SWD Command Week highlights organizational culture

Published Oct. 25, 2016
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division met for its biannual Command Week at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20, 2016.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division met for its biannual Command Week at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20, 2016.

TULSA, Oklahoma - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division met for its biannual Command Week at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20, 2016.

“We hold Command Week twice a year to discuss and align our regional priorities and have an azimuth check for our organization,” said SWD Commander, Brig. Gen. David C. Hill. “This is where we take a hard look at our strategic initiatives and try to answer the difficult questions that come with accomplishing our goals.”

Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, USACE Commanding General and 54th U.S. Army Chief of Engineers, took part in a portion of the event. He highlighted a desire for exponential change within the organization and took questions from the staff.

Keynote speaker was Dr. Kim Cameron, Michigan State University professor and co-author of “Making the Impossible Possible.”  He hosted several small breakout discussions while lecturing about diagnosing and changing organizational culture.

Other items on the agenda and topics discussed were the Army’s “Soldier for Life” program, the Division’s family readiness program and initiatives, how the Corps is hiring to meet future commitments, and the overall organizational culture.

The fall SWD Command Week is always a time to discuss regional priorities, and this year was no different. 

“Our SWD priorities are a regional expression of where we need to deliver on commitments in order for the Corps to be successful in its mission to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters,” Hill said. 

The Division’s infrastructure priorities are focused on the Texas Coast, the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, Multi-Purpose Reservoirs, Flood Risk Management, Hydropower, and Military and International Interagency Support.

“Command Week serves as a time for senior leaders across the division to hone in on our organizational culture while fine tuning our best practices,” said Hill. “We do this so that we’re more efficient at completing projects, more effective at building strong relationships with customers and stakeholders, and more successful at delivering value to all the communities that we serve.”


Contact
Jay Townsend
469-487-7025

Release no. 16-030