Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Michael Connor, visited Tulsa District October 17-18 as part of regional governance week where he met with Southwestern Division commanders as well as other key division personnel and district stakeholders. The visit was a chance for Connor to gain firsthand perspective on the projects and budget needs of the division.

The visit began with a question-and-answer style town hall with Tulsa District employees where Connor spoke about his priorities and how he combines environmental challenges with cutting costs while maximizing efforts with civil works funds.

“USACE is important to the communities we serve,” said Connor. “Your projects have a major impact on public safety as well as the economies of those communities.”

During the afternoon, Connor visit Keystone Lake powerhouse where Beau Biffle, Tulsa District hydropower chief and other powerhouse personnel gave an overview of various district powerhouse projects.
Connor was treated to a tour of the powerhouse and ended the day with Keystone Lake project office personnel showcasing projects at Brush Creek recreation area.

Following morning meetings with Choctaw and Chickasaw tribal leadership on Wednesday, Connor’s visit ended at the Tulsa/West Tulsa Levee area where he met with Todd Kilpatrick, commissioner, Tulsa County Drainage Levee District No. 12, and other key levee stakeholders. The visit underscored the importance of the levee for the surrounding communities it protects.

“Tulsa District was truly honored to host the Honorable Mr. Connor,” said Col. Tim Hudson, commander, Tulsa District. “His visit provided the opportunity to underscore the vital importance of our work and our great people.”

“We were proud to highlight our Civil Works projects which cover over 160,000 square miles and include water resources spanning across Oklahoma, the southern half of Kansas, and the Texas panhandle. His visit reminded us of the importance of our projects to the communities that we serve,” said Hudson.