Commander's Comments
Wonderful Walla Walla District,
Since taking command in July, I have been impressed by this district. We have incredible people working on incredible challenges with limited resources. It was great to walk the projects on my initial visits and I look forward to meeting with more people on future visits. It’s an honor to represent this great district to the enterprise and beyond.
During the latest organizational climate survey, there were many responses concerning the lack of vision shown by leadership. To address this trend, I am working with district leadership to dig into “who is the Walla Walla District” and clarify our district’s mission, vision, and values. We’ll continue to have these conversations to ensure every member of this team can see themselves in our vision and our values.
From these discussions, we have identified the following values: safety, integrity, collaboration, and delivery. I have seen these values already at work across our district.
Safety is imperative in our operations. At Ice Harbor, the normal start to the day is a safety talk. When McNary lost power in September, no one was hurt, and I commend the staff at the dam for their professionalism and quick work to get systems back online. We also engage the public through safety. Teaching water safety is one of the many ways we serve our communities.
Integrity is about doing the right thing, always. It’s about holding people accountable, for when the standard is not met as well as celebrating successes. We are better as an organization when we require everyone to hold the standard. We will continue to engage at the necessary level to address concerns. Keeping our word, being transparent, and acting ethically is what we are about.
Collaboration exists between the people we see every day, within our project delivery teams, across the district, across the enterprise, and with our partners. Recent examples include the fishing docks at Hood River and ongoing efforts to permit Stibnite mine in Idaho, to in-processing new employees and connecting with district support offices. We can achieve so much more when we work together.
We deliver on our commitments – whether it’s the Yakima Delta, hydropower, recreation access, or lease information for our external partners. Internally we are continuing to improve our security posture and medical surveillance. All of this is a part of delivering the mission.
Our USACE commanding general LTG William H. “Butch” Graham has tasked us with delivering today, innovating for tomorrow, and focusing on people always. I know that the Walla Walla District continues to rise to the occasion and I’m excited to be a part of this team.