Photo By Patrick Moes | Chris Atkins, newly hired as the head of Operations for the U.S. Army Corps of...... read more read more
No stranger to district operations, Chris Atkins officially took over in February as chief of operations for the St. Paul District.
“Becoming operations chief has been a big goal of mine ever since I became a supervisor,” Atkins said. “I am very proud and honored to be in this position. There were a lot of good chiefs before me, and I hope to continue that tradition.”
Having served a 120-day detail as the operations chief, the job is a familiar one to Atkins. He credits this past developmental assignment with giving him a better understanding of the position and showing him his weaknesses to work on.
As you work your way up, the focus shifts to managing people instead of actual engineering,” he said. “My job now is more about supporting the efforts of operations field units rather than running them directly.”
Atkins’ favorite part of his new position is interacting with people as he supports them, helping to ensure their work is safe and more satisfying. “Whether it’s seeing a project completed or figuring out the future of the organization, I enjoy seeing folks in their element,” he said.
Atkins, an Arkansas native, has been with USACE since 2003, holding various positions within the division. After starting out in his home district of Memphis, Atkins worked at the Fountain City Service base before moving to the Nashville District as the chief of the technical support branch.
Although he left St. Paul for Nashville, his St. Paul colleagues made a strong impact on him. “When I first arrived in the district, I immediately felt at home and part of the team,” Atkins said. “I really enjoyed interacting with the employees from this area, they were very welcoming and left a solid impression on me.” So much so that when an opportunity to come back to the district presented itself in 2021, Atkins jumped at it. “It was an easy transition back because most of the people I’d worked with before were still here.”
Atkins attended Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in structural/civil engineering and a master’s in both structural engineering and project management. His hobbies include reading about history, watching the St. Louis Cardinals and managing his 340-acre cattle farm in northwest Arkansas with his family.
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2026 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 572411 |
| Location: | ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New chief takes over operations division, by Renwick Martin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
