John Sederwall

2 Tower Times January 2004

Story by Shannan Walsten, Public Affairs

Maintenance Supervisor, Saylorville Lake

Spotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the DistrictSpotlight on the District

Spotlight on the District

A lifetime career with no regrets maysound too good to believe for some people, but for Saylorville

Lake Maintenance Supervisor JohnSederwall, this is exactly what working forthe Corps of Engineers has provided himwith during the past 38 years. Althoughthis may seem like a rare find, if one lookseven further into Sederwall’s life, he willdiscover several uniqueaspects to this Corpsmember; aspects we mightwant to aspire to in our owncareers. Born and raised inHannibal, Mo., near Lockand Dam 22, Sederwall metand formed several friend-ships with workers from thelock. These close friendswould eventually convincehim to apply for a job withthe Corps shortly afterattending SouthwestMissouri State University fortwo years. Since 1965, Sederwall hashad the opportunity towatch the Saylorville Dam gofrom virtually a "river meandering throughthe Des Moines River Valley, to a greatearth structure impounding a lake withcompleted recreation areas surroundingit." In fact, he was there in 1977, as part ofthe efforts to make the first gate changesgo into effect. In a way, it seems asthough Sederwall and the Saylorville Damhave grown and expanded togetherthroughout the years. Dedication might be a personal valuebusinesses look for in employees, but it is

not always easy to find. Fortunately forSaylorville Lake, this was not the casewhen they hired Sederwall. His coworkers say he has shown anexceptional level of dedication throughoutthe years, but he is most remembered forhis outstanding efforts during the Floodof 1993. "During the flood, I lead the mainte-nance team in managing the area's flood-

fighting efforts," said Sederwall. "It wasone of my proudest moments." It is no surprise that after serving withthe Corps for almost four decades,Sederwall has gained a great deal ofrespect from his fellow co-workers. "His expertise, knowledge and corpo-rate memory have proved to be invaluableto myself and the rest of the staff," saidSteve Fairbanks, operations manager,Saylorville Lake. "So much of what hedoes, we take for granted because of his

extensive knowledge of the position, ourmaintenance program, and our project. Hewill be difficult if not impossible to replacewhen he decides to retire." Along with his six-member crew,Sederwall maintains the area surroundingSaylorville Lake. Under his direction, thecrew ensures the recreation areas are safefor the public, and they handle any newjobs or repairs that are thrown their way.

"No one person dictates whatthe crew’s work will be for theday," said Sedarwall. "But rather,their work is dictated by whatneeds to be fixed." Sederwall says each new daybrings with it a possibility foranything, and he doesn't mind thelack of repetition in his job.Perhaps that is why some of hisfavorite hobbies include campingand fishing. Like his job, he neverknows what he’s going to getwhen he sets out for them. A lifetime career with no regretsis something most people maystrive to obtain, but maybe it ismore obtainable than one maythink.

What worked for John Sederwall? Inthe overall picture, it appears to beoptimism. Broken down into three steps, hisadvice includes to: "Always do the best inthe position you are in; always attempt toget along with your peers and the public;and always have an open mind and look atboth sides of a story. These principles have continued towork for Sederwall throughout his 38years.

District EngineerCol. Duane P. Gapinski

EditorMark A. Kane

Chief, Public AffairsRon Fournier

This newsletter is an authorizedpublication for members of the U.S.Army. Contents of the Tower Timesare not necessarily official views of,or endorsed by, the U.S. Govern-ment, Department of Defense,Department of the Army, or theRock Island District U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers.

It is published monthly usingoffset press by the Public AffairsOffice, Rock Island District, U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, ClockTower Building, Box 2004, RockIsland, IL 61204-2004. Phone (309)794-5730. Circulation 1,500.

The deadline for submittingarticles for the Tower Times is the7th of the preceding month. Sendarticles to Editor, Public AffairsOffice, U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers, Clock Tower Building, P.O.Box 2004, Rock Island, IL, 61204-2004.

The Tower Times is printedon recycled paper.

On the web, in living color, at:http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil

January 2004

Tower TimesContents

On the Cover Wendy Frohlich, MississippiRiver Visitor Center, fields aquestion from a local student at theQuad-Cities Bald Eagle Days held atthe Quad City Conservation AllianceExposition Center in Rock Island, Ill. The event featured numerousdisplays, which included live presen-tations of a bald eagle, a hawk, and anowl. See page 10 for more. Photo byMark Kane.

