US Army: September

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Riverside September 2001

Keeping the riveron courseKeeping the riveron course

Sierra Club says thanks

E-charting navigationE-charting navigation

Sierra Club says thanks



2Riverside September 2001

Riverside

CommanderCol. Thomas F. Julich

Vol. 12 No. 9Authorization: The New Orleans District

RIVERSIDE is an unofficial publication authorizedunder the provisions of AR 360-1. Views andopinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Corps of Engineers or the Department of theArmy. Dilbert reprinted by permission of UnitedFeatures.

Submissions: Articles and story ideas arewelcome; publication depends on generalinterest as judged by the editor. Direct queries tothe editor by calling (504) 862-2201or [email protected].

Circulation: 2,150 copies per issue.

September 2001

Acting EditorShanell Williams

Contributing WritersEric Hughes, Terri Jackson,

Amanda Padalewski, Leslie TerrellGraphic Artists

Anne Marino, Elena Napolitano

Public Affairs ChiefJim Addison

Carrollton Gage

photo by Amanda Padalewski

Riverside

I was honored to represent all of youat a recent ceremony in the AtchafalayaBasin. The purpose of the ceremony wasto celebrate our district’s acquiring of nearly the entire 50,000 acres of publicaccess lands in the basin. The ceremonywas held on August 8 at the Indian BayouWildlife Management Area.

A significant point about thisceremony is that one of the organiza-tions hosting the event was the SierraClub, Delta Chapter. The other host wasthe LA Department of Natural Re-sources. The invitation to the ceremonyread as follows: “In grateful recognitionto U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NewOrleans District, and Participating

Col. Thomas F. Julich A Celebration on the Atchafalaya

Landowners.” Why is that significant?The Corps has oftentimes in the past notseen eye to eye on a number of issueswith environmental groups, to include theSierra Club. I believe that the directionthe Corps is moving these days onenvironmental issues means that there areactually many things that we can mutuallyagree on with environmental groups. Andthere are many great things that we can dofor Louisiana by working together withthose groups to solve the many issues weface. Many of you are working daily withenvironmental groups. That is good. Bydeveloping good working relationshipswith them and successfully dealing withissues they raise you help build trustbetween our organizations. That helps usbetter accomplish our mission here inLouisiana.

At the ceremony, the Sierra Clubpresented the district with a very niceplaque. It is currently mounted on thewall across from the elevators at themain entrance of our building. At theend of September we’ll move it to RealEstate where they will proudly displayit. Stop by and take a look at it.

Many of you have been involvedwith this true success story over theyears. It was truly a team effort, withReal Estate Division handling most of the work. Thank you for your hardwork in helping preserve the uniquetreasure we have here in Louisiana, theAtchafalaya Basin.

On August 15 Gov. Foster hosted theLouisiana Coastal Summit. The mainpurpose of the summit was to hear thecommitment from the state on taking thenecessary action to support the Coast2050 effort, and to begin the dialogueon where we go from here. From thediscussions I have had with many peopleafter the summit it was quite a success.

I was able to sit on the last panel atthe summit, which was facilitated byMark Davis of the Coalition to RestoreCoastal Louisiana. Joining me on thepanel was Jim Tripp of the Environmen-tal Defense Fund, F.G. Courtney of theNational Wildlife Federation, WendellCurole of South Lafourche LeveeDistrict, and Dr. Dhamo Dhamotharan,URS Corporation. We were each able togive our perspective of where we gofrom here, with my talk focused on thefederal role. It was important to haveTripp and Courtney on the panel becausewe will need the support of nationalenvironmental organizations to get theentire Coast 2050 effort authorized andfunded. They gave a candid assessmentabout the situation along our coast andthe challenges that we face gettingsomething the size of Coast 2050approved.

We have had a great start with ourinvolvement with Coast 2050. Butwe’ve only just begun. Please keep upyour efforts in this high priority effort.

Louisiana Coastal Summit

Elliot Bordelon is one of 15employees at Old River ControlStructure involved in diverting water from the Mississippi into theAtchafalaya River.



3 Riverside September 2001

I am writing in response to Col. Julich’s Carrollton Gage articlein the August 2001 Riverside , subject: A new vision for theProject Management Business Process (PMBP) Strategic Visionand Policy. I’m responding in particular to the Colonel’s“emphasis on delighting our customers” statement.

