News Stories

Portland District People

Published Oct. 1, 2018
N/A

Lindsey Roth, Portland District mechanical engineer, discusses Women's History Month, 2018.

N/A

Cameron Bishop works as a natural resources specialist at our #Willamette Valley Project, where he patrols an area of 40,000 acres, nearly half the size of the city of Portland. Cameron, who has a biology degree from the University of Oregon, said this about his job, “There is always something new happening and it usually requires people from different disciplines working together. I have had the good fortune to work with engineers, maintenance staff, surveyors, park rangers, biologists and many more.”

N/A

When District team member Scott Hull set out to finish the #MountainLakes100 in northern Oregon Sept. 23-24, he had no idea just how taxing it would be to run the equivalent of almost four marathons without breaking for sleep. “I was completely out of my comfort zone,“ Scott said of his difficulties during the last quarter of the 100-mile trail race. “But I thought about how much support my family and friends had given me and I didn’t want to let them down. My wife and three-year-old were waiting at the finish line, so I just kept my head down and kept going.“

N/A

Marissa Smith, a cost accountant for the John Day, Detroit and Big Cliff Dams. Marissa emigrated from Nicaragua to the United States in 1982. "I came to America speaking very little English," Marissa said. "I had completed some college, but started my career here at the bottom. I’m proud of all the jobs I’ve had — including one with McDonald's in the 1980s — because they made me strong and taught me to value the things I had taken for granted in the past."

N/A

Greg Taylor, Willamette Valley Project fisheries biologist, overseas fish operations in the Valley. “It takes a whole team of people to make it happen. It’s not done by one section, not one group, one individual, but a whole bunch of people. That is rewarding. It is fun to work with these other folks on our project.”

N/A

Tom Voldbaek wears many hats as Foster Dam & Reservoir operations and maintenance manager. This 31-year Corps employee says his job encompasses more than just the day to day maintenance and operations of a dam. "I manage operations and maintenance personnel supporting our flood risk management, hydropower production and water quality missions at Foster and Green Peter projects within the Willamette Valley Project."

N/A

Salina Hart is the Chief of the Reservoir Regulation & Water Quality section, and her team is responsible for the complex system of dams and reservoirs that provide hydropower generation, fish and wildlife enhancement, navigation, recreation, and flood risk management. "What I find rewarding is the challenges. My position involves working with so many variables: people, weather, infrastructure, budgets, etc. I overcome challenges usually by talking them through with the people in my section or elsewhere. I never feel like I have to go at it alone."

N/A

During her 39 year career, Laurie Lane has worked in a variety of different fields, many of which were traditionally dominated by men: Resource, Supply Unit, in the Warehouse, and the Maintenance Department. "I was able to establish and lead a highly motivated paint crew and manage a maintenance schedule of a hydro-electric power plant. It’s not always easy, but the feeling at the end of the day and seeing what you accomplished has always been rewarding for me."

N/A

Amy Lynn is a hydraulic engineer who works on projects ranging from coastal engineering to hydraulics at Portland District’s dams. "I learn something new every day. It can be challenging to maintain confidence when you are constantly learning, but I have been lucky to find great mentors. The people I work with are a huge part of why I love my job!"

N/A
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 10 of 18

Tami Schroeder is a park manager at our #WillametteValley Project. She leads a team that provides safe recreation opportunities to the public at 13 reservoirs in the Valley. "It can be challenging balancing the competing priorities with our limited resources and funding," said Schroeder. "I enjoy supporting the diverse mission with the dedicated people in the Willamette Valley."

N/A
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 11 of 18

Chris Motti is one of our Engineers in training, working out of our Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch. He's been with the Corps for a little less than a year and, so far, working in the field is his favorite part of the job! In the photo, Chris was collecting data for our Dam Safety Office.

N/A
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 12 of 18

Christie Johnson works as a natural resources specialist at our Willamette Valley Project, where she enforces Corps rules at parks, coordinates education programs and promotes safe recreational activities. Johnson has worked for the Corps for 14 years, 12 of which have been in the Valley. "I really love having a job where I get to work outdoors," says Johnson. "Park Rangers have to spend more time inside the office than you would think," she says, which might be a surprise to some.

N/A
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 13 of 18

Chad Helms, Willamette Valley Project fisheries biologist, has worked for the District for about nine years. He's currently providing support and implementation of the 2008 Willamette Valley Biological Opinion, operating and maintaining the District's adult fish collection facilities, and providing technical assistance on fisheries related issues. "One of the challenges with the job is trying to balance the needs of the fish along with the Corps' other authorized purposes and fellow stakeholders interests all while still maintaining our primary mission."