District Mentoring

January 2004 Tower Times 3

Navigation StudyNears Completion

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Winter Work,Leadership Turnover

6-7

Tower TimesU.S. Army Corps of

EngineersRock Island District

Vol. 26 No. 3January 2004

4 Tower Times January 2004

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had an enjoyableholiday season. This coming year will have its share of challenges. I’d like to talk about a few and give you my

perspective.

Deployment of P2: Sometime this spring, probably in April, theDistrict will field P2, the project management automated informa-tion system. P2 will ultimately allow us to execute the ProjectManagement Business Process more efficiently and effectivelyby providing one source of information for all our projects. Realistically, we can expect there will be some bugs to workout; but, as always, our determination, innovation and teamworkwill make this work. We will resume PMBP training in the nearfuture, and time this training so we are best prepared for thefielding of P2. Employees will be trained to use P2, if they will be using it tomanage resources. Others will be trained to access it to obtainproject information. Employees on Project Delivery Teams will beasked for additional information for the management system. Allemployees, and eventually our customers, will have access to P2to view project information.

USACE 2012: Right now our higher headquarters, MississippiValley Division, and Headquarters, are reorganizing to implementUSACE 2012. They will do what we have been doing for quitesome time – working as project-focused teams. For instance, atMVD there are three District Support Teams – ours services bothRock Island and St. Paul Districts – composed with membersrepresenting a variety of functional areas. The DST serves as our single point of entry into the MVDstaff and will become the MVD experts on District issues. As we all know, change is difficult and the people at ourheadquarters are going through some major adjustments. I askyour support in helping them adapt. They are all on the sameteam as us and we owe it to the organization to help them makethese reorganizations work. Also, the MVD team will implementthe regionalization of support functions by October of this year.District personnel (Larry Barnett and Ron Fournier, to name two)are involved in crafting those plans, and we will share those asthey are developed. Again, change is hard, but the purpose of these changes areto allow us to deliver timely, effective services at the lowestpossible cost.

Continuous Improvement: We are beginning to implement thework accomplished by some of our strategy teams. These teams

were chartered as a result ofour strategic planningprocess. Strategy Team 2.3 is puttingthe finishing touches on theirwork on the District’s meet-ings and decision-makingprocess, and we will deploythese soon. Strategy Team 2.1 hascreated the District Scorecardas a home for the performancemeasures used by Districtleaders to run the organization. Because it is so importantfor these processes toproduce significant results,the District’s senior leadersuse their monthly Executive Steering Board meetings to continu-ously review the strategy team charters to ensure what we haveasked each team to do is achievable in a reasonable timeframe. I look forward to incorporating more results into our way ofdoing business. I will discuss the results of these teams ingreater detail at the town hall meeting in February.

The Navigation Study: I will be somewhat understating and say thatThe Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System Naviga-tion Study is important to the credibility of the Corps. The study team has done an outstanding job of engagingstakeholders, the public and interest groups and using the bestscience available to recommend navigation efficiency improvementsand ecosystem-restoration actions for this nationally vital system. Right now the study team is working on the briefing of thetentative study recommendations and the Draft FeasibilityReport. The briefing takes place in February, and the draft reportwill be released in April. The Chief’s report is due to Congress inOctober. The recommendations we make will include a discussion of allof the accompanying risks and uncertainties. In other words, wewill address those issues that have gotten a lot of press lately.We fully intend to lay all of our cards on the table, so to speak,and then the Congress can do as it wishes.

Thank you again for all the great things you do for our nation.This is an excellent organization to be a part of, and I am confi-dent we will rise to these challenges and many more. Essayons.