I, as well as a very, very large number of my co-workershave a problem with the use of the word “customer.” Accord-ing to the American Heritage Dictionary, a customer is 1. “Aperson who buys goods or services.” 2. “A person with whomone must deal.” I was unaware that we, the Corps of Engineers,were selling anything.

There are a number of different missions that the Corpsperforms, such as Flood Control, Waterways Maintenance,Environmental Cleanup, or Coastal Restoration. The Corps isinvolved in these missions because there is a national interes t,a benefit to all federal taxpayers and we can show in one formor another that there is a benefit to the nation.

I am primarily involved in the mission areas dealing withlocal sponsors so my response is relative to referring to localsponsors as customers. A much more appropriate word wouldbe “partners” because this better defines the relationship weare in with local sponsors. According to the dictionary, a“partner” is “one that is united or associated with another orothers in an activity or a sphere of common interest." Thismuch better defines what I understand, and have understood for28 years, to be our job. That job is to represent all federaltaxpayers, assuring that their tax dollars are being wisely spent,

Letters to the Editor About the word "customer"

and that there is a federal interest.If the Corps of Engineers were a company in business to make

a profit then, yes, we would be interested in delighting ourcustomers so that they would be repeat customers. However, asfar as I know, that is not why any government agency exists. Weenter “Partnerships” for the achievement of a specified goal andthat goal is not profit. We provide varying degrees of capital inthese partnerships. As a matter of fact, in virtually all thesepartnerships the eventual financial participation by the federalside makes us a majority partner and our job is to represent theinterest of those supplying this capital, the federal taxpayers.

The “business process” as I have seen it work in this districttakes on an air of the USED CAR INDUSTRY, fast talkers whowill promise anything and say little of substance, with thebottom line not being the interests of the taxpayers, butspending the money budgeted without regard to the product.From what I see it looks like an enormous amount of manpoweris being spent on “THE PROCESS” and I do not believe thetaxpayers are getting their money’s worth. I’m not saying thatwe are not getting work done because a lot is being accom-plished, and a lot to be proud of, but it i s not because of thePROCESS; our pride comes from the fact that it is beingaccomplished in SPITE OF the PROCESS.

Lafayette Area Office Engineers Day Picnic 2001Lafayette Area Office Engineers Day Picnic 2001

Ronald R. Elmer Engineering Division

See LETTERS, page 12




F eeling the thunderous sound of water rushing 50feet below you is the experience you get on top of the Auxiliary Structure at Old River Control. With

a capacity to divert 300 million gallons of water perminute (an average 211 million gallons per minute passNew Orleans), the Old River Control structures provide abig shield of flood protection for the people living alongthe lower Mississippi.

One of the main duties of the employees at Old River isto regulate the diversion of water from the Mississippiinto the Atchafalaya. Thirty percent of the Mississippi’sflow on an annual average must be sent into theAtchafalaya River to maintain the distribution of flow andsediments between the Mississippi and Atchafalayarivers, and prevent a change in the Mississippi's course,which would create disaster in New Orleans.

On a daily basis, employees at Old River take gaugereadings on the river levels and transmit them to Hydrau-lics and Hydrology Branch. Engineers in H&H make thecalculations and send back the gate changes to maintainthe correct diversion of water.

Cary McNamara, Operations project manager for OldRiver, said it’s important for everyone to know a little bitabout everything. Because Old River is located an hourfrom the nearest town, New Roads, employees must betrained to conquer all of the different obstacles that canarise.

Elliot Bordelon, maintenance worker, said, “Teamwork is thename of the game.” His primary task is to operate the structureby adjusting the gates to regulate the flow. He also performsmaintenance on the structures, which includes making in theirown welding shop pieces that are needed rather than buyingthem from a manufacturer.

Sheila Wallace is an office assistant at the structure. Herduties include VISA purchases, travel orders, training requests,taking gauge readings, timekeeping and answering phone callsfrom the public.

Wallace, who’s been with the Corps a year and a half,claimed, “I don’t think there’s ever really a dull moment. There’salways something that’s either going on or about to happen. Itkeeps my mind active and it’s interesting.”

