put into practice the

The workload, the mission set with a Bi-partisan

leadership skills he had gathered over the years.

Budget Act of 2018, we doubled the mission. We

Building trust, being inclusive, and recognizing

went from a half-billion-dollar district annually to a

opportunities.

billion-dollar district without slowing down. I didn't expect that kind of growth so quickly. I also didn't

"You've got to trust the experts in the district.

quite understand how the supplemental and Bi-

Jacksonville has a great number of truly

partisan Budget Act of 2018 mission set was so

professional experts with a lot of history and a lot

significantly different than normal."

of experience, so you've got to trust that. Be inclusive, not only internally but externally as

While coming into the district, Kelly hit the ground

well. Make sure you're spending more time

running. One of his goals was to be transparent.

listening than you are talking and make sure that

Although the district has always been open and

USACE is truly participating and listening to all of

communicative in different ways, Kelly understood

the different needs."

the need to communicate with significant stakeholders was going to be paramount.

Kelly noted that he and his team needed to recognize opportunities when presented to them

"When I first got here and the evolution of how I

and not be afraid to take the chances, even when

think about it now, is that I thought the media and

it may be a little unnerving or scary.

stakeholder communications were different, two separate things with two different goals. What I

"Be able to see and understand an opportunity

kind of figured out over time is they weren't very

exists and go for it, then walk with the team

nested and that the opportunity to talk with media

through that opportunity and be able to adjust.

reaches a greater group, a greater public, which

There are always opportunities to adjust but when

then turns into how the stakeholders think, which

you see an opportunity, grab it. Grab it and go,

actually enhances the detailed stakeholder

allow everyone to feel like they can do that

engagement and so you really can't do one

without being worried about making a mistake."

without the other."

He quickly realized that although an interview or media event didn't necessarily have the targeted end state, it helped with communications because the stakeholders would see it.

"Just being able to tell the people, the public, the media, or stakeholders what we're thinking, when we're thinking it, and what things we're going to do next proved extraordinarily valuable. Just having an open dialogue, especially when there are so many differing opinions, everyone has a different way of defining success."

"So, you put that all out on the table in a very open and transparent way and talk about it into the future and make it okay to openly talk about our disagreements and how we can work together, it brings more people together and makes it easier to have a good solid communications platform."

Pictured: Col. Andrew Kelly participates in the Puerto Nuevo Flood Control Project on Aug. 23, 2021 (Photo by Luis Deya)

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Although there are many systems in place to

Kelly stated that the collaborative nature and the

make sure the district doesn't do things wrong,

team's flexibility and agility allowed them to get

Kelly doesn't think that USACE quite encourages

through it all..

the aggressiveness of seizing the opportunities quite as much as they ought to. The district needs

From these many missions to the many

to take those opportunities when they present

accomplishments, Kelly is most proud of how the

themselves because there is always the ability to

team has remained motivated to continue the

correct them.

mission.

"Just go for it when you can because our people

"My general interpretation of the feeling in the

make smart decisions if they're allowed to make

district right now is excitement. Everybody is

them."

excited about what's coming, is still motivated, and continues to get after it. I am pretty proud of

Jacksonville District's challenging missions kept

that," noted Kelly.

Kelly and his team on their toes. He had to figure out how to take on a significant mission set and

When asked how he felt about the August 2021

workload and better organize for combat.

headline from NBC2 news in Southwest Florida that read, "LOSOM will be Col. Kelly's legacy, but

"The corporate board and I got together early on

he won't see it through," Kelly responded that he

and reorganized the business process of the

was okay with it.

district, the structure of the district - to be able to truly handle the workload," Kelly stated.

"Because I am out in the media and with stakeholders a lot, there is a general

The Covid mission and the immediate reaction had

misunderstanding that there's one person that

Kelly getting told on a Tuesday to be in Miami on

does the work, right? It's 1000 people that are the

Wednesday then get a hospital built in twelve

Jacksonville District that does the work. I am just

days without ever having done it before. Kelly

the guy who talks about it most of the time, so, at

noted, "This was a unique challenge, and the team

the end of the day, the media talked about the

knocked it out of the park."

new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) schedule as being a positive for Florida."