Embracing ChangeBy Col. Duane Gapinski, District Engineer

January 2004 Tower Times 5

The 2004 Pathfinders MentoringProgram is underway, with 14mentor/protégé pairs matched and

ready to begin the formal six-monthprogram with a kickoff training andorientation session on Jan. 20. This is the second year of the District’sprogram, sponsored by the SpecialEmphasis Program Committee. Last year’sprogram was extremely successful, withthe protégés gaining insight on goal-setting and career development. Some ofthe protégés will continue meeting withtheir mentors informally to receivefeedback, advice and coaching as theywork toward meeting the goals that wereidentified during the formal 2003 Pathfind-ers program. "As a protégé in the 2003 PathfindersMentoring Program, I found the experi-ence to be rewarding, not only profession-ally, but also personally," said AdrienneBlackwell, Real Estate. "If you are given the opportunity to bea protégé or a mentor, just do it," saidBlackwell. "The rewards are priceless."

By Gail Clingerman, Programs and Project Management

Mentoring Program Celebrates Success,Starts New in 2004

Mentors are the key to the success ofthe program, and fortunately, the Districthas an abundance of experienced andenthusiastic employees eager to helpothers meet their career goals. Many ofthe mentors are past graduates of variousleadership and training courses offered bythe Department of the Army or the Corpsof Engineers, including the District’sLeadership Development Program. Becoming a mentor is one way forgraduates of these programs to pass ontheir knowledge and give back to theCorps community. Mark Cornish, Pro-grams and Project Management and 2004Pathfinders mentor, is a 2002 District LDPgraduate and was also a mentor in lastyear’s program. “Pathfinders mentoring allows me toput the skills I learned in LDP intopractice,” said Cornish. The Pathfinders Working Committeerecommended a few changes to this year’sprogram, based on an after-action review.Improvements include the development ofa list of potential topics for the mentor/

protégé discus-sion sessions, amid-program bookreview, an AARdiscussionsession withprotégés, and asatellite course onleadership forprotégés andother interestedDistrict employ-ees. The focus ofthe programremains the sameas when theprogram wasdeveloped in2002: to capitalizeon the experi-ences of success-

ful role models (mentors) by makingthem available on a volunteer basis toDistrict personnel (protégés) who wish todefine and develop goal setting andpersonal initiatives. This is donethrough two hours of mentor/protégémeetings per month, and attendance atmonthly career-development lunch andlearns. Last year’s lunch and learnsincluded such popular topics as inter-viewing skills, resume writing, andnetworking skills. These lunch andlearns are open to all District employees,and the Special Emphasis ProgramCommittee plans to offer equally relevantand appealing lunch and learn opportuni-ties in 2004. This year’s program includes fourprotégés who work in the field, includingthree wage-grade employees. Fieldparticipation in the program is encour-aged, since one of the reasons for thedevelopment of this program was to fillthe gap in existing developmental oppor-tunities, particularly for lower-gradedemployees. Each of the lunch and learnsessions is videotaped, and the tapes aremailed to the field protégés so they can beviewed at the employee’s convenience. Inaddition, field protégés are generallymatched with a mentor at a nearbylocation, either someone located at a fieldsite or at the Clock Tower Building. Thisfacilitates face-to-face meetings betweenthe mentors and protégés, although somementoring can be done by phone or e-mail. The Pathfinders program will be offeredannually, with training in January andformal mentoring from February throughJuly. Any questions or comments aboutthe program can be directed to thePathfinders Working Committee members:Gail Clingerman, Programs and ProjectManagement, Cindy Banks, EqualEmployment Opportunity, Karen Grizzle,Real Estate, and Mari Fournier, ResourceManagement.

Tracy Street, Programs and Project Management, studies under DonnaJones, Operations Division, as part of the 2003 Pathfinders MentoringProgram.

6 Tower Times January 2004

Maintenance employees working out of the Mississippi River Project Office have been

operating with a full plate this winter, whichis business as usual this time of year. "As our already antique infrastructuregrows older with each passing year, ourbacklog of maintenance grows almost atan exponential rate," said Bill Gretten,Mississippi River Operations Manager."We work to identify, prioritize and planour repair work for the future, but newproblems continue to surface unexpect-edly causing us to throw out our best-laidplans to address something more urgent." One example of this occurred a coupleyears ago on New Year's Eve. TheMississippi River Structures Repair Crewhad planned for months to remove andrepair the lower miter gates at Lock 19,they had already mobilized on site whenthe failure of a lower miter gate at MelvinPrice Lock in the St. Louis District causeda change in plans. The crew left Lock 19and moved the repair fleet through 15inches of ice to get to Mel Price Lock andmake the emergency repair. This resulted

