The Mississippi Valley Associated General Contractors of America (MVAGC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) met for an event known as the Mississippi Valley Construction Roundtable, which was held in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, this year on Feb. 18 and 19.
“The meeting between the Mississippi Valley Branch of the AGC and Mississippi Valley Division of the Corps of Engineers offers an opportunity for staff from the division headquarters and six districts to interact with our contracting partners who help us deliver our program,” Construction Branch Chief Jim Wolff said. “Through two key meetings (the Dredging Issues Roundtable and the Construction Specifications Session Roundtable), open communication, and frank discussion, we identify issues or problems related to dredging, construction, and contracting. These meetings offer member contractors an open forum to develop potential solutions to solve issues or problems.”
Wolff said some examples of what is discussed are questions regarding new cybersecurity measures required in today’s virtual environment, online file transfer for contractors to safely and timely submit their bids, and concerns over revisions and updates to policies and regulations.
“As you can imagine, an interactive discussion of cybersecurity reveals how the requirements affect contractors’ businesses differently based upon their size, like small family business as opposed to a large corporation, etc.,” Wolff noted.
Additionally, this annual meeting allows the Corps and AGC to recognize contractors and engineering staff that have exhibited outstanding safety practices in delivering USACE projects.
“Ordinarily, there would be representatives from each of the six districts present,” Wolff said. “Usually district delegations consist of the district commander, chief of engineering (or Engineering & Construction Division for combined districts), chief of contracting, chief of construction, and deputy for small business programs.”
Various contractors working from one end of the Mississippi Valley to the other attend the meeting. But physical attendance was much lighter this year, with many participating virtually through WebEx.
Of special note, two Memphis District Sponsors did attend. They were Mr. Rob Rash of the St. Francis Levee District of West Memphis, Arkansas, and Mr. Dustin Boatwright of the Little River Drainage District.
“This event is an important meeting and occurs annually toward the end of February each year,” Wolff added. “These meetings have been going on for quite a while -- at least 20 years -- and it’s been an honor and a pleasure working with such excellent people who care about the communities and safety of the citizens we serve.”
The Memphis District would like to congratulate everyone who took part in this successful meeting and thank all the contractors who took the time to come out and participate in such an important event.