McNamara said Old River employees don’t just operate andmaintain the structures. They also handle tourism, recreationand maintenance of other projects in the area. On top of that,McNamara said they’re trying to develop a visitors center dueto the high demand for tours of the Auxiliary and Low Sillstructures. They receive up to 250 visitors on an averageweekend.

Wayne Bordelon, who previously worked at the OldRiver Lock and moved to the control structures, com-mented, “The mission is big. It’s very spread out anddiverse.”

Paul Averitt, leader man at Old River Control, likes therecreation aspect of Old River. More recently his dailyroutine consisted of holding down the foreman’s dutieswhen he was out for three months. “I enjoy the woods andseeing the wildlife,” he says. As a Corps employee of 11years, Averitt loves to hunt and he finds that he’s in theright spot around Old River.

With 11 gates at the Low Sill Structure and six at theAuxiliary Structure, Old River Control keeps the Missis-sippi on course. Elliot looks down at his hands and says, “If you think about it, this structure right here controls theMississippi River, one of the mightiest rivers in the world.It’s great working here knowing that.”

Old River: Never a dull moment By Amanda Padalewski

Amanda Padalewski (PAO) gathers with some of her OldRiver Control hosts for a group photo, posing with: (l. tor.) Dan Brouillette, Henry Smith, Wayne Bordelon, JohnLemoine and Cecil Moreau. (Read more about Old River at "Brochures" on our Web site)

courtesy photo

graphic by Elena Napolitano




T he Sierra Club and the LouisianaDepartment of Natural Resourceshonored the New Orleans District

on Aug. 8 for acquiring nearly 50,000acres of public access land in theAtchafalaya Basin. It marked a majorland acquisition goal for the Corps.

The basin, located in south-centralLouisiana, covers 800,000 acres fromSimmesport to Morgan City. It is aprincipal floodway of the MississippiRiver and Tributaries Project. Now, it is

also one of the district’s most signifi-cant environmental achievements and amajor recreation project.

“There’s not a lot of recreation inLouisiana to enjoy,” said MarcoRosamano, chief of Direct FederalAcquisition Branch, who was part of theteam responsible for acquiring the land.“One of the keys (of the project) is topreserve it.”

In 1985 Congress authorized the Corpsto purchase 50,000 acres, and since1988 the Corps has spent $91 million to

By Eric Hughes

preserve the basinenvironment and make aportion of the landavailable to the public.

Corps park rangers willmanage the 50,000 acresof public access land,allowing both hunting andnon-hunting activities.“The key is to preservethe land for futuregenerations,” said Deanna

Walker, team leader forthe acquisition project.“People who use the land want to have itthere for their kids to use.”

Easements on another 338,000 acreswill be acquired to protect the basin andprevent development. As of now, thedistrict has negotiated perpetual rights to144,000 acres of easement property forenvironmental protection and develop-mental control.

According to Yvonne Barbier, a review

photos by Lane Lefort

Charles Fryling, Chairman of the Sierra ClubAtchafalaya Basin Committee, and U.S. Sen.Mary Landrieu present a gift to the Corps forobtaining 50,000 acres of wilderness land forpublic use.

Real Estate members (l. to r. Marco Rosamano, Yv onne Barbier,former Division Chief Clyde Sellers, Acting Chief Bill Lewis,Linda Labure, Deanna Walker) and Col. Thomas Julich are allsmiles after the Sierra Club presented the Corps a framedmemento of appreciation.

Corps praised forAtchafalaya work

appraiser for the acquisition, the hard partwas getting willing sellers who under-stood the Corps’ role in protecting thebasin and purchase land that would allowthe public easy access. “It did not makesense to purchase fee land that would beisolated from other acquired land,” Barbiersaid.

“Unlike other districts, NOD hardlyhas any recreation involvement here,”Rosamano said. “Therefore, this is a

unique project and one that the districtneeds.”

Graphics by Elena Napoli tano




J oey Dykes came to NODafter graduating from MississippiState University 32 years ago.

After a year in a rotational trainingprogram, he began working as awater resources planner, managingstudies for several flood control,hurricane protection and navigationprojects. In 1984, he completed theyear-long Planning Associates Pro-

gram at Fort Belvoir, Va., and in1989 became chief of General Plan-ning Section in Planning Division.

