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Senior leaders tour VA San Diego project, review projects

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District
Published Oct. 23, 2024
Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs gather Oct. 9 at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego for a tour of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, which is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs gather Oct. 9 at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego for a tour of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, which is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Michael Brennan, executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Construction and Facilities Management, left, talks with Justin Gay, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District deputy engineer for project management, second from left, and Col. Andrew Baker, LA District commander, during a senior-leader tour Oct. 9 of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego.

Michael Brennan, executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Construction and Facilities Management, left, talks with Justin Gay, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District deputy engineer for project management, second from left, and Col. Andrew Baker, LA District commander, during a senior-leader tour Oct. 9 of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego.

Sherene Dorazio, deputy executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Construction and Facilities Management, center-left, talks with Michael Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director for DVA’s Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction, during a senior-leader tour Oct. 9 of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego.

Sherene Dorazio, deputy executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Construction and Facilities Management, center-left, talks with Michael Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director for DVA’s Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction, during a senior-leader tour Oct. 9 of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego.

Capt. Gregory Sacenti, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, right, leads a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders with Headquarters USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego.

Capt. Gregory Sacenti, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, right, leads a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders with Headquarters USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego.

David Van Dorpe, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division’s Department of Veterans Affairs Project Execution Office, left, talks with Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations at Headquarters USACE, during a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders from both USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the new Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego. The new facility is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

David Van Dorpe, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division’s Department of Veterans Affairs Project Execution Office, left, talks with Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations at Headquarters USACE, during a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders from both USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the new Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego. The new facility is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Capt. Gregory Sacenti, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, third from right, leads a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders with Headquarters USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego. Visiting leaders included Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for USACE’s Military and International Operations, and Michael Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director for DVA’s Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction.

Capt. Gregory Sacenti, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, third from right, leads a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders with Headquarters USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego. Visiting leaders included Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for USACE’s Military and International Operations, and Michael Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director for DVA’s Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction.

Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs embark on a tour Oct. 9 at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego of the Spinal Cord Injury / Community Living Center, which is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs embark on a tour Oct. 9 at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego of the Spinal Cord Injury / Community Living Center, which is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Capt. Gregory Sacenti, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, left, leads a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders with Headquarters USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, visible at right, at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego. Behind Sacenti is the 1,000-plus-space, seven-level parking structure, which was opened in July 2023. Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations at USACE, foreground-right, took part in the tour.

Capt. Gregory Sacenti, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, left, leads a tour Oct. 9 for senior leaders with Headquarters USACE and the Department of Veterans Affairs of the Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, visible at right, at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego. Behind Sacenti is the 1,000-plus-space, seven-level parking structure, which was opened in July 2023. Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations at USACE, foreground-right, took part in the tour.

Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs gather Oct. 9 in the Los Angeles District’s San Diego Resident Office at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego to review progress on VA projects throughout USACE, as Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations, center, addresses the group. The leaders also toured the new Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, which is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs gather Oct. 9 in the Los Angeles District’s San Diego Resident Office at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego to review progress on VA projects throughout USACE, as Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations, center, addresses the group. The leaders also toured the new Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, which is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs stand together for a photo Oct. 9 in front of the new Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego after a tour of the facility. The new SCI/CLC is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.
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Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs stand together for a photo Oct. 9 in front of the new Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego after a tour of the facility. The new SCI/CLC is scheduled to replace the current facility and open its doors to veterans in 2025.

SAN DIEGO — Senior leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Veterans Affairs met Oct. 9 at the Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego to review progress on VA projects throughout USACE.

Gathering at the USACE Los Angeles District’s San Diego Resident Office, the group included leaders with the LA District and the VA’s Office of Construction and Facilities Management, currently managing the construction of the San Diego VA Healthcare System’s Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, which the group toured.

“Meetings like this are critical for leadership to get us all on the same page,” said Michael Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction with the Department of Veterans Affairs, adding that, though the VA and USACE may be separate agencies, “We are one team.”

Brig. Gen. Kirk Gibbs, deputy commanding general for Military and International Operations at USACE, emphasized to the group that building strong relationships at every level is an indispensable part of a team’s ability to work together smoothly and effectively, particularly when challenges arise.

“The key to delivering projects efficiently, effectively, on time and within budget is often the strength of the relationship among USACE, the stakeholders and the other partners working on that project together,” he said.

Gibbs said this applies at every level.

“People have to know each other,” Gibbs added. “They need to find some common ground where they can connect, even on a personal level. Once they do that, they start caring about each other and then the trust begins to develop. Partners will then welcome the opportunity to pick up the phone and communicate more comfortably because they trust each other, and they are more likely to want to work together to deliver and get results.”

The nearly complete Spinal Cord Injury/Community Living Center, which is scheduled to open its doors to veterans in 2025, will provide care to veterans and active-duty personnel with spinal cord injuries and disorders, who live in the San Diego and Imperial counties in California, and in Arizona and southern Nevada.

The 197,000-square-foot, four-story standalone structure, which is replacing the current building, will be the newest of more than 20 spinal cord injury and disorder facilities at VA centers throughout the U.S.