By Chuck Walker
MOBILE, Ala. – In 1993, Bill Clinton was President, a new show on MTV started called Beavis and Butthead, and in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays won their second straight World Series title.
It also marked the year that a young woman named Kris Mullins from Meeker, Oklahoma, graduated from Oklahoma State with a degree in Chemical Engineering and began her career in Federal Service, first with Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest in San Diego and then with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
On April 18, after 32 years of federal service, Mullins retired from USACE and the Mobile District, having spent 29 years working for the Corps.
Mullins said the people she enjoyed working with over the years motivated her.
“I started with NAVFAC out of college,” Mullins said. “I expected that to be a short-term thing as I waited for the price of oil to rebound and I could use my chemical engineering degree as I planned. Before that, I pursued the opportunity to work for USACE in the Europe District instead. What’s kept me with USACE has been the rewarding work and projects and the amazing people.”
With 32 years of service, Mullins has had the opportunity to wear many different hats, have many different experiences, and serve in many different areas of the country and the world.
One opportunity that sticks out to Mullins was serving in Afghanistan for 13 months.
“The best job I ever did was being the Deputy for Programs and Project Management in Afghanistan,” Mullins said. “Going in, I think I underestimated the impact of our work. The work was gratifying, and the opportunity was once in a lifetime. It was fast-paced and ever-changing, and the treadmill of USACE employees meant I got to work with people from across USACE.”
Two mentors who significantly impacted her journey in USACE were Dr. Christine Altendorf, the former HQ USACE Director of Military Programs, and Ed Wartford, the Director of Planning and Project Management in Little Rock, Arkansas.
“Ed was one of the first people that told me I was DPM material,” Mullins said. “That was a job I wanted, but I never voiced it. He was the first person to validate it. He always supported my career and helped me deploy to Afghanistan. Christine and I have known each other since 2012 and have stayed connected through the years. She has been a huge inspiration and supporter of anyone up and coming in the Corps. She has always provided a sounding board and has been a good friend and mentor.”
Dr. Altendorf was not only a mentor to Mullins, but they also shared another thing: they both graduated from Oklahoma State.
“A good mentorship is interesting,” Altendorf said. “It starts as a mentor-mentee but ends up being a great friendship. That’s Kris to me. A solid friend with whom we can bounce ideas off each other, vent to one another, be happy about Oklahoma State sports, and support each other as we move through the progression of life. Kris has so much to offer in various aspects of her life. She’s a great engineer. She’s a great Mom. She’s a great Wife. She’s a great Federal Employee. She’s a great mentor. She’s a great Christian, but mostly, she’s a great OSU alum!”
One person who valued Mullins’ advice throughout his career at the Mobile District is Eric North, who will temporarily replace Mullins as Chief of Staff following her retirement.
North said that Mullins’ mentorship as his nine-year supervisor contributed greatly to his progress from a GS-11 to GS-14.
“Kris has a way of creating clarity and calm, even when the situation is anything but,” North said. “She leads with trust, backs her people, and never loses sight of the bigger picture. Working for Kris taught me how much leadership is really about consistency, integrity, and care. Kris is the leader who makes those around her better leaders.”
Paris Embree, the USACE Southwestern Division Regional Asset Manager, has remained friends with Mullins throughout the years and is considered her best friend.
The two met years ago when Mullins was working in the SWD, but in a different program. She has watched her friend grow throughout the years and had nothing but praise for Mullins as she retires from USACE.
“Her reputation for being smart, strong, and fair is evident throughout her career, but certainly for the many years I have known her,” Embree said. “She cares for her employees, protects her superiors, and is thoughtful and gracious to everyone. She is ferociously loyal.”
Four other people have played a significant part in not only her career but her life. Her husband, John, an electrical engineer in the Mobile District Operations Division, and their three children, Jackson, Alyssa, and Seth, all 12, have supported her and cheered her on throughout her career. Through all the times of changing jobs and the nine PCSs, her family has supported her every step of the way.
“John has supported me through multiple job changes and moves across the country,” Mullins said. “Without him, I would have never been able to go to Afghanistan. He’s also made it possible for me to travel for work. We work as a team, supporting each other when traveling or working long hours. My children are such a blessing. We were hoping for one and got blessed with three. They are amazing and growing up way too fast. I look forward to spending the summer with them.”
Mullins ends her career here in the Mobile District, where she has served as the Chief of Staff for the last 12 years.
Col. Sebastien Joly, USACE Huntsville Center commander and former Mobile District commander, said her work for the Mobile District has been vital, including the “Water Wars” regarding the flow of water in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, which have been fought in the courts for years.
“Kris has been an invaluable asset to the Mobile District for years,” Joly said. “From managing the complex Water Wars to providing her steady hand of leadership over the entire G&A staff. She’ll be missed, but I’m confident she will find continued success in the next chapter of her life.”
Col. Jeremy Chapman, USACE Mobile District commander, said Mullins has been a vital leader, and the District will miss her.
“Kris was our People Champion and a mission essential leader of our Mobile Family,” Chapman said. We will miss her and wish her the best in retirement after 32 years of federal service to the Nation.”
Mullins’ advice to those growing in their careers or considering a career with USACE is to be open to opportunities, even if they feel outside of your comfort zone. She also said to be “Semper Gumby,” always flexible.
She said that despite the many jobs she has had throughout USACE and the country, the people she will remember and miss the most are the ones she has met along the way.
“Each position of my career was unique and rewarding, the projects and their impact very evident,” Mullins said. “But what I will remember most are the people. USACE has some of the most dedicated professionals. So many have contributed to who I am and my accomplishments. I’m so thankful for everyone. Character-building experiences aren’t fun. My time with USACE is certainly the exception. It’s been quite a ride.”