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  • March

    Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick (left), commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presents the AbilityOne Award to Col. Alan Dodd, commander of Jacksonville District, at the 2013 Society of American Military Engineers Small Business Conference in Kansas City, Mo. The district was recognized for awarding $2.9 million in contracts to AbilityOne nonprofit agencies, the second highest dollar amount awarded to AbilityOne contractors by a Corps district.

    Jacksonville District receives the AbilityOne Award at small business conference

    Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presented the AbilityOne Award to Jacksonville District Commander Col. Alan Dodd during the recent Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Small Business Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

  • February

    Ruben Ramirez, founder of Florida Python Hunters and winner of two prizes in the 2013 Python Challenge, shows off his latest catch to Donna Zoeller, who had just completed a site visit nearby.

    And how was YOUR day at work?

    While conducting a routine site visit at the S-356 pump station on Tamiami Trail, Zoeller met an 11-foot long Burmese python face-to-face. Fortunately for her, Ruben Ramirez, founder of Florida Python Hunters, had just captured the invasive reptile nearby. Since it takes two hands to handle such a large, muscular, powerful snake, taking a “selfie” was out of the question. So Ramirez enlisted Zoeller’s help. Zoeller, who was on site as part of her normal operations, maintenance, repair, replacement and rehabilitation duties, was happy that she had not run into the large reptile on her own.

  • Jacksonville District completes construction at Portugues Dam

    “Entonces, felicidades en sus logros,” (Congratulations on your accomplishments). That was the key message from Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), to those who attended a dedication ceremony Feb. 5 celebrating completion of Portugues Dam, a $386 million structure designed to reduce flooding impacts in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

  • Florida wetlands among those receiving international attention: Annual World Wetlands Day is February 2

    The United States of America is one of 168 contracting parties in the Ramsar Convention, and has 35 sites that are classified as Wetlands of International Importance. Four are located in Florida.
  • Members of the district dredge estimating team (left to right) are Rick Stallings, Jennifer Tyler, Tony Ledford, and Brian Blake. They are pictured here while on a site visit to observe the latest dredge dewatering technology being used on a project at Holmes Beach near Bradenton, Fla.

    Blake exemplifies loyalty, mentors team members

    We see them on cards that are handed out in our orientation packet from Human Resources. We see posters listing them on the walls in conference rooms or along the hallways. They are the seven U.S. Army values, which Soldiers and Civilians are asked to know and live by. But what do they really mean? And how do we apply them in our lives and in our work? This seven-part series will take a look at each of the values and showcase team members who embody them.

  • District welcomes middle school’s First Lego® League

    Jacksonville District continues to make strides in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, as employees hosted students from JEB Stuart Middle School’s First Lego® League (FLL) at the district’s headquarters office. The event provided a view of the STEM disciplines as they are used in Corps career fields.
  • Culvert 11 before removal in March 2012

    2014 promises to be busy year for dike rehabilitation

    2014 is shaping up to be a very busy year for rehabilitation at the dike. Jacksonville District continues to press on with construction projects, and will move closer toward completing a study that will provide options on the remaining measures needed to reduce the risk of dike failure.

  • January

    Real Estate Division’s varied program touches every project

    “Real Estate Division has a much more varied program than many people realize,” said Audrey Ormerod, chief of the Real Estate Division. “In fact, we touch every district project in some way.”

  • Military, Interagency and International Services Branch has far-reaching mission

    It has been a very busy, productive year for the Military-IIS Branch, an integral component of Jacksonville District’s mission.

  • The battle against invasive species rages on

    Invasive species management is much like fighting an ongoing war while battling multiple insurgencies. Once an area is cleared, constant, diligent defense against new and known invaders is needed to maintain the ground won. In Jacksonville District, the battle against invasive species rages on.