When the Planning and ProjectManagement divisions merged threeyears ago, he became a senior project

manager. Hisproject manage-ment group iscurrently manag-ing the SouthwestLouisiana Hurri-cane EvacuationStudy, Larose toGolden MeadowHurricane Protec-tion Project,Bayou SorrelLock Study andthe Alexandria tothe Gulf Recon-naissance Study.

Problem

SolversBy Leslie Terrell

Second of a series

About the study: The Corps and theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency (FEMA) conduct studies forcoastal basins in Louisiana that arevulnerable to flooding from stormsurge. The state has been divided intotwo study areas, southeast and south-west. The Southwest Louisiana Hurri-cane Evacuation Study includes 12parishes: Acadia, Assumption,Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Iberville,Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, St. Martin,St. Mary, Terrebone and Vermillion.

There are three major steps in thestudy. The first step determines thepotential levels of inundation through-out the basin for a variety of differenthurricane scenarios. Hurricanesimpacting the area are simulated usingthe National Hurricane Center’s Sea,Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurri-canes (SLOSH) model. Color-codedmaps are produced showing the areas atrisk for each hurricane scenario. This

Project Manager: Brett Herr Study: Southwest Louisiana HurricaneEvacuation Study

Study: Larose to Golden MeadowHurricane Protection Project

information is used to determine thevulnerable population, best locationsfor evacuation shelters, and vulnerabil-ity of facilities that need special carein an evacuation. A behavioral survey isalso conducted to determine the likelybehavior of residents in response to anapproaching hurricane. Lastly, theCorps conducts a transportationanalysis to determine how long anevacuation would take.

The Corps provides a report to stateand parish emergency managementofficials for use in developing evacua-tion plans. The Corps conducted asimilar study for southeast Louisiana inthe early 1990s, and has initiated arestudy area to gather updated informa-tion. The studies are cost sharedbetween FEMA and the Corps.Time and Cost: The study began in1998 and will finish in 2001 at a costof $500,000.

About the Study: This hurricane

flood protection project protects a 20-mile stretch of Bayou Lafourchebetween Larose and Golden Meadow.The Corps has constructed two navi-gable floodgates in Bayou Lafourche, atLarose and Golden Meadow, and isconstructing over 40 miles of levees andfloodwalls between the floodgates.When the project is completed, resi-dents along Bayou Lafourche will havea 100-year level of hurricane protection.

photos by Lane Lefort




Project Manager: Darrel Broussard

In order to prevent flooding alongBayou Lafourche, the floodgates areusually closed when stages are ex-pected to exceed three feet NGVD. Asa result of sea level rise and subsid-ence, the floodgates are closed moreoften with each passing year. The

closing of the floodgates is adverselyaffecting navigation along BayouLafourche. The Corps is conducting a

is located in the middle of the 64-mile-long alternate route of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)between Port Allen and Morgan City.

The lock serves two purposes: it is aflood control feature of the Missis-sippi River and Tributaries Project,constructed in the East AtchafalayaBasin Protection Levee, and it allowsvessels to travel in and out of t hebasin and as a vital component of theGIWW, providing a shorter route fortraffic north of Baton Rouge travel-ing west on the GIWW. The presentlock, 797 feet long by 57 feet wide,is 50 years old and in good condition,but it must be replaced because of

higher stages in the Atchafalaya

study to see if constructing a secondfloodgate at Golden Meadow iseconomically justified. The newfloodgate would be constructed justnorth of the existing floodgate andwould form a lock allowing vessels topass during high tide.

Time and Cost: Congress authorizedthe project in 1965 and constructionbegan in the late 1970s. The flood-

gat es were completed in the late 1980s.The project is 89 percent complete.The draft report for the extra flood-gate will be finished this summer andconstruction of the lock will becompleted by 2004. The cost of theproject is estimated at $116 million,

but the additional floodgate will raisethe cost to $128 million.About the Study: Bayou Sorrel Lock

Basin, making the lock’s elevationeight feet lower than the projectflood design in Bayou Sorrel. Inaddition, Bayou Sorrel Lock is oneof the smallest on the GIWW, havingaverage navigation delays of fivehours per tow. The Corps plans toconstruct a larger lock, 1200 feet

long by 110 feet wide, to bring thelock up to flood design elevation.The larger lock will reduce naviga-tion delays and save the navigationindustry an average of $15 millionper year.Time and Cost: The Corps willcomplete the final report in Decem-ber and start the planning, engineer-ing, and design in January 2002.Construction of the lock is sched-uled for 2006 through 2008 at a costof $86 million.

