Inside the Castle

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/

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.

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 people side of our organizational history. Resources mentioned in this podcast: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16021coll4/id/323/rec/2

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 life. Reflecting on this time as the Chief of Engineers, he gives us an update on his key priorities and how the Corps has been working hard to safely deliver the mission on time and within budget. You will also hear about his most memorable day as Chief of Engineers, his plans after his tenure, and the invaluable advice he has for the Corps staff at all levels of the organization. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the inner workings of the Corps, leadership in challenging times, and leaving a lasting legacy.

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.

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.

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 Implicit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/aboutus.html

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.

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.

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 simply curious about how it all works, tune in!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Innovation can be sent to the team at CM_TMO@usace.army.mil If you are a Corps staff member, you can learn more about Construction Management Innovation by visiting the Construction Management Team site at https://usace.dps.mil/sites/TDL-CECW-EC-TestTeam1/SitePages/CMP.aspx