“Additionally, when you have a program like the Everglades, as an example, that is decades-long

He stated that it is the same as the Jacksonville

with decades to go worth billions of dollars with a

district legacy has always been.

bunch of people who have a bunch of different perspectives on what success looks like. How do

"We do better than the day before for the people

you keep that giant group of folks together pulling

of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

on the same rope, if not in the same direction, but close enough to the same direction to keep us all

Everything we do makes life better every single

going?"

day and for the media to capture that in a headline is great because it reinforces the fact

According to Kelly, each of these missions posed a

that the team works hard every day. Life is better

different challenge to the district, but all were

in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Florida

unique and awesome to be a part of.

because of the work the district does."

The team here in Jacksonville, the leadership in the district, the corporate board, and division chiefs throughout the district worked hard at each of those missions.

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As Kelly's time at the district comes to an end, he is not happy about it. "I am leaving too soon,” Kelly explained. "We're at an inflection point, kind of, with the district and how the district is going to operate for the next decade or so."

He explained that COVID certainly changed how the district does business by working virtually versus in an office setting. It changed the way we communicate; we are right on the cusp of getting into how we will work on a day-to-day basis from a business perspective in the next decade-plus.

"We've got a good trajectory that the corporate board and I have put together for the coming months.

I wish I could see that through because I think it's going to be a game-changer, and we're going to come out on the other side even stronger and better able to get the mission accomplished."

As Kelly reflects on these past three years, he says that he is most thankful for being allowed to take part.

"It's relatively easy to keep the commander away from the details and away from making sausage, so to speak, and to provide decisions. But the Jacksonville team and leadership here really embraced me and allowed me to get into it so that we could all work through some things together, and I know that's a little unique."

"I am leaving sad because I wish I could stay longer, but I'm thankful at the openness and acceptance that everyone had in letting me participate in a lot of the activities, share opinions, take criticism and just work through all of the processes together at the table, so we just get the job done."

"I can tell you that this is the best job I've ever had.

The Jacksonville District team is awesome, and everyone out there's got so much to be proud of."

Pictured: Snapshots of Col. Kelly during his command of Jacksonville District.

(USACE photos).

THE VOICE

Partners celebrate completion of Kissimmee River Restoration Project Story by Erica Skolte

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“The Kissimmee River Restoration Project was the first successful large-scale active riverine ecosystem restoration project in the country, and even in the world,” said Kelly. “It was the model for science-based ecosystem restoration worldwide, and proof that ecosystem restoration works. It set the foundation for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.”

More than 150 partners and stakeholders joined

Mr. Jamie Pinkham, Acting Assistant Secretary of

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville

the Army for Civil Works and a citizen of the Nez

District to celebrate the completion of

Perce Tribe, opened his remarks in his language

construction for the Kissimmee River Restoration

“to recognize the original stewards and

Project at the Riverwoods Field Laboratory in

inhabitants of this beautiful land that they call

Lorida, Florida on July 29, 2021.

home,” the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

Our partners in restoration, the South Florida Water Management District, and representatives

“…We are reminded of what we always knew –

from the Department of the Interior, and other

that Florida’s delicate ecosystem is truly unique

local, state, and federal agencies, as well as

and requires special care, and as stewards of this

elected officials and stakeholders -- some of

land, we share responsibility to ensure its

whom have been involved in the project for since

durability…it’s another lesson about the

the early 1970s -- came together for a ribbon

importance about taking the cue from the natural

cutting ceremony.

world,” said Pinkham.

Jacksonville District Commander Col. Andrew

“I believe that this river has a strong memory, and

Kelly kicked off the event by holding up a

it’s going to adapt to its original path, and it’s

ceremonial shovel used during the

original purpose. And so, I’m proud of the lessons

groundbreaking ceremony in 1994.

that we have all learned, and so we are celebrating lessons learned. And you have

“Today, we celebrate the completion of the

created a template for others to follow.”

construction phase with many of the people who have worked hard to maintain the momentum on

“I want to thank those partners from the agencies,

this project for more than 30 years,” said Col.

but I also want to thank the people who have long

Andrew Kelly, Jacksonville District Commander.

lived along this river, tribal and non-, who understand the sacrifices it takes to bring a project like this to come to success because this is their home, these are the lands that they love.”

