Episodes
In this episode, we sit down with USACE Engineering & Construction (E&C) leadership to discuss some of the recent strategic initiatives and future of E&C in the Corps. Listen in as we talk about what it means to deliver quality consistently, develop and enable the workforce, and leverage collaboration and innovation across E&C as we all work together to safely deliver quality projects on time and within budget.
Published 10/24/24
This episode is the fifth in our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka. During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!
Listen in as Inside the Castle learns about the Public Involvement Specialist role within USACE with Dr. Akilah Martin (Chicago District) and Alex Smith (Mobile District).
Published 10/10/24
This is the final episode of our three-part series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program.
In this episode, Mr. Jonah Bea-Taylor from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History joins us to talk about how the Corps' civil works mission evolved after the Civil War. Listen in to hear how the Corps' civil works program expanded to multiple missions across the Nation.
To learn more about the Corps history, visit...
Published 09/23/24
In this episode we take a closer look at the latest innovation revolutionizing the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) does business. Listen in as Jennifer Moyer, Chief of the USACE Regulatory Program, introduces the new Regulatory Request System.
The Regulatory Request System is a web-based tool that helps a person find general permitting information, submit an individual and general permit application, submit pre-application meeting requests, and jurisdictional determination...
Published 09/11/24
This is the second episode of our three-part series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program.
In this episode, Mr. John Lonnquest, PhD., Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History joins us to talk about how the General Survey Act contributed to the establishment of the Corps of Topographical Engineers in 1838. He also talks about the Corps' first civil works projects and why they were so important to the Corps and the...
Published 08/19/24
This episode marks the beginning of our special three-part series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program.
We kick the series off with Matthew Pearcy, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History, for an in-depth look at the legislative milestones that shaped the Corps into the world-class organization it is today.
To learn more about the Corps history, visit https://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/
Published 07/26/24
Today’s episode is the fourth in our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka. During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!
In this episode, Inside the Castle learns about the People First Committee in the Regulatory Division of the St. Paul District with Meghan McKinney and Rachel Gralnek, the People First Committee leaders.
Published 07/17/24
Today’s episode is the third in our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka. During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!
In this episode, Inside the Castle learns about the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month theme: “Hidden Histories” with Felix Yeung, the organizer and developer for the 2024 AANHPI Heritage Month program.
Tune in to hear what YOU can do to help the Corps tell the...
Published 07/11/24
In this candid conversation, Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon, the 55th Chief of Engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sits down with Inside the Castle to discuss the immense responsibility that comes with leading a world-class organization.
Lieutenant General Spellmon offers a glimpse into this leadership philosophy, revealing how he stays motivated and resilient in the face of immense challenges – from natural disasters to the ever-present need to balance work and personal...
Published 07/03/24
In this episode we discuss the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) with Jerry Dorsey and Abigail Maher. FEVS is an annual government-wide survey that measures federal employees' perceptions of critical work-life areas that drive employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention across the workforce. Listen and learn why this survey is important and how it is helping the Corps improve the workplace now and into the future.
Published 06/24/24
Ever wonder who keeps the gears turning on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects? On this episode of Inside the Castle, we take a deep dive into the world of the Corps' Business Line Managers.
Join us as we chat with a few of the business line managers and uncover the diverse roles they play, the challenges they tackle, and the decisions they make.
Published 06/18/24
Today’s episode is the second in our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka. During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!
In this episode, Inside the Castle learns about the Institute for Water Resources Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Council with Dr. Richard Nugent III, the DEIA Council Leader.
A couple of resources mentioned in this podcast:
Iliff: https://www.iliff.edu/dei/
Project...
Published 06/10/24
Step inside castle walls for a captivating discussion on the basics of artificial intelligence with Evan Smits, from Microsoft.
In this episode, we delve into the basics of artificial intelligence, unraveling its mysteries and exploring its vast potential for assisting the Corps with accomplishing its mission more efficiently and effectively than ever before.
