Inside the Castle

Episode title: People First series – Portland District’s Public Affairs Office on Being Responsibility Unhinged

Episode description:

Today’s episode is part of our “People First” series where we celebrate unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!

In this episode, the Inside the Castle team is joined by Chris Gaylord and Kerry Solan with the Portland District - the team behind one of the Corps’ most creative public affairs offices. Known for their humorous and engaging social media – including their famous cat and dog calendars – they’re redefining how the Corps connects with the public. We’ll dive into their creative process, the impact of humor in public communications, the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Download your 2025 pet calendars here:

2025 Cat Calendar: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll11/id/7214

2025 Dog Calendar: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll11/id/7215

Welcome to the Build Strong With Us podcast series where we give our listeners an opportunity to learn more about the people, mission impact, and career opportunities our personnel experience within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In this edition, we talk with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Crystal Torgerson with the Logistics Activity. Crystal started her career as a federal employee working at a military grocery store. Through college she participated in the Pathways internship program, ultimately earning a full-time position upon her graduation. With a love of logistics, she has worked her way through the ranks and now serves as a senior civilian program manager, illustrating the opportunities to build a career within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

To suggest a topic for a future episode, email [email protected].

This past fall the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers welcomed Major General Jason E. Kelly as the Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations.

In this episode, we have a candid conversation with Major General Kelly about his career, the Corps focus areas, and how he is helping the Corps deliver the mission for the Nation.

Welcome to the Build Strong With Us podcast series where we give our listeners an opportunity to learn more about the diverse people, mission impact, and career opportunities our personnel experience within the US Army Corps of Engineers.

In this edition we talk with US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Nikki Edelenbos with the Jacksonville District. Nikki has been with USACE just about one year. In this episode we will discuss her path into USACE, her passion for the work she does, and what she has learned about USACE over the past year.

To suggest a topic for a future episode, email [email protected].

In this episode, we continue our "People First" series with guest host Marie Kopka. As a reminder, this series celebrates unity, empowerment and the Corps greatest asset, our people!

Listen in as 'Inside the Castle' speaks with Michelle Larson and Kimberley Oldham, co-founders of the Native American Employee Network (NAEN), talk about the Native American employee resource group and how the Corps celebrates National American Indian Heritage Month.

{This episode is in memory of Kimberley Oldham who passed away in early December 2024.}

Check out the resources mentioned in this episode:

Federally Recognized Tribes

https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory

HQUSACE Tribal Nations Program

https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Tribal-Nations/

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/index.htm

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)

https://aises.org/

Society of American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE)

https://saige.org/

Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

https://www.sacnas.org/

If you are a Corps employee and want more information on the Native American Employee Network, please reach out to Michelle.

This is part one of a three-part series focused on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's (USACE) Critical Incident Stress Management Program (CISM).

The mission of the CISM program is to provide education, support, and assistance to USACE employees for incidental or cumulative critical incident stress experienced in the performance of their jobs and/or in the event of major civil emergencies, natural disasters or military contingencies.

24/7 CISM helpline 314-925-5250

Email: [email protected]

FOR USACE STAFF ONLY: Join the CISM Team: Visit the CISM SharePoint portal under "how can I help?"

In this episode, we sit down with USACE Engineering & Construction (E&C) leadership to discuss some of the recent strategic initiatives and future of E&C in the Corps. Listen in as we talk about what it means to deliver quality consistently, develop and enable the workforce, and leverage collaboration and innovation across E&C as we all work together to safely deliver quality projects on time and within budget.

This episode is the fifth in our “People First” series with guest host Marie Kopka. During this series, Inside the Castle will be celebrating unity, empowerment and the Corps great asset, our people!

Listen in as Inside the Castle learns about the Public Involvement Specialist role within USACE with Dr. Akilah Martin (Chicago District) and Alex Smith (Mobile District).

This is the final episode of our three-part series commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program.

In this episode, Mr. Jonah Bea-Taylor from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of History joins us to talk about how the Corps' civil works mission evolved after the Civil War. Listen in to hear how the Corps' civil works program expanded to multiple missions across the Nation.

To learn more about the Corps history, visit https://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/

In this episode we take a closer look at the latest innovation revolutionizing the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) does business. Listen in as Jennifer Moyer, Chief of the USACE Regulatory Program, introduces the new Regulatory Request System.

The Regulatory Request System is a web-based tool that helps a person find general permitting information, submit an individual and general permit application, submit pre-application meeting requests, and jurisdictional determination requests using online forms.

You can find this tool at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs

Have your tried RSS? Let us know what you think at [email protected]