Pictured Left: Partners celebrated the completion of construction of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project at a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Riverwoods Field Laboratory in Lorida, Florida on July 29, 2021. (Photo courtesy of South Florida Water Management District)

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“While we celebrate, we are also reminded of the tremendous amount of work left to be done.

President Biden has prioritized environmental restoration in the Everglades, including the largest budget request for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan since its inception.

This administration and my office pledge to continue our work with our Congressional allies to provide the necessary resources to fulfill our commitment here,” said Pinkham.

The Kissimmee River once meandered for 103 miles through Central Florida. Its floodplain, reaching up to two miles wide, was inundated by heavy seasonal rains for long periods. Wetland plants, wading birds, and fish thrived there.

Prolonged flooding caused severe impacts on humans, so Florida officials asked Congress for assistance. Congress tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and between 1962 and 1971, USACE cut and dredged the Kissimmee River into a 300foot wide, 30-foot deep straightaway called the C-38 canal. The project achieved flood reduction benefits, but it also harmed the river-floodplain

Pictured: The Kissimmee River Restoration Project restored 44 miles of the Kissimmee River and its 2-mile-wide floodplain. (Photo by Brent Anderson, South Florida Water Management District)

Now that construction is complete, the Headwaters Regulation Schedule can be implemented, and ecological monitoring will continue for an additional five years.

Many Corps project managers and team members have been involved in various phases of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project over the past several decades, even before the project was authorized in the Water Resources

ecosystem.

Development Act (WRDA) of 1992.

Congress authorized the Kissimmee River, Florida

Senior Project Manager Tim Gysan was the final project

project in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1992. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Riverwoods in 1994, and construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2021.

The Kissimmee River Restoration Project backfilled 22 miles of the C- 38 Canal and “put the wiggle back” into the historic meandering river. It restored more than 40 square miles of the river floodplain ecosystem, 20,000 acres of wetlands,

manager to guide the project through the completion of construction in the summer of 2021 while simultaneously leading the effort to take tremendous amounts of public and stakeholder input on the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM).

“The Kissimmee River Restoration ribbon cutting celebrates the completion of the physical restoration of the beautiful meandering river and the vast flood plain that surrounds it.

and 44 miles of the historic river channel.

The event is the culmination of work started in the mid-

Restoration efforts resulted in environmental

achieve through the dedication and cooperation of

improvements that exceeded expectations during many years, including increased dissolved oxygen levels, recovery of wetlands, and increased populations of waterfowl, wading birds, bass, and other sunfishes.

1970s and represents the amazing restoration we can hundreds of individuals and agencies at all levels government.

Being a part of the team that has delivered this incredible world-class restoration effort to the people in Florida is the highlight of my career,” said Gysan.

THE VOICE

JaxStrong project benefits Manatee County residents Story and photos by David Ruderman

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““It’s building the capacity for future dredged material. If we don’t do it now, we would have to seek alternate placement areas, which would lead to higher costs in the future to maintain the port,” said Merrill.

The excavated material is being truck hauled eight miles south to fill a long-disused county

Manatee County hosted a celebratory project

borrow pit, transforming it over the next ten years

start event at Washington Park in Palmetto,

into an 88-acre park. The county plan calls for

Florida, July 28 to mark the first stage of a

constructing a contoured landscape with walking

decade-long collaboration with Jacksonville

trails that restore the historical balance of upland

District and Port Manatee.

and wetland habitats, topped off with a playground and recreational amenities.

Since February, the district has been off-loading accumulated dredge material from the Port

About 60 community leaders and residents joined

Manatee Dredge Material Management Area

more than 20 county, port, and USACE personnel

(DMMA) to build capacity for future placement. In

to celebrate the first iteration of a project that all

partnership with the county and the port, the off-

agreed had been a long time in coming.

loaded material will be re-used for an environmental restoration project in nearby

“This has been a 20-year project in the making,”

Palmetto, saving the county millions of dollars.

said longtime resident and Vietnam veteran McArthur (Mac) Sellars as he delivered the

“It’s awesome to use it for the park, which appears

invocation. “Continue to bless this site. We thank

to have been a wasted space for a while,” said

you for all you’ve done, all you are doing, and all

USACE project manager Bryan Merrill. “With the

you will do.”

county committed to restoring the land, it’s exciting to be able to use it this way, restoring this

“It’s been a long time coming,” agreed Manatee

kind of asset for the community.”

