Photo By Emily M Chavolla | Kari Hauck, USACE St. Paul District chief of engineering and construction... read more read more
Kari Hauck recently started as the chief of the St. Paul District engineering and construction division. In this position, she is responsible for the execution of the work that the division is assigned, and she also serves as the district’s dam and levee safety officer. “Our job is to provide water resources infrastructure for the nation, and my job is to make sure it’s done safely with a commitment to high quality to meet the needs of the public,” said Hauck. “Thankfully, I don’t have to do that alone. I have expert staff to help on a daily basis.”
People are Hauck’s number one priority.
“People are vital to the agency’s operations, and it’s important to me that they have a positive work environment, feel supported and receive adequate training,” said Hauck. She emphasized that her initial goal in the first 90 days is to understand how the division functions and determine the best ways to provide support.
“I appreciate the recent emphasis on staff health and well-being over the past 5-10 years. Balancing work and personal life is a challenge, and stress management is crucial,” Hauck added. “The resilience of our staff is essential to achieving our mission.”
Hauck graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana with her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1997 and started working for the St. Paul District as a student in 1998 while she was working on her master’s degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She graduated with her master’s degree in civil engineering in 2001. After getting her master’s degree, Hauck was converted to a staff engineer in the hydraulics section in the hydraulics and hydrology branch.
A formative experience in her early career was when Hauck deployed to Kuwait in 2001. She worked with the Trans-Atlantic Program Center in military construction for three months, which she said cemented her interest in public service. Hauck also served as a mission specialist and mission manager for temporary housing including a deployment to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “These developmental assignments gave me a taste of management and I saw that I had the ability to help people grow,” said Hauck. “It also demonstrated to my chain of command that I had the potential to develop into a leader and manager.” Additional developmental assignments have been critical to her development as a leader.
Hauck was selected to participate in the career program 18 (engineers and scientists) leadership development program where she spent six months at Corps headquarters. She also did a detail with the St. Paul District regional planning and environment division north. “The 120 days with planning was a phenomenal experience to understand what they do and the challenges they face. Perspective is always a good thing to have, so my advice to other people is reach out for opportunities even when they are outside your normal range of duties,” said Hauck.
In 2014, Hauck was selected to be the chief of the hydraulics section and in 2021 was selected to be the branch chief of the hydraulics and hydrology branch.
One of the programs Hauck recommends is the leadership development programs which are offered through the district and help to teach soft skills. “While colleges offer a lot of technical skills, engineering programs don’t always emphasize soft skills and the importance of communicating effectively, thinking critically and building relationships. These programs can help fill in those gaps,” said Hauck.
Hauck’s husband works for the Levee Safety Center based in Vicksburg District and together they have a son. Hauck describes a “menagerie” of animals at their house including a dog, Moxie, axolotls, a chameleon, leopard gecko, three turtles and a koi pond in their backyard. Hauck enjoys biking, being outdoors and walking.
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2024 13:28 |
| Story ID: | 479656 |
| Location: | ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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