in delaying the work at Lock 19 by morethan a year. "Folks should understand that thestructural damage that requires theserepairs is not a result of negligence orabuse by lock operators, but is almostalways a result of either towboat allisions(a nautical term used when a vessel strikesor collides with a stationary object) orfatigue failure simply due to the age of thestructures and the enormous number ofcycles or lockages on the equipment,"said Gretten. "Our locks, dams and allassociated equipment were originallydesigned to last 50 years. The fact thatthe system still operates after nearly 70years of use is a tribute to the diligentefforts of the lock crews who performregular preventive maintenance, and therepair crews who perform the larger repairjobs." Gretten said the hard work of theprofessionals that work for him is the mainreason things continue to operate as wellas they do. "These folks understand the impor-tance of the lock system to the nation’s

economy and they strive to minimizedowntime to our customers," said Gretten. In addition to a lot of long hours, ittakes the combined experience andinstitutional knowledge of many employ-ees that know how to solve numerousrepair problems. "There is no manual or textbook formiter gate or tainter-valve repair," saidGretten. "Such guidance usually comesfrom the past experience of others." One of the District’s best sources forthis knowledge was lost recently whenBud Marion retired from his position asthe general maintenance supervisor forthe Maintenance Section, MississippiRiver Project Office, after almost 35 yearsof service. "Bud’s knowledge and experience wasinstrumental in many, many repairs madenot only in the District, but also in otherriver districts from St. Paul down to NewOrleans," said Gretten. "Bud’s work ethicand attitude was exemplary – you couldcall him at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning inJanuary and tell him we had a breakdownat a lock downriver, and his response

Mississippi River Winter Work in Full Swing

Marion

The lower mitergate is repositionedback into place atLock 15 after it wasrepaired at LeClaireBase in 2001.Repairs to the uppermiter gates fromLock 19 are under-way at LeClaireBase. Photo by MarkKane.

January 2004 Tower Times 7

would always be 'I’m on my way' – I neverheard him complain once. He wouldalways stick with a problem until asolution was found. Gretten said he was most impressedwith Marion during this past year as heapproached his retirement. "It seems that many folks slow downand ease their way into retirement, butBud was not about to do it that way," saidGretten. "He continued to work hard upuntil the day he retired. During his lasttwo weeks on the job, several of usaccompanied Bud as he made a last trip toall the locks, Dredged Material Manage-ment Program sites, and projects he hadunderway along the 319-mile stretch of theMississippi River Project." Gretten said the purpose of the trip wasto make a clean hand-off of all Marion'swork to his new replacement, JohnWayne. "In normal fashion, Bud had us on theroad at 6:30 a.m. and at 6:30 p.m., in totaldarkness of course," said Gretten. "Wewere still out looking at DMMP sites withthe truck’s headlights as Bud continued to

enthusiastically explain all the work thatwe were going to accomplish in thecoming year. "For three days, we tooklots of notes and pictures as we seized theopportunity to learn from Bud one lasttime. "The District can rest assured that aclean hand-off was made to John Waynewho, with more than 30 years experiencehimself, is certainly no rookie to this typeof work," said Gretten. "John brings hisown enthusiasm and valuable-institutionalknowledge to the position, and thetransition should appear seamless to theDistrict." Some of the items the Mississippi RiverMaintenance Section is tackling throughthis winter include:� Repair and rehabilitate both upper

miter gates from Lock 22. (Thesegates were removed from Lock 22and transported to LeClaire basewhere the repairs are already under-way.)

� Install a single-point pick-up on Lock15 auxiliary-miter gates in preparationfor removal and repair next year.

� Construct mooring blocks in Smith’sIsland area of LeClaire Canal.

� Repair of miter-gate strut arms forLock 22.

� Strike removal (mechanical dredging)at Lock 22.

� Improve the Keithsburg DredgedMaterial Management Program site(dredge disposal site).

� Inspect Lock 19 tainter valves.� Repair the Motor Vessel Bettendorf. While the Mississippi River ProjectOffice maintenance crews are handling thelarger projects listed above, the lock crewsuse the winter period to catch up on theirbacklog of maintenance and repair. Someof the work that will be completed by thelock crews this winter include:� Replace damaged miter-gate timbers.� Inspecting tainter-valve and miter-

gate speed reducers and providing oilchanges for the reducers.