Co. Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh. “I’ve been on the board since 2009, and this was already a

Initially constructed in the 1990s, the transfer

topic of discussion when I got here.”

creates more room at the DMMA.

Pictured Left: Jacksonville Deputy District Commander, Maj. Matt Miller, addresses community residents and county and port representatives at the Washington Park dedication ceremony July 28, 2021.

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“Against great odds, the story of Washington Park begins today,” said county District 2 Commissioner Reggie Bellamy. “Thank you to the Corps of Engineers for dredging new channels in Port Manatee and instead of throwing or towing that sand away, hauling it to this park over the next ten years, saving the county $10 million in the process.”

Like many in the crowd, Bellamy had close ties to the community, where his 93-year-old mother still resides. He praised lifelong resident Lawrence Livingston, former pastor of nearby Eternity Temple, for his vision and tenacity in pursuing the restoration of Washington Park for more than 20 years.

“This is the fruit of your labor,” said Bellamy.

“I’m just thankful I lived to see it,” said Livingston.

Maj. Matt Miller, Jacksonville District deputy commander, led the USACE team of Tampa

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““The excavation of the DMMA is critical for us being able to store dredge material in the future.

It affords us the capacity for years’ worth of maintenance dredging,” said TRO resident engineer Erin Duffy, noting it was her first experience with truck hauling dredge material for such use.

“I came in with the experience of working on the Herbert Hoover Dike, so for me, this was relatively straightforward,” said TRO project engineer Sergio Alvarado. “It’s simpler than dredging. And it was a team of wonderful people, including the contractor.”

“I was really excited that this is a win-win-win for the Corps, the port, and the county,” said Duffy, who was equally impressed by the strong, emotional turnout of area residents. “I knew it was important to the community, but I didn’t know it was that important. Their voices were heard,” she said.

Resident Office staff who have overseen the project.

“The Corps contribution on this project is smart recycling of dredge material accumulated over time as we maintain the navigability of vital federal water channels. Not just here at Port Manatee, but throughout Tampa Bay, these federal waterways enable the shipping and boating that underpin the economy of the Florida Gulf Coast,” said Miller.

“And we are very pleased that the Corps can beneficially re-purpose this material to support Manatee County in their far-sighted endeavor of refurbishing Washington Park,” he said.

“It’s been a great project so far; there have really been no issues,” said TRO construction representative Kenny Poindexter. The team had already placed more than 120,000 of the total 139,000 cubic yards of material called for in this first phase of renovation, he said.

Pictured: Jacksonville Deputy District Commander, Maj. Matt Miller, joins Manatee County and community leaders for the ceremonial dirt turning at the Washington Park dedication event July 28, 2021.

THE VOICE

Administrative Procedures During Emergency Conditions (APEC) Story by BJ Fagan

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APEC outlines the District’s processes and describes the options that Commanders and employees have available to navigate thru an emergency event. Let’s go over those options and walk thru the steps: Step 1 - Liberal Leave. Leadership can always authorize the use of liberal leave for an employee to make emergency preparations and/or depart

If you live in a coastal or low-lying area, it’s that

the area ahead of potential events. Once you

time of year to prepare and be aware of the

have completed preparations or arrived at a safe

potential for severe tropical storms or hurricanes.

destination, you always have the option to remain on approved leave or telework.

South Atlantic Division (SAD) is not immune to inclement weather particularly since all five

Step 2 - Weather and Safety Administrative

Districts are located near a coast.