About the Study: This study involvesflooding and irrigation issues in the1,700-square-mile area west of theWest Atchafalaya Basin ProtectionLevee, between Alexandria to the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the firstphase of the study is to reduce seriousflooding in the Chatlin Lake Canalarea in Alexandria while preventingflooding in downstream areas. To doso, the Corps would make improve-ments to channels, divert floodwatersto the Red River below the OvertonLock and Dam, and possibly constructretention reservoirs to store floodwa-ters until they could be released orpumped to the Red River. Flood controlchannels may also be used to divert

Study: Bayou Sorrel LockReplacement Study

water from the Red River into theChatlin Lake Canal for irrigationpurposes during low flow conditions.Time and Cost: The state legislatureapproved funding for the study begin-ning July 1, and the study will startwhen the cost-sharing agreement issecured with the La. Department of Public Works and Gravity DrainageDistrict No. 1 of Rapides Parish. The

study will last four and a half years at acost of $3 million.

Study: Alexandria to the Gulf of Mexico Feasibility Study

Project Manager: Mike Buford

Joey Dykes’ group also manageseight Continuous AuthorityProgram (CAP) projects and other studies and projects,including Port Fourchon Project,West Shore Lake Pontchartrain

Hurricane Protection FeasibilityStudy, and the Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf and

Black Reconnaissance Study.




NOD at Work

Project Management

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION —The Corps is turning aformer clay mining site, eight miles northeast of downtownBaton Rouge, into a park by planting 7,000 trees and buildingtwo lakes in the area. The Comite River at Hooper RoadEcosystem Restoration Project will restore wildlife, improvewater quality, reduce erosion, maintain floodwater storage and

provide recreational facilities. East Baton Rouge Parish, thecity of Baton Rouge and the Recreation and Park Commissionfor East Baton Rouge Parish (BREC) will share the cost of the$974,000 project. Work should be completed by December.

SELA DRAINAGE PROJECT —The Southeast LouisianaUrban Flood Control Project continues to improve drainagein Jefferson Parish with 14 contracts complete, 16 under-way and 14 to be awarded. The Corps is improving twopump stations on the east bank to increase their capacity 70to 75 percent, and building a new pump station on the west bank that will pump water to the Barataria marshes. The new pumpstation should cost $18.5 million and be finished in 2002. The

pump stations' improvement cost is estimated at $16-18million and will be completed in 2003. Jefferson Parishreported that some of the work has already helped reduceflooding in tropical depression Allison.

LAKE KILLARNEY RESTORATION —In July the Corpsbegan a feasibility study to restore Lake Killarney, an oldoxbow formed from the Mississippi River near Angola StatePenitentiary. Located within the levee system around theprison, excess silt has accumulated in the lake and oxygenlevels are depleted, harming fish. The Corps is placing instru-ments in the lake to monitor water quality and has taken soil

borings to test the soil for construction. Next fiscal year, theCorps will look at alternatives for restoring water quality andwildlife in the lake.

Float your boat SAFETY CERTIFICATION —Wheeler crewmembers took part in Standards for Training,Certification and Watchkeepingtraining held at UNO (forDelgado College) in August.This training was part of a newnationwide effort to ensure thatall U.S. ocean-going vessels arecompliant with InternationalMaritime Organization treatystandards for safety of life atsea. They practiced survivaltechniques, wearing lifejacketsand floating with an inflatablelife raft. Pictured are: (l. to r.)Mike James, Alton Dawkins,Roland Gonzales, John Shinners,Bill Kicklighter, Stella LeJeune,Raul Romero, Hilton Zumbro, anon-Corps participant andRobert Starling.

Operations

PM/Engineering

WATER CONCERN —On July 23, Project Management andEngineering met with the Louisiana Commercial Crawfish

Producers Association (LCPA) to discuss its concern aboutwater in the Atchafalya Basin and the operation of Old RiverControl. The Corps assured LCPA members that NOD isoperating Old River in accordance with the law and the Corps’water control plan, and has not diminished flows into the basinin favor of the hydroelectric station, which has no impact onwater going into the Atchafalaya.

