Tag Archives: Thomas Greco

ACOE’s “Changing of the Guard,” SLR, IRL

Me at a SFWMD WRAC meeting standing with ACOE Lt.Col. Greco. Greco oversees the Jacksonville District under Col Alan Dodd, 2015.
SFWMD WRAC meeting with ACOE Lt. Col. Thomas Greco. Greco is a graduate of West Point and oversees the Jacksonville District under Col. Alan Dodd (Photo Marsha Musgrove, 2015.)
River Kidz member Brandon Collins and ACOE Col. Alan Dodd at a Rivers Coalition meeting in 2013. (Photo JTL)
River Kidz member Brandon Collins and ACOE Col. Alan Dodd. Dodd is a graduate of the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. (Rivers Coalition meeting in 2013,  JTL)

“Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer,” Machiavelli, “The Prince”

Since the Army Corp of Engineers is military, I don’t think they will be insulted with my quoting Machiavelli. After all, the “combat” strategy of protecting the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, requires us to know what our enemies are doing, so we don’t get ambushed.

The Jacksonville ACOE is responsible for overseeing the safety of the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee which means that although many, including the South Florida Water Management District, have input, the ACOE is the entity that releases sometimes toxic polluted lake water into the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon and Calooshahatchee.

This is a disgusting and frustrating reality.

So how do we change this? I believe a good start is by building relationships while educating and sharing with the people of the Army Corp the awful plight of our rivers, our children, and our community.

And now, with all of your help and outcry,  they “get it,” believe me.

Unfortunately, this strategy doesn’t gain much traction as the ACOE changes out their leaders EVERY 3 YEARS!  But over time, it will.

You have probably heard that the present Jacksonville Colonel,  Alan Dodd, and Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Greco are leaving by June of 2015?

Col. Dodd (bio:http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/About/Leadership/BioArticleView/tabid/6105/Article/480017/colonel-alan-m-dodd.aspx)

Lt Col. Greco: (http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/About/Leadership/BioArticleView/tabid/6105/Article/480018/lieutenant-colonel-thomas-m-greco.aspx)

This is my second changing of the guard. Three years ago, I said goodbye to Col. Pantano and Lt .Col. Kinard. Both very good men. Again, frustrating!

I recently asked ACOE Public Outreach Specialist, Mr John Campbell why this is the policy and expressed my frustration. His response is important to share:

“As you know, the Corps is an organization within the larger U.S. Army.
Similar to large corporations, the Army has embraced a philosophy of
developing leaders by rotating them through different assignments.

The only decent reference I could find is DA PAM 600-3, which is 400 pages
outlining the Army’s strategy on developing officers. In a nutshell, officer
development focuses on the balance of breadth and depth of experience. Two
to three years in a particular assignment is typical for the Army because it
allows for that breadth of experience. Depth is gained through higher
education, formal training, and experience gained in positions.

As officers move from job to job, the Army’s intent is to provide an overall
career path that not only prepares them for higher level responsibilities,
but one that prepares officers–in any assignment and given their level of
responsibility–to expertly perform their job.

From my personal experience, I know that leading people and organizations
shares similar characteristics regardless of the situation. A leader must
initially assess a situation, oftentimes with imperfect information, before
researching, developing, and testing potential courses of action. Based on
this analysis, the leader decides which course of action to pursue and how
to monitor and evaluate results.

By rotating through different assignments, military officers get an
opportunity to put the skills above in practice whether it’s leading an
infantry brigade or formulating policy on ecosystem restoration.” —John Campbell, ACOE

 

In the past, Col. Pantano went to Afghanistan. I am not  sure where Col Dodd and Lt Col. Greco are going, but I wish them well, safety, thank them for their service, and charge them to also help educate the world of our plight.

So, in spite of the web of difficulties to navigate as we say “farewell,”  let us prepare! Who will the new Col. and Lt. Col. be? Mr Campbell has shared the following:

The new colonel will be Col. Jason Kirk, commandeer at the Charleston, South Carolina District.  The Lt. Col.,  who we will be closer to as this position resides in West Palm Beach, is scheduled to be Lt Col. Jennifer Reynolds of the Washington DC office. (No photo or bio yet.) Wow. A woman. Things can change! 🙂

Col. Kirk’s Linked in bio can be found here: (https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jason-kirk/17/377/927)

Col Jason Kirk will take over the position as Col of the Jacksonville ACOE in the next few months. (File photo, 2014)
Col. Jason Kirk will take over the position top position at the Jacksonville ACOE in the next few months. (File photo, 2014)

So here we go again. Changing the world one person at a time.

“Grab you weapons! Assume your positions! And charge!”

________________________

ACOE Jacksonville District: (http://www.saj.usace.army.mil) 

 

 

Artist Julia Kelly and the Second Edition River Kidz’ Workbooks, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon

Artist Julia Kelly's beautiful artwork will be featured in the River Kidz Second Edition Workbook. Her work was also featured in the first edition. (Photo 2014.)
Local artist, Julia Kelly’s vibrant artwork will be featured in the River Kidz second edition workbook. Her work was also featured in the first edition in 2013. (Julia Kelly, Photo, 2014.)