N/A
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 14 of 18

Doug Garletts, Willamette Valley Project fisheries biologist, has worked for the District for about 16 years. Garletts enjoys the region, the people, the geography, the politics, and the challenges of coordinating with many folks representing many stakeholder groups. He says something that would surprise people about his job is, "working in cold and wet environments for long hours can be safe and fun for those who are well prepared!!"

N/A
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 15 of 18

Jesse Brownlee, Rogue River natural resource manager, discusses Women's History Month, 2018.

Yamen works in our Water Management section and is one of two reservoir regulators who are responsible for scheduling release plans used by Corps dam operators as a guide for our 13 dams in the Willamette Valley. They do this by using weather forecasts, hydropower demands, water quality, environmental and recreational considerations.
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 16 of 18

Yamen works in our Water Management section and is one of two reservoir regulators who are responsible for scheduling release plans used by Corps dam operators as a guide for our 13 dams in the Willamette Valley. They do this by using weather forecasts, hydropower demands, water quality, environmental and recreational considerations.

Kenji Yamasaki, geotechnical engineer, has been with the Portland District for a year and a half and performs geotechnical designs and evaluations of soil structures, such as embankment dams and retaining walls.
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 17 of 18

Kenji Yamasaki, geotechnical engineer, has been with the Portland District for a year and a half and performs geotechnical designs and evaluations of soil structures, such as embankment dams and retaining walls.

Natalie Ehrlich, District geotechnical engineer, enjoys sleuthing when doing dam risk assessments. "It gives me a chance to really get to know our dams, digging through old construction photos, design documents, and exploration logs," she said.

"(This) involves evaluating the seismic risk to our existing rockfill embankment dams. The original dam designers did not know about the high seismic risk we live under in the Pacific Northwest, and I help to evaluate and mitigate that risk."
PHOTO DETAILS  /   DOWNLOAD HI-RES 18 of 18

Natalie Ehrlich, District geotechnical engineer, enjoys sleuthing when doing dam risk assessments. "It gives me a chance to really get to know our dams, digging through old construction photos, design documents, and exploration logs," she said. "(This) involves evaluating the seismic risk to our existing rockfill embankment dams. The original dam designers did not know about the high seismic risk we live under in the Pacific Northwest, and I help to evaluate and mitigate that risk."

The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is made up of many dedicated professionals. We are engineers, of course, but we are also biologists, natural resource specialists, accountants, communications specialists and more.

Jesse Brownlee Natural resource Manager, Rogue River Project
Amy Lynn Hydraulic Engineer
Doug Garletts Willamette Valley Fisheries Biologist
Marissa Smith Cost Accountant
Chad Helms Willamette Valley Fisheries Biologist
Chris Motti Engineer in Training
Christie Johnson Natural Resources Specialist
Laurie Lane Painter-Crew Supervisor, Bonneville Project
Tami Schroeder Park Manager
Scott Hull Portland Civilian Personnel Advisory Center Director
Greg Taylor Willamette Valley Project Fisheries Biologist
Lindsey Roth Mechanical Engineer
Tom Voldbaek Foster Dam Operations & Maintenance Manager
Salina Hart Reservoir Regulation & Water Quality Section Chief
Yamen Hoque Reservoir Regulator
Kenji Yamasaki Geotechnical Engineer
Natalie Ehrlich Geotechnical Engineer

How to Subscribe to RSS

Use Edge Browser
How to follow feeds in Microsoft Edge

  1. Visit the Microsoft Edge Add-on store: https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/Microsoft-Edge-Extensions-Home. ...
  2. Search for “rss feed reader”: ...
  3. Click “Get” Next to “Feeder – RSS Feed Reader”, then Confirm by clicking “Add Extension”
  4. ​ Setup your feeds: Search for feeds one-by-one, browse the library of sites or import feeds with OP
    Use Outlook
 
  1. In Outlook, right-click the RSS Feeds folder and choose Add a New RSS Feed.

  2. In the New RSS Feed dialog box, enter the URL of the RSS Feed.

    Enter the URL for the RSS Feed

    Tip: If you need help finding the RSS feed URL on a website, look for an RSS icon.
     Button image Right-click that icon, and then copy the shortcut to the Clipboard.
    Press Ctrl+V to paste the information from the Clipboard into the RSS Feed location box.

    Choose Add > OK.                                                                

    Additional Subscription Information: Microsoft How to Subscribe to RSS feed in Outlook

Use Internet Explorer

Open Internet explorer and open any USACE website. Look for the small RSS icon and click on that icon as show in this image:

Once it opens in Internet Explorer, it will have an option at the top to subscribe to this RSS feed as show here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use Google Chrome
Chrome Extension allows RSS Feed Subscriptions

Free RSS Feed Readerhttps://feeder.co