Tune in to gain invaluable insight into the transformative power of artificial intelligence.
Published 05/22/24
Today’s episode launches our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka.
During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!
In this first episode of the series, Inside the Castle learns about the Corps’ LGBTQ Community Group with Lee Trueheart, one of the founding members of the group.
Published 05/10/24
Ever wondered how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gets the go-ahead and green light to fund all those vital infrastructure projects across the nation? On this episode of Inside the Castle, we dive into the sometimes-murky world of authorizations and appropriations.
We'll break down the key differences between the two terms and explain what it takes for a USACE project to go from the drawing board to reality.
So, whether you are a civil engineer, an advocate for your local waterway, or...
Published 05/03/24
In this episode, we are wrapping up our Construction Innovation Management series with Jason Gobin, Darrick Godfrey and Alexandra Henderson Connors.
This final part of the series showcases the research and development aspects of Construction Management Innovation. Listen in as the Corps team talks about how they are using research and USACE lab resources to meet the everyday needs of the construction management workforce.
Published 03/21/24
Listen in as Inside the Castle continues their 5-part series on Construction Management Innovation.
In this episode, Inside the Castle hosts are joined by USACE Construction Managers Jacky Henderson, John Travis and Alexandra Henderson Connors to talk about the Construction Management Administration Application and how this new tool will help USACE construction personnel more efficiently manage policy, documentation, training, and share lessons learned across the enterprise.
Published 03/15/24
In this episode, we are continuing our Construction Innovation Management series with Niki Porter, Darrick Godfrey and Alexandra Henderson Connors.
Part 3 of this 5 part series showcases the new Construction Management Platform (CMP). Listen in as the Corps team talks about why they are working to modernize the construction management tools and why it is critical to have a new construction management platform to help construction managers better manage their projects.
Published 03/08/24
In this episode, we continue our series on Construction Management Innovation with Darrick Godfrey, Alexandra Henderson Connors, and Renee Mullinax.
Listen in to learn more about the tools the Corps' Construction Managers currently use to track construction projects and what the Construction Management Innovation team is doing to improve the tools in the future.
Published 03/01/24
In this episode we sit down with Darrick Godfrey and Alexandra Henderson Connors to learn more about Construction Management Innovation and the four lines of efforts that will be discussed in more detail in future episodes.
Listen in to hear the current state of Construction Management within the Corps and what Darrick, Alexandra and the rest of the Construction Management Innovation team is doing to improve the way we do business.
Any questions about the Construction Management...
Published 02/14/24
In this episode, we showcase another 2022 USACE Innovation Award Winner!
Listen to learn how the Huntsville Engineering and Support Center deployed the Welcome2lt digital in-processing tool and dashboard to reduce the time an employee spends on-boarding by more than 60%.
Published 02/02/24
In this episode, we sit down with Terry Williams, the Program Manager for the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Program, and Kevin Denn, the project manager for the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Program, to talk about the National Academy of Construction recognition, what it took to receive this recognition and what is currently going on with the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Program.
Published 01/25/24
In this episode, we continue to highlight our Business Process Improvement Award winners with Ozzy Orwick, USACE Headquarters Human Resources Data Director. Mr. Orwick expanded on the success of the Mississippi Valley Division's improvements to the DoD Performance Management and Appraisal Program (DPMAP) dashboard. His efforts resulted in an enterprise-wide solution that is 100% automated and provides supervisors as well as senior leaders with a more expedited way to view status of required...
Published 01/03/24
In this episode, we celebrate the 2020-2021 Process Improvement Team Excellence Award Winner for their efforts to improve how the agency works through the DoD Performance Management and Appraisal Program commonly known by DoD workforce as DPMAP.
Sabine Faltenbacher, New Orleans District Quality Management Representative, joins us to talk about the innovative improvements the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers executes the DPMAP and the lessons they learned along the way.
Published 12/08/23