� Replace and widen some miter-gatewalkways.

� Overhauling tractors, Cushmanscooters, pumps, generators, etc.

Bill Gretten contributed to this article.

John Wayne discussesthe maintenance section'swork with Maj. Gen. HansVan Winkle, deputy chief ofengineers at the time ofthis photo, during thegeneral's visit to Locks andDams 14 in May. Wayne was recentlypromoted to generalmaintenance supervisor forthe Maintenance Section,Mississippi River ProjectOffice, the positionpreviously held by BudMarion until he retiredfrom the District. Photo by Mark Kane.

Hands Reins to Wayne

8 Tower Times January 2004

Organizational Change Within the Corps,

the Transformational Power of DialogueBy Doug Davis, Deputy for Small BusinessLayout by Joe Nobiling, Information Management

Organizational change, in many ways, is like changing the geography or landscape of a city when erecting a newdam, bridge, highway, or skyscraper. Once the plans are

laid, construction begins with the placement of the infrastructure,ie., the footings, the forms, the pilings, etc. The practice of purposefully developing the ability to engagein true dialogue is emerging as one of the most importantelements of transformational change. It can go a long waytoward helping an organization establish a solid foundation,especially for the profound, institutional kind of change, the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers is facing today. Dialogue is about creating a structure for powerful conversa-tions, a structure that encourages and supports exploration,moment-to-moment learning, the freedom to think and imagine,and the ability to move towards a more desired futurecollaboratively. It is the structure of dialogue that creates a container that isboth open enough and strong enough to allow widely differentoptions to be voiced and heard, a structure that focuses ourintentions and attention in ways that allows us to range far andwide, to ask questions we might not have previously dared, toloosen our grip on hallowed certainties and to listen for newways to live and work together. If the Corps of Engineers is to improve the quality of life for itsemployees in these times of “white water” change, we will need adiscipline of collective practice to develop intuitive sensibilitiesand a receptive, non-judgmental environment, where people canlearn to treat one another with honor. This is an environmentthat can be ensured through the practice of dialogue. Where dialogue is adopted and practiced widely, it changesthe underlying culture to one that is more partnership andcollaboratively based. Like a wing dam on the Illinois Waterway,dialogue expands our ability to adapt to increasingly complex andrapidly changing conditions. Millions of dollars are lost everyday by organizations simplybecause of the limited and ineffective ways they have learned tocommunicate. Think back to some of the meetings you haveattended that were long, dry, boring, and unproductive. If we are to change the ways in which we communicate withone another, we must find a way to surface the underlying valuesand mental models that keep us locked into limited ways ofspeaking and listening. It is the quality of our relationships that makes the criticaldifference in getting the results we are looking for. Many timeswe are culturally blind to this critical factor, because we attend tothe results, rather than to how we get the results throughworking with others. Cultural blindness is also related to the way we see the world,the lens we look through on a daily basis. I’m reminded of a

story of a father who had just taken his children to see their first3-D movie that explains the phenomenon quite eloquently. The father said, “This past weekend I took my kids to see theirfirst 3-D movie. I was blown away with how the glasses alteredmy vision. Not like I expected though. I was not overly im-pressed with the 3-D effects in the movie itself; what reallysurprised me was what happened when I exited the theater.When I came out of the theater and removed my 3-D glasses, Iexperienced the greatest parable of life. Life is how we view it. “After wearing glasses where one lens was red and the otherwas blue, my eyes had adjusted to the colors. Now with my nakedeyes, out of one eye the world had a blue tint and out of the othereye the world had a red tint. I could not believe my eyes, I hadnever heard of that phenomenon before. I rubbed my eyes, closedone eye, and alternated them over and over. Everything lookedredder, then everything looked bluer, over and over. “I had enough scientific knowledge and common sense toknow the whole world was not changing colors, timed perfectlyto the instant I shut one eye and opened the other. This was themost altered my vision had ever been, yet it was perhaps theclearest I had ever seen the world. I now saw the argumentbetween the optimist and the pessimist solved, it depends onwhich eye you have open.” In your life, do you focus on those who have more than you,or those who are less fortunate than you? Do you focus on howbad your job is, or that you have a job? Do you focus on thesmallness of your closet and house, or do you see that you haveso many clothes you don’t have room to store them? What eyeare you looking out of? If you want the world to look differently, it may be easier foryou to open the other eye than to paint the world. Through an ongoing practice of dialogue, we can breathe newlife into our relationships and transcend the limitations of formaljob roles and status. We can move beyond the individual tofocus on the larger social and cultural context in which we liveand work. We can open and look through the other eye. Using dialogue and the skills that support it can be thebeginning of a fundamental change in organizational culture, andone of the most valuable activities available are conversationsabout the assumptions that drive all strategies, planning anddecision-making activities. Dialogue is a powerful practice fieldfor developing these capabilities. Creating the kind of breakthrough thinking that is needed inthe complex world of change that the Corps of Engineers is, andwill continue to experience in the months and years to come, willrequire a combination of skill, craft, art, and an ability to addresscrucial, yet often undiscussable aspects of an issue or problemso that better choices can be made. Dialogue is the primary key.

