NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Park Rangers Brian Mangrum and Charlotte Stenger are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Employees of the Month for June 2012.
Mangrum, assigned to the Cheatham Lake Natural Resource Management Office, and Stenger, assigned to the Lake Barkley Natural Resource Management Office, were both instrumental in reestablishing the public tour program at facilities restricted to visitation in the wake of terrorist attacks, Sept. 11, 2001.
The public first toured the Cheatham Dam Hydropower Plant, May 26, 2012. An “electric” atmosphere surrounded the reopening of the power house as the group overlooked the hydropower units, interacted with the tour guide, and learned about plant operations and the project’s importance to local communities and the nation.
In preparing for the tour, Mangrum coordinated numerous Corps elements to take care of logistics supporting the event, reestablishing displays, and providing for an educational briefing and interesting tour of the power plant.
“He took the initiative in providing solutions to each concern and was very flexible to make the tour a reality,” said Lt. Col. James A. DeLapp, Nashville District commander. “The Cheatham Power Plant tour resulted in many positive comments from the public and increased levels of participation from the community.”
Mangrum said additional kudos for the tour’s success are also warranted for the district’s security, public affairs, and visual support offices, along with other staff members at Cheatham. Still, he’s happy for the recognition and for his part in restoring public interest at the project.
“This was really a team effort,” Mangrum said. “Everyone involved has maintained a flexible, positive attitude throughout the process, and my sincere gratitude goes to them for their help.”
Larry Nash, Cheatham Lake Natural Resources manager, said he is pleased with Mangrum’s performance and leadership.
“Brian is loyal to his fellow employees. He is dedicated to doing his duty as best he can and helping others to succeed,” Nash said. “He is respected by all who know him. He is tireless in his service to the job and others around him, and is an honorable employee who is trusted by all. His integrity is unquestioned. He has the courage to make decisions and stick to them. That is why he should be recognized for his performance.”
The public first toured the Barkley Dam Hydropower Plant and Navigation Lock, June 23, 2012. Visitors ranging from those who were present when construction began in the 1950’s to those visiting from New England expressed their pleasure for the opportunity to see and learn more about the facilities.
With assistance from the Barkley Power Plant staff, Stenger brought back to life hydropower displays and educational information that reflected that facility’s value to the nation. She planned the tour program, which included contingency plans.
“An example of Charlotte’s attention to detail is the production of written scripts for each point on the tour so any staff member could step in with little notice to assist if someone was sick or called away,” DeLapp said.
Stenger said she worked hard to provide a quality interpretive experience for the public while meeting security requirements. As for her co-selection for employee of the month, she said it’s an honor to be recognized for her efforts.
“However, my best efforts would not have been enough without the support I received from other staff members at Lake Barkley who worked hard to make our open house a success,” Stenger said.
Mike Looney, Lake Barkley Natural Resources manager, said Stenger took on the public tour project and went the extra mile to annotate every detail and make it easy for our team to successfully inform the public about the missions at Barkley’s hydropower plant and navigation lock.
“She took this highly-visible assignment and shined,” Looney said. “The fact that she in turn wants to recognize others that helped her demonstrates a leadership quality I admire. She did work very hard to reestablish the tour program and is very deserving of this recognition.”
The commander reestablished the Nashville District Tour Program in 2012 to help educate the public about Corps missions, operations, maintenance, and purposes of the projects. He said he is all too happy to recognize excellence within the organization in supporting this important initiative.
“Brian and Charlotte’s professionalism, dedication to mission execution, and superior performance is a credit to the Nashville District, the region, and the Corps of Engineers,” DeLapp said.
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