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  • April

    Man wearing red life jacket holding yellow dry bag and ticket saying "I got caught wearing my life jacket" stands in front of a sign stating "life jackets worn... nobody mourns" with two people in a red and yellow life jacket reach for one another.

    Creating the foundation for lasting change

    In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Natural Resource Section gained a new partner, the Corps Foundation. The Corps Foundation was founded by retired USACE employees and partners who volunteer their time to support recreation at USACE lake and river projects. During their time as employees or contractors, the foundation’s board of directors were able to see the needs within the organization and created the non-profit foundation. The Corps Foundation has provided over $2.93 million in support of recreation, education and advocacy at USACE lake and river projects across the nation.

  • March

    A man stands in the foreground with a virtual reality set on his face and holds a controller while standing on a green screen. Several people are in the background watching.

    Technology Management Office: improving USACE partnerships through innovation

    Imagine if you were told that a new software platform could save you 40% of the time you currently spend on administrative tasks at work. What could you do with that extra time? That is the exciting question that many within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers might be asking themselves when a new construction management platform is released to the enterprise. The Technology Management Office, or TMO, a branch of the Construction Management Innovation Office within USACE Headquarters, is working hard to develop and deliver a new construction management platform. The new platform will be designed to foster a more efficient, collaborative working environment by streamlining and modernizing current construction management processes.
  • A man stands behind a podium and presents a training which is displayed on a projector screen in the background.

    Setting the standard: Kansas City District recommits to delivering quality

    Since its inception, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, has worked hard to solidify itself as a trusted federal partner who engineers quality projects for the nation. Within the organization, a select few districts have taken the commitment to quality a step further. The Kansas City District is one district that puts quality above all else. One way the Kansas City District ensures quality remains at the forefront is by providing district-wide training. Leadership at the district required all Kansas City District employees to attend the Project Delivery Business Program, or PDBP, training during the first quarter of 2023.
  • A group of people in reflective vests and hard hats stand in the snow in front of a large grey bridge outside.

    Leading the way: Kansas Citys Levees Program

    Unless you work or live near the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, the significance of the rivers may not be at the forefront of your mind. It is, however, at the forefront of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District’s mind. The Kansas City District supports flood risk reduction on the Missouri and Kansas Rivers by delivering sustainable solutions to meet the ever-growing water resource needs of the Heartland and the nation.

  • February

    Man in park ranger uniform stands with wooden award in his hands.

    Kansas City District announces 2022 Ranger of the Year Award

    Ask a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers what they like most about their job and you will likely get a response about being outdoors in nature and the freedom of not being stuck behind a desk every day. One of the more unique positions within USACE Kansas City District, park rangers, or Natural Resource Specialists as they are officially known, are responsible for developing wildlife conservation activities, managing environmental programs and supporting recreation through public safety, much of which is done in the great outdoors.
  • A man in a military uniform, a construction vest and hard hat speak with a woman in a construction jacket and hard hat, while another person watches from near by.

    250 miles in 24 hours: Lt. Gen. Spellmon visits the Kansas City District

    From Kansas City to St. Louis – Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, 55th Chief of Engineers and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general, covered over 250 miles while he visited the Heartland last week. Lt. Gen. Spellmon visited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, to see the district’s projects and the people behind the great work supporting our nation on Jan. 26, 2023.

  • January

    A large group of people pose for a photo in front on a large stone wall.

    Annual Natural Resource Workshop: a chance for education and collaboration

    For the first time since 2019, the rangers and natural resource specialists from all 18 Kansas City District lake projects and the Kansas City District Headquarters management were able to gather in person for the annual Natural Resource Management Workshop in Bolivar, Missouri. The Kansas City District has lake and river projects in four states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. With such a widespread area of responsibility, it is not always easy for park managers and rangers to meet one another. This four-day annual workshop allowed for the rangers to have their required continuing education on natural resource management, visitor assistance, visit projects close to the workshop and network with other rangers
  • Don Gillette, recently retired from the Kansas City District, on his own time playing his hammer dulcimer in 2012.

    Gillette retires from federal career, not from hammer dulcimer

    When records manager Don Gillette retired from the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at the end of 2022, he did not stop playing his beloved hammer dulcimer.
  • Man performs CPR on a CPR doll that is lying on a table.

    Life-saving skills taught at Kansas City District

    Safety is the top priority not only at home but also at work. Cynthia Wiederstein, Administrative Officer, Construction Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, knows just how important safety is and advocated for the Construction Support Division within the District to receive life-saving CPR and first-aid training on Dec. 20, 2022, at the district headquarters. The instructors for the CPR and first-aid training class were none other than her daughters-in-law, Deena Kerschner Johnson and Veronica Carrillo Johnson. Deena owns Heart and Soul LLC and has been training others in CPR since June 2021.
  • Man in red jersey poses with glass trophy and red football helmet with a gray background.

    Adaptive in the face of adversity: Matthew Scholten, Human Resource Assistant

    He’s the first person to greet you when you walk into the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center office, but there’s more than meets the eye with Matthew Scholten. While Scholten’s current title is Human Resources Assistant with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, he is also a retired Army staff sergeant and an adaptive athlete for the Kansas City Chiefs wheelchair football team. His time within the Army shaped how he would live the rest of his life and led to him finding his love for wheelchair football.