January 2004 Tower Times 9

Most people who work for theCorps know about the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois

Waterway System Navigation Study.However, depending upon a person’sindividual job and interest, the level ofknowledge varies, especially in a study asmulti-faceted and far-reaching as this. The Corps restructured the study inlate 2001 to take a more comprehensiveapproach toward the relationship betweenthe environment and navigation. Asimplified look at the Study reveals a two-part effort targeting navigation efficiencyand ecosystem restoration. A benefit ofthis holistic approach is the high level ofpublic involvement that is required, whichalso acts as a method of allowing anyperson, group or stakeholder to voicetheir opinions and concerns and havethem addressed. The public had theopportunity to see, learn about, andcomment on the Draft Feasibility Study atseven public meetings held in October. The Corps contracted with the NationalResearch Council to review the Plan, andin December they issued a report discuss-ing their initial findings. The NRC reportoffered both positive comments and areasof concern in addressing the FeasibilityStudy.

By Patricia Ryan, Public Affairs The NRC review will continue throughthe completion of the Feasibility Studyscheduled for this fall. This is the first ofthree reports the NRC will produce in thecourse of their review. The NRC review isan ongoing process and the reviewcommittee is still collecting and evaluatinginput to study. Their findings are likely toevolve as the review and coordinationcontinues. "I welcome the comments of the NRC,and we will use their input to improve thequality and content of our study," said Lt.Gen. Robert B. Flowers, chief of engineers. "Independent review is essential forlarge and controversial studies like theUpper Mississippi River and IllinoisWaterway Navigation Feasibility Study toensure the quality of the study analysisand process and to ensure the bestavailable science and engineering areapplied in conducting the study," saidFlowers. "The NRC has the right combi-nation of integrity, reputation and techni-cal excellence to help the Corps achievethe best possible study and recommenda-tions." The study team is now gathering inputon the range of alternatives and consider-ing public comments, along with the inputof stakeholders in the river system, to

narrow the list of options to a single,integrated recommended plan. Details ofthat plan will be documented in the UpperMississippi River - Illinois WaterwaySystem Navigation Study Draft FeasibilityReport slated for release in April. “This study is extremely important tothe economic and environmentalsustainability of the region,” said DennyLundberg, Navigation Study regionalproject manager. The next opportunity for publiccomment will be after the Draft FeasibilityReport is released in April, when a seriesof public meetings will be conducted toanswer questions, receive comments, andgather public and stakeholder feedback onthe proposed alternative reflected in theDraft Plan. “Although this seems like a longprocess, the careful consideration ofmyriad interests including agricultural,economic, political, environmental, andfinancial must meld together to create along-range effective plan benefiting alland meeting the challenges of the future,”said Lundberg.

On the ‘Net

www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/umr-iwwsns

Navigation Study Nears Completion

A tow maneuvers its barges through LaGrange Lock and Dam on the Illinois River in early October. Photo by Mark Kane.

Investing In Our People

Around the District

Recent Retirements ...

District Commander’sAward

10 Tower Times January 2004

District Supports Quad-Cities Bald Eagle Days

�

Harold Rieck, lock and dam operator,Lock and Dam 16, Operations Division, willretire Feb. 2, after dedicating 34 years andtwo months to the federal government.