Leave. The Commander can authorize Weather and Safety Leave based upon operating status

And, we’ve all had our share of inclement weather

announcements. The important point about this

situations and that was when it became evident

type of leave is that it is authorized when

within the Resource Management (RM)

employees cannot safely travel to or safely

Community of Practice (COP) that each of us was

perform work at an approved location. Under a

interpreting guidance differently when applying it

telework agreement, your home is a designated

to disaster scenarios.

approved work location and unless your home becomes unsafe to perform work, you may not

The RMs realized that an overarching policy was

qualify for this type of leave.

necessary to ensure payments and benefits were in accordance with applicable authorities and that

Step – 3 Targeted Evacuation Order. A targeted

became the primary reason for the development

evacuation order is based on a limited number of

of Policy Memorandum No. 0037-20-03,

pre-identified positions.A targeted evacuation is

Administrative Procedures During Emergency

not the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) site

Conditions or APEC for short.

team. A targeted evacuation is for those positions that contain skills necessary to continue

The purpose of APEC “is to support mission

the critical day-to-day operations of the District.

continuity in the event of a potential or actual

The intent is that an employee who is evacuated

adverse mission-impacting natural or manmade

with those critical skills will be required to return

disaster” but the real benefit of the policy is that it

immediately back to the impacted area when it is

is an excellent desk-side reference on

safe to do so.

procedures to follow leading up to and during a potential or actual emergency event.

Step 4 - Full Evacuation Order (Safe Haven). This evacuation order is issued by the Commander

Safety is always first and foremost and

authorizing or directing departure from an area,

sometimes that is an individual’s personal

given only when the area is threatened by

decision on what they need to do, and when, to

unusual or emergency circumstances creating

ensure the safety and welfare of themselves and

imminent danger to employees’ life, health, or

their family.

safety.

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A “Safe Haven” is a temporary pre-designated

Local and state evacuation orders do not qualify

single geographic location to which an employee

an employee to incur lodging or other costs at the

and their dependent(s) are evacuated. For

expense of the Federal Government. If you live in

employees to be authorized Safe Haven

an area where local officials order a mandatory

allowances, the Commander must issue an

evacuation notice that does not qualify you to

Evacuation Order separate from mandatory

stay in a hotel and file for reimbursement for

evacuation orders issued by state/local

lodging or travel costs. Only the Commander

authorities.

retains the authority to issue evacuation orders which generate a travel order which can then be

At any time in this sequence, the Commander can

used for reimbursement of specific expenses.

direct an Administrative Office Closure. During an office closure, the Commander identifies the

Make sure your contact information is updated in

dates, times, and office(s) that will be closed. The

ALERT to receive operating announcements,

time of reopening may not always be known up

keep your internal calling tree up to date and

front, and employees will be provided instructions

know what to expect before an emergency

on where and how to obtain this information.

happens. The APEC document has 12 appendices with forms and definitions and contains other

Employees whose permanent duty station is

information which supervisors and employees

identified for administrative closure are excused

should be aware of.

from reporting to the office to work.

The full document can be found at: Two important points about an administrative

https://usace.dps.mil/sites/PUBS-

office closure:

SAD/_layouts/15/search.aspx/siteall?q=APEC.

(1) There could be minimal impact to the employee since most employees have an approved telework agreement and could perform work from their home; and (2) An administrative office closure does not authorize the employee to incur lodging or other costs on the government’s behalf with the expectation of being reimbursed.

The majority of employees have a telework policy in place and it is the expectation of Management for an employee to telework once the employee has taken the necessary immediate safety precautions and is able to telework.

Communication with Supervisors is critical to keep them informed of your status and telework capability.

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JaxStrong employees gather at fairgrounds for a family reunion JaxStrong employees gathered at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds in August for a family reunion. The awards ceremony kicked off the day of fun, followed by a host of activities and lunch provided by various food trucks.

Congratulations to all of the Corps Day winners and a special thank you to the Corps Day committee and Sandcastle Club for hosting the event! Check out a few photos from the day below! (Photos by Mark Rankin)

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JaxStrong employees gather at fairgrounds for a family reunion

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JaxStrong employees gather at fairgrounds for a family reunion

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THE VOICE

Editor's Note...

The July edition of The Voice contained an error.

We misidentified an individual in the article "Antilles office celebrates new boat facility," on page 5. The individual identified should be Joy Spencer.

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