Corpstruction U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

Wade Anderson completed his last day as Chief Engineer and Dam Safety Officer on the California Mega Projects Office, Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, May 28, 2024.
Anderson sat down with the Corpstruction Podcast to discuss his near 35-year career, which began Dec. 26, 1989.
He talked to Corpstruction about his assignments, the people who impacted him as an engineer and leader, and the changes he witnessed in USACE.
Anderson is a graduate of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla.
His major dam safety projects include the Prado Dam Safety Modification, Whittier Narrows DSM, Mosul Dam Rehabilitation, Pine Creek DSM, Canton DSM and Addicks & Barker DSM.
Anderson served as the first Chief of the Dam Safety for the Dam Safety Production Center, SWD and oversaw the organization’s growth from 12 to more than 40 employees, and its transition from a branch in the Tulsa District to a Center in the Southwestern Division.
Although Anderson officially worked for Southwestern Division when he retired, he was geographically located at the Tulsa District, and was fully integrated into the Tulsa District community.

When the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engages for disaster response missions, they do so under a tasking from the Federal Emergency Management Agency outlined by the National Response Framework.

Michael Cappannari, director, External Affairs for FEMA Region 7 in Kansas City, spoke with Corpstruction about the communication effort between FEMA, federal, state and tribal agencies during disaster responses. Region 7 covers Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.

Tulsa District, works with both FEMA Region 7, and FEMA Region 6, which covers Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas to coordinate emergency response activities.

Dr. Christine Altendorf is the Director of Military Programs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An Oklahoman who earned undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral engineering degrees from Oklahoma State University, Altenforf is a recipient of the OSU engineering program’s prestigious Lohman Medal.
Altendorf visited the Tulsa District, USACE resident offices on Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Nov. 27 to tour ongoing and recently completed projects.
Whether it’s providing housing for military recruiters, remediating Formerly Used Defense Sites, or interagency engineering projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other agencies, the USACE Military Programs mission is robust and active in its support of federal and international activities around the world.
During her visit, Altendorf sat down with the Corpstruction Podcast to talk about Military Programs, engaging the USACE workforce and attracting talent to the Corps of Engineers.

Joey Cabay is the metalworker leaderman at the Ensley Engineer Yard of the Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He spoke to the Corpstruction Podcast about his team performs and why dredging and infrastructure maintenance efforts help keep the navigation industry afloat.

In 2019, more than 500 million tons of freight, worth $134.1 billion annually flowed through the marine highways of the United States, saving between $7 billion and $9 billion on transportation costs.

Geotechnical Engineers and civil engineers throughout the world celebrate “Terzaghi Day” each year, Oct. 2. Jarrod Breuer, a geotechnical engineer and subject matter expert at the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, joined Corpstruction to talk about the field and Terzaghi’s impact on civil engineering.
Born October 2, 1883 in Prague, Terzaghi is considered the “Father of Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical Engineering.” His work in geology, soil mechanics and engineering led to the creation of the field. Many consider his greatest contributions to be the codification and experimentation to flesh out concepts.

Colonel Tim Hudson, Tulsa District Commander, interviewed Tavaras Jones, a project manager at the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Tavaras is approaching his first full year at the Tulsa District, and he's overseeing project delivery teams that are working on repairing the stilling basin at Webbers Falls Lock & Dam 16, and improving efficiency for the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District's irrigation system. The system is part of the Bureau of Reclamation's W C Austin Project which provides water for cotton crops. The project helps Oklahoma maintain its status as the nation's sixth leading producer of cotton.