Michael Hoh, Contracting, received theOctober District Commander's Award. Hoh, a contract specialist, earned theaward through his initiative of volunteer-ing to act as the contracting officertechnical representative to replace thecarpeting in Contracting and meetcontract delivery date. His effortsincluded providing packing and movinginstructions, meeting security require-ments, and locating a staging area for theinstallation of the carpet. As a result ofHoh's hard work, a quality product wasdelivered and installed.

Jim Wilson, OperationsDivision, and Joel Peterson,Engineering Division, earnedthe Commander's Award forCivilian Services whiledeployed in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom. Wilson earned the awardfor his achievements while

serving as the Iraq Reconstruction Officesector manager for airports. His technicalexpertise, attention to detail, and straight-shooting reviews, with respect to joborders, provided the U.S. Agency forInternational Development Support Officewith a necessary platform for revisionsthat resulted in team’s overall success andUSAID’s endorsement of the IRO opera-tion. Peterson earned the award for hisachievements while serving as the IraqReconstruction Office sector manager forwater and sanitation. Specifically, heearned the award for his labor-intensivework with USAID Support Office and theMinistry of Municipalities and PublicWorks on prioritizing a project list for a$350 million supplemental package. Hiscoordination skills, coupled with hisknowledge and on-site leadership,contributed greatly to the team’s overallsuccess and USAID’s positive outlook onthe IRO operation.

Commander’s Award forCivilian Service Awarded toDeployed District Employees

Gapinski to Give FirstTown Hall Col. Duane Gapinski, District Engineer,will conduct his first District Town HallFeb. 10, at Naval and Marine CorpsReserve Center Rock Island. The Town Hall will begin at 10 a.m. andwill give Gapinski the opportunity to talkabout current Corps initiatives that willaffect the District. This will also be your opportunity toask him questions about issues thatconcern you. All employees are encouraged toattend, and a videotape of the Town Hallwill be made available to employeeslocated at field sites who cannot attend.

The District once again providedsupport to the Quad-Cities Bald EagleDays held Jan. 9 through the 11 at theQuad City Conservation Alliance Exposi-tion Center in Rock Island, Ill. Staff from the Mississippi River VisitorCenter provided important support duringthe Friday school day and interfaced withmore than 1,500 students, teachers andparents during the event, which is arecord number of participants. The Visitor Center staff also providedcoverage for a Corps’ booth during theindoor portion of the event, with 719participants stopping at the booth to learnmore about the District's support ofnatural resource management along theMississippi River. All told, an estimated 16,000 peopleattended the Quad Cities Bald Eagle Days.

�

Readership Survey ... We’re looking for your feedback toimprove your Tower Times. Our District’s official news magazine,the Tower Times, is written and publishedfor the employees, and retirees andfamilies of the Rock Island District. It’syour publication and this is your chanceto impact what is covered, how often it’spublished, and how well you like thecontent. We need your input to gage the TowerTimes’ effectiveness in meeting yourneeds as a reader. The results of the survey will be usedto improve the Tower Times and work toserve the publication’s readership to themaximum extent possible. The survey is located on Rocky, theDistrict’s Intranet, and can be accessedelectronically at the following address:

http://intranet.mvr.usace.army.mil/Surveys/TowerTimes/TowerTimesSurvey.cfm

January 2004 Tower Times 11

Notes from the Mississippi*

*This is a small sample of work completed at District locks and dams throughout the month.

Speakers BureauBy Shannan Walsten, Public Affairs

Lock and Dam 11, Dubuque, Iowa� Winter snow equipment prepared.� Dam restriction-sign brackets fabri-

cated.

Locks and Dam 15, Rock Island, Ill.� Fire extinguishers tested and in-

spected.� Roller gate motor-brake coil replaced.

Lock and Dam 19, Keokuk, Iowa� Gage-well heaters repaired.� Insulated door built and installed.� Bulkhead lifter serviced.

Lock and Dam 12, Bellevue, Iowa� Roller-gate chains replaced.� Roofs on pier houses replaced.� Security fence installed.

Lock and Dam 16, Muscatine, Iowa� Spillway buoys removed and cleaned.� Tainter-gate controls and limit switch

repaired.

Lock and Dam 20, Canton, Mo.� Safety blocks replaced.� Water lines drained.� Generator serviced.

