Posted on June 8, 2022
ST. LOUIS – Two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District Teams, were awarded Excellence in Government Awards by the St. Louis Federal Executive Board, May 24, 2022, during a ceremony in Forest Park.
The Temporary Roofing Planning and Response Team (commonly referred to as the Blue Roof Team), and the District’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Project Inclusion, both received recognition during the ceremony.
“Competition was fierce this year,” said Andy Kaiser, Deputy Director, St. Louis Federal Executive Board, with regard to the awards that are bestowed annually to federal agencies who ‘stand out’ amongst their peers. “The work done by the St. Louis District Blue Roof Team and Project Inclusion Committee went above and beyond what could have been expected.”
The St. Louis District Hurricane Ida Blue Roof Team executed the third largest temporary roofing mission in history and in record time, resulting in considerable cost savings across all agencies and entities involved in the recovery. Nearly 34,000 Blue Roofs were installed in less than 2.5 months, allowing homeowners to live in their homes while they made permanent repairs, went back to work and returned to normal life. More than 80 St. Louis District employees deployed in support of the roofing mission, while approximately 45 employees performed remote quality assurance roofing assessments from aerial imagery at home station.
“The employees who were involved in the Hurricane Ida Temporary Roofing mission prioritized helping the people of Louisiana before their own work, plans, comfort, and families,” said Cathy Van Arsdale, team manager responsible for the readiness and deployment of the Blue Roof Team. “Everyone involved in this mission deserve this recognition because it reinforces that St. Louis District employees epitomize living according to Army Values, particularly Selfless Service,” she continued.
Also awarded was the St. Louis District’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, Committee. The Project Inclusion Working Group has put in countless hours during 2021 in effort to better understand the culture of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District. Individuals on the working group overcame a year with full workloads and social separation through the COVID-19 pandemic, to devote their time to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. The working group had several accomplishments during 2021, such as hosting numerous engagements, establishing a DEI Committee Charter, drafting a District DEI Plan, and being a pioneer on the technical front through interactive use of Microsoft Teams.
“I’m really proud of how the team, with the support of countless others throughout the district from the staff level to the Commander, has been able to essentially create something from nothing and champion these DEI efforts over the last two years,” noted Rachel Lopez, a team lead for Project Inclusion. “People First” is at the heart of our efforts, and we hope these activities will continue to make our District a more inclusive, and thereby more effective, organization,” she said.
The St. Louis Federal Executive Board presents the Excellence in Government awards annually to honor Federal governmental organizations who excelled in their respective category and brought value, prestige, and/or success to their agency and the federal government.
For more information about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, visit: https://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/
For more information about the St. Louis Federal Executive Board, visit: https://stlouis.feb.gov/