  • Engineering Division: Hard work results in significant achievements

    “It was a big year for execution,” said Laureen Borochaner, chief of Jacksonville District’s Engineering Division. “We already had plenty of work, and then took on a lot of additional, unplanned work besides. Much of that work was in-house design of complex major projects.”
  • Beth Myers, deputy for the Small Business Programs Office, helps Corps employees, small and large businesses, contractors and others understand and navigate complex rules and regulations and the government contracting process.

    Big year for small business programs office

    "Small business is everyone's business." That is Beth Myers’ motto, and the philosophy she truly believes, lives and works by. As the deputy for the Small Business Programs Office, she knows that it is important for every member of Jacksonville District to understand and support the small business mission. Though she works with contractors and small businesses, one of Myers’ main jobs is to educate the district team. “It takes an entire team to work this program, not just my office,” she said.

  • Water Resources Branch prevails through challenging year

    Two of the most powerful influences in the world challenged Jacksonville District’s Water Resources Branch in 2013: nature and the President of the United States.

  • Another banner year for district’s ecosystem restoration program

    With major contract awards, dedication ceremonies and the completion of the first Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) project this past year, it is safe to say that 2013 was a busy and productive year for Jacksonville District’s ecosystem restoration program.
  • An estimated 5,000 protesters march near the St. Lucie Lock August 3 to demonstrate opposition to water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Jacksonville District’s Operations Division released water from the lake throughout the summer in response to heavy precipitation that fell from April to July in the Lake Okeechobee watershed.

    Operations Division overcomes challenges

    “2013 was a year full of challenges,” said Jim Jeffords, Operations Division chief. “Our biggest challenge was the historical rain event that occurred from April to July. The event tested all aspects of the district – our water managers, inspections of the dike, emergency operations, dam safety and corporate communications.”
  • Contracting Division awarded a $221 million contract for the Miami Harbor Deepening Project, which deepens the channel to 50 feet. This prepares the Port of Miami to receive larger shipping vessels following the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in 2015.

    Contracting Division exceeds expectations

    With a staff of dedicated, hard-working employees, Jacksonville District’s Contracting Division executed 1,218 contract awards for a total of $573 million in obligations during fiscal year 2013, the highest number of awards the district has ever executed in a single fiscal year.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District Commander Col. Alan Dodd spoke on the “Where is all the Water Coming From? A Coastal Perspective on Solutions for Water Management in the Northern Everglades and Lake Okeechobee” panel Jan. 11, 2014, at the Everglades Coalition Conference in Naples, Fla. Also serving on the panel were (from left) Mark Perry of the Florida Oceanographic Society, Florida Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, (not pictured) South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member Mitch Hutchcraft and Drew Bartlett of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Eric Draper (right) from Audubon of Florida moderated the panel.

    Corps discusses restoration progress and Lake Okeechobee management at annual Everglades Coalition Conference

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Collaboration, innovation and long-term solutions were key discussion points

  • Regulatory Division is meeting environmental, economic needs

    Protecting the nation’s aquatic resources while simultaneously meeting its economic needs requires dedication and an ability to balance often competing needs. Through the execution of the Department of the Army’s responsibility, authorized under the River and Harbors Act of 1899 and the Clean Water Act of 1972, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ regulatory program reviews multitudes of proposed projects annually, and either issues or denies permits based on these and other applicable laws.
  • Crews work on the De Diego bridge in San Juan, Puerto Rico as part of the Rio Puerto Nuevo flood control project. The contract is one of 100 contract awards worth a combined $1.6 billion that’s being overseen by the Jacksonville District Construction Division.

    Construction Division accomplishes big things in 2013; prepares for bigger 2014

    In 2013, the Construction Division was involved in more than ensuring that authorized projects were built; they were also involved in another type of construction project. They were rebuilding the division.

  • December

    Biologist Nicole Liette (right) visits the bait and tackle store at Roland Martin’s Marina as part of the regular face-to-face outreach the Corps does every few weeks around the lake.

    Invasive Species Management Branch ramps up outreach

    Invasive Species Management Branch ramps up outreach programs with social media.