Lock and Dam 13, Fulton, Ill.� Lock equipment winterized.� Dam safety blocks secured for the

winter.

Lock and Dam 17, New Boston, Ill.� Mule-rail stops replaced.� Batteries on generator and bridge

crane replaced.

Lock and Dam 21, Quincy, Ill.� Parking-lot curb painted.� Fence and posts removed.� Restroom exhaust-fan motor replaced.

Lock and Dam 22, Saverton, Mo.� Security fencing and mechanical

entrance gate installed.� Sidewalk repaired.

Locks and Dam 14, Le Claire, Iowa� Lower-unit oil in all outboards

changed.� Loft handrails rebuilt.

Lock and Dam 18, Gladstone, Ill.� Unneeded fence removed.� Mower decks cleaned and repainted.� Electric man holes pumped.

On Dec. 15, Jim Ross, Programs andProject Management, spoke to more than40 students at Horace Mann ElementarySchool in Clinton, Iowa. The topic of hisdiscussion was the button industry. Mark Hoague, Engineering Division,spoke about his career in engineering withmore than 25 students at Rock Island HighSchool on Jan. 8, in Rock Island, Ill. The Speakers Bureau is part of theDistrict's outreach program. Throughthese programs, employees work to fosterpositive relations between the communityand the Corps. Contact with our publicprovides an opportunity to reaffirm theimportance of the District’s role in ourcommunities, the Midwest and the nation.District employees interested in theseoutreach opportunities can learn more byvisiting our website atwww.mvr.usace.army.mil/PublicAffairsOffice/CommunityRelations.htm or by contactingJustine Barati at ext. 5204.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

17,000 17,568 18,133 18,695 19,262 19,595 20,152 20,715 20,738 21,263

19,115 19,568 20,202 20,738 20,969 21,585 22,202 22,818 23,435 24,051

20,855 21,550 22,245 22,939 23,634 24,329 25,023 25,718 26,413 27,107

23,412 24,192 24,973 25,753 26,534 27,314 28,095 28,876 29,656 30,437

26,195 27,068 27,941 28,814 29,687 30,560 31,433 32,306 33,179 34,052

29,198 30,171 31,144 32,118 33,091 34,064 35,037 36,010 36,984 37,957

32,447 33,528 34,609 35,690 36,771 37,852 38,933 40,014 41,095 42,177

35,933 37,131 38,329 39,527 40,724 41,922 43,120 44,318 45,516 46,713

39,690 41,013 42,336 43,659 44,983 46,306 47,629 48,953 50,276 51,599

43,708 45,164 46,621 48,077 49,534 50,990 52,447 53,903 55,360 56,816

48,022 49,623 51,224 52,824 54,425 56,026 57,627 59,227 60,828 62,429

57,556 59,475 61,394 63,313 65,232 67,150 69,069 70,988 72,907 74,826

68,443 70,724 73,005 75,286 77,567 79,848 82,129 84,410 86,691 88,973

80,880 83,576 86,272 88,968 91,664 94,360 97,056 99,753 102,449 105,145

95,136 98,308 101,480 104,652 107,823 110,995 114,167 117,338 120,510 123,682

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SALARY TABLE 2004Incorporating the 1.5% General Schedule Increase and a Locality Payment of 10.09%

for the Locality Pay Area of Rest of U.S. Effective January 2004(Net Increase: 1.94%)

GRADEAnnual Rates by Grade and Step

The Wage Grade Salary Tables are not available at this date. These salary tables can be accessed from the Internet atwww.cpms.osd.mil/wage, once they become available. From that page, choose Approrpiated Fund Pay Schedules. Most ofthe Rock Island District falls within area 53, which shows up under Iowa, otherwise pick your state and county. Special-salary rate tables for engineers and information technology career fields can be found on the Internet at http://apps.opm.gov/ssr/tables/index.cfm.

For more in-depth information, the entireUSACE 2012 plan is available at

www.usace.army.mil/stakeholders.

USACE 2012 and UsIs district support being reduced while regional control of

resources is bolstered?

One of the underlying concepts for USACE 2012 is that of interdependence andmaking expertise available across the organization. If the concepts work the waythey are intended, districts will have more support, because they will be able to tapinto the regional assets that are available.