Operations/EngineeringUP AND OVER— In July Engineering and Operationsreviewed and assessed the impact of moving a Chevronchemical vessel across the right descending bank of the

Mississippi River levee at mile marker 166. The vessel wasbeing transported to replace one that burned in December2000. The 975-ton, 350-foot-long vessel is the largest singlepiece of equipment ever to be moved over the levee.

FRESHWATER BAYOU LOCK IMPROVEMENT — InJuly Freshwater Bayou Lock personnel in Vermillion Parishmoved into a newly renovated office building. The lock’semployees hope the new facility will boost local tourism.

courtesy photo




Out with the old and in with thenew. The future of modernnavigation is here. Technology

is increasingly changing the way thingsare done at the Corps.

NOD now maintains River Elec-tronic Navigational Charts (ENC) forthe Atchafalaya River. TheAtchafalaya River begins in Louisi-ana at the lower confluence of theRed River and the Lower Old River,flowing 165 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

“Two years ago while collectingda ta to update the navigation andhydrographic survey books, thedistrict decided to initiate a riverENC of the Atchafalaya River as apilot project,” said Mark Nettles,cartographer in Engineering Divi-sion.

River ENCs are digital databases,regulated as to content, structure andformat for use with electroniccharting systems in navigable riversand waterways. It contains all thechart and hydrographic information

necessary for safe navigation oninland waterways. River ENCs areused with other shipboard equipmentsuch as radar, sonar, and globalpositioning systems (GPS) in asoftware or hardware form.

With this new river electronicnavigation chart, mariners have“instantaneous view of their locationon the river,” said Nettles. The river

ENC provides a computer-basednaviga tion infor mation syst em capableof determining a vessel’s position inrelation to land, charted objects, naviga-tion aids and unseen hazards.

“The Corps’ goal is to make river ENCsas readily available to our customers asGPS receivers are today,” explainedNettles.

“As an automated, interactive naviga-tion tool, it also assists the mariner in

By Terri Jackson

Mark Nettles onboard the survey boat MV Burrwood, where he tested160 miles of the Atchafalya River ENC in May.

courtesy photo

Rollin' on the river, electronically

“Overall, the Atchafalaya River conversionwas highly successful,” Nettles said.

route planning and monitoring,” Nettlessaid. They display additionalnaviga tion an d char t related infor-mation such as water depths,current flow and weather.

The Atchafalaya River ENC is aventure into a new technologicalfield for the Corps. The districthas converted the chart data fromprinted, paper products to a full

hydro version of a GeographicInformation System (GIS) and digitaldata production for the Internet.

“For one week in May, weconducted field tests 160 milesalong the Atchafalaya River,”Nettles said. “We chose significantfeatures and points to evaluate theaccuracy of the River ENC.” Thetesting started at the Old RiverControl Structure and ended at

Eugene Island near the Gulf of Mexico.

The data proved to beexceptionally accurate.“Overall, the AtchafalayaRiver conversion washighly successful,” Nettlessaid.

To get a firsthand view of the ENC database for theAtchafalaya River, visit theMaps and Data page atwww.mvn.usace.army.mil.Click on “Atchafalaya RiverElectronic NavigationalChart.”

Contacts for theAtchafalaya River ENC areJulie Vignes, Operations, andRalph Scheid, Engineering.

Presently, NOD is initiatingan extensive electronic chartfor the lower Mississippi River.A river ENC of the lowerMississippi River will eventu-ally be available via the Web.




Three-year Corps employeeQuynh Dang, Internal Review,is one of 22 Asian Americans

working and making a significantdifference at the district.

A native of South Vietnam, Dangimmigrated to the United States in1992 with aspirations of achieving asuccessful life. “After living pay-check to paycheck, I realized thateducation was the only way I wasgoing to achieve the success Idesired,” Dang said.

While working part-time andstruggling to learn English, QuynhDang earned an associate’s degree ingeneral studies with a businessconcentration from Delgado in 1996.She then went on to the University of New Orleans where she obtained abachelor ’s degree in accounting in1999.

Dang comes from a family of teachers, so the importance of education was heavily instilled in her.She is now completing her MBA.Her next step is to become a certi-fied public accountant.