In 2013, the first edition of the River Kidz workbook was produced with help from Mary Anne Conrad, teacher at Jensen Beach Elementary, Nic Mader, River Mom and Dolphin Ecology Project, Julia Kelly, artist, (http://juliakellyart.com), input from the “Kidz,” and me, Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch.

The workbooks were a great success and shared in many of the Martin and St Lucie County elementary and middle school classrooms.

Cover of River Kidz, "Paradise is Home" workbook, first edition. Artwork by Julia Kelly, 2013.
Cover of River Kidz, “Paradise is Home” workbook, first edition. Artwork by Julia Kelly, 2013.

(In case you have not seen the first edition,  electronic copies are available  at (http://riverscoalition.org) at the bottom of the page.)

Now, in 2014-2015, a second edition will be released. Exciting! But what’s the difference and why so soon?

Well, long story short, one of the projects that master-teacher Crystal Lucas did with her Jensen Beach High School (JBHS) Marine Biology II Class last year, during the LOST SUMMER, was a “rework” of the first edition workbooks. The idea was to have the older kids teaching the younger kids. A collaborative effort and from their perspective.

River Kidz was started by two fifth grade girls in the Town of Sewall’s Point in 2011, Evie Flaugh and Naia Mader. The power of the movement is that it comes from kids. The overseeing adults of River Kidz wanted to keep that theme going, but to bring it to a new level.

The JBHS students were in a position to do this because with Crystal’s leadership they had had extensive studies of the Everglades, St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon in reference to discharges from Lake Okeechobee and the local canals, C-23; C-24 and C-25.  This education involved attending the Everglades Coalition Conference, studies with the Everglades Foundation, air boat rides in Lake Okeechobee with legends Nat Reed and Maggie Hurchalla/SFWMD, classroom visits by the Army Corp of Engineers’ Lt. Col. Thomas Greco, Marty Baum, the Indian Riverkeeper and many local and state elected officials including myself.

The students even won first place in the Keep Martin Beautiful Environmental Stewardship Awards  for their work on water issues!

Concerning the rewrite of the workbook’s first edition, the JBHS students decided first and foremost that there needed to be a mascot and a story.  They determined the mascot should be named , “Marty the Manatee,” and yes, this was inspired by none other than Mr Marty Baum! (http://www.indianriverkeeper.org)

So artist Julia Kelly was task to come up with a character and she did, even though she refused to put a mustache on Marty as the students requested because she felt “we needed to be wary of anthropomorphizing the animals.” The steering committee agreed, and Marty was born! 🙂

"Marty the Manatee" by artist Julia Kelly, 2014.
“Marty the Manatee” by artist Julia Kelly, 2014.

Through the JBHS students’ eyes, Marty tells the story of his ancestors’ former home in all its glory with the mythical Pond Apple Swamp at the southern rim of Lake Okeechobee, clean rivers, and a life with animal friends throughout the northern and southern Everglades.  He then goes into today’s struggle with overdevelopment, agriculture, sugar and agribusiness south of the lake, polluted water discharges, redirection of  water into the St Lucie/IRL and Calooshatchee from Lake Okeechobee, and other drainage canals, loss of seagrass, algae blooms and friend “die-offs.”  He gives ideas for a better, cleaner world and a happier future. There is hope! And that hope lies in the River Kidz, the future….

Marty the Manatee with all of his river friends. Julia Kelly, 2014.
Marty the Manatee with all of his river friends. Julia Kelly, 2014.
Apple Pond Forest.
Apple Pond Forest.

The workbooks will be a beautiful collaboration of student and artistic ideas that are sure to inspire generations to come. The goal is to have a fundraiser-grand-release party in November at Blue Water Editions, a division of Southeastern Printing, the invaluable local company that  will be printing the workbooks.

The workbooks are a collaboration, and River Kidz is a division of the Rivers Coalition. The steering committee consist of Nichole Mader, Crystal Lucas, Valerie Gaynor, Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch and Blue Water’s Jason Leonard.

Donations are welcome!

Bumperstickers promoting the workbook are available at Blue Water Editions, located at 4665 Se Dixie Highway, Port Salerno. (http://www.bluewatereditions.com)

More information will be forthcoming. But for now, enjoy the artwork and remember ALL KIDZ (and ADULTZ)  are River Kidz!

Our mission is to “speak out, get involved, and raise awareness, because we believe kids should have a voice in the future of our rivers!”

Marty...
Marty eating, swimming and thinking…
Marty the wonderful and friendly manatee!
Marty with friends and family discussing wounds from boat hits, polluted water, and lack of seagrass…teaching the kids how to build a better world for him and the kids through creating a better water environment.