Dang first became interested inaccounting to escape her fear of communicatin g in English. Not veryfamiliar with the language, she choseaccounting as her major with thebelief, “It would be just me and a

By Terri Jackson

photo by Scott Riecke

“I firmly believe in the chief’s ‘Just doit!’ philosophy,” Dang said.

computer and I would have to com-municate very little,” Dang said.“Realizing that I was wrong, I thenbecame very fond of both accountingand communicating.”

Dang’s first position here was as astudent co-op in Resource Manage-ment while studying at UNO. Sheperformed many duties that gave herexperience in accounting.

Dang always knew that she wantedto go full-time at the Corps. “The

Corps has avery friendlyworkingenvironment.I felt sowelcomed andhonored towork for thegovernment,”Dang said.

In InternalReview, Dangaudits thedifferentoffices withinthe district.Her job is toinsure thateach office isin compliancewith regula-tions andlaws. Theaudit reportsprovide thedistrict'sdecisionmakers withobjective,reliable andtimely infor-mation.

When asked to describe her work ethic, Dang said, “I firmly believe in the

In 1999 there was a terrible floodin central Viet Nam that killed hun-dreds of people and left thousandshomeless. Van Nguyen, EngineeringDivision, and other Vietnamese-American engineers who started agroup called the Freedom Club, askedCorps employees for donations to helpthe desperate flood victims. “I askedMs. Dang to donate only $5 because Iknew she was just a co-op studen t anddidn’t have much money. Ms. Dangsurprised me with $50 to add to ourrelief effort,” Nguyen said, recallingDang’s kindness.

“I want to help wherever I can,”Dang said.

In her spare time, she enjoystutoring Vietnamese-American childrenat her Buddhist temple.

chief’s ‘Just do it!’ philosophy.”Now a junior auditor for InternalReview, Dang finds herself asking thethree questions Lt. Gen. Flowers,chief of engineers, encourages allCorps employees to ask beforemaking decisions at work.

Most people who know QuynhDang say that she has a naturalgenerosity. “She has a very bigheart,” said Cindy Doan, EngineeringDivision.

There is always something exciting in Internal Reviewfor junior auditor Quynh Dang.

An ongoing success story




Around the District

Congratulations

Condolences

to John Hall (PA) and Beverly Hall (Castle Kids) whoseson, Flannery L.S. Hall, graduated from the Navy’s BasicEnlisted Submarine School in Groton, Conn. on August 9.Yeoman Seaman Hall has been assigned to the fleet ballisticmissile submarine USS Henry M. Jackson, whose homeportis Bangor, Wash.

to Brenda Jones (WCSC) whose son, Russell Wilcox,graduated from UNO with a 3.65 GPA in engineering.Russell is currently employed with Entergy.

to Ronald W. King (ED), who was married toValencia V. Johnson on August 4 at The Carrollton.

to Ada Benavides-Hill , Julie LeBlanc and MarkWingate , who were promoted to GS-13 senior projectmanagement positions. Ada will be assigned to PMBranch-East, Julie to CWPPRA Branch, and Mark to PMBranch-West.

to Gayle Lawrence (OD), whose mother died onAugust 5.

to Mark D’Antoni (OD), whose father died onAugust 3.

to Joe Giardina (PM), whose sister died on July 27.to the family of Hugh Wright (PM), who died on

August 8.to the family of Gail Mayeaux (retired), who died on

August 10 . to Joe Dicharry (PM) whose father died on August27.

Come out and support NOD’s Annual Health FairOctober 11 at 10 a.m-2 p.m. Venders will give outinformation on their health services, take blood pressure,diabetes, glaucoma and cholesterol screenings, givemassages and much more.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month .On October 17-18, Adrian Boutin will speak about earlydetection of breast cancer and educate women and men onhow to perform self-examinations. June Murphree (RM)will be sharing her own personal fight with breast cancer.Employee Enrichment Series and the Wellness Programare sponsoring the event.

The Recreational Activities Council will sponsor Making Strides Against Breast Cancer , a 3.5-mile walk on October 20 at the Lakefront at 10 a.m. Participants willreceive a free shirt.

Health Events

photo by Anne Marino

Darwin Reed, who retired September 3 after 30years of service, enjoys a farewell gi ft from RealEstate co-workers. Reed is going to work part-timefor g.c.r. & associates, Inc.



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US Army: September