Nashville District executive officer culminates career as Soldier and civil servant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 13, 2025) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District bid farewell yesterday to its long-serving executive officer and congressional liaison that faithfully served 16 consecutive commanders and culminates 38 years as a civil servant.

Lt.?Col.?Robert?Green,?Nashville?District?commander,?presented?the?Department?of?the?Army?Meritorious?Civilian?Service?Medal?to?Joanne?Mann?during?a?retirement?ceremony?recognizing?her?exceptional?leadership?and?steadfast?dedication?for?more?than?30?years.

“She?has?cultivated?relationships?with?congressional?members?and?their?staffs?that?allowed?leadership?from?the?district?the?opportunity?to?tell?the?stories?about?the?incredible?missions?the?people?of?the?Nashville?District?have?accomplished,”?Green?said.?“Her?personal?drive?and?work?ethic?is?what?ensured?every?meeting?and?engagement?at?least?had?the?opportunity?for?success.”

Mann joined federal service in 1989. After working in several positions as secretary for the Depot Support Activity Far East in Seoul, South Korea, and the 125th Reserve Command in Nashville, Tennessee, she joined the Nashville District, serving as a budget analyst and management analyst in Resource Management, and then as a legal assistant in the Office of Counsel. The district promoted her to her current position in June 2007. She also served in the military as a combat medic on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1989, and then in the Reserves until 1992.

Green?said?he?sought?advice?of?several?former?commanders?prior?to?taking?command?himself?and?asked?them?what?he?needed?to?know?to?be?prepared?to?lead?the?district.

“Every?one?of?those?former?commanders?told?me,?‘Don’t?worry,?you’ve?got?Joanne?Mann?to?set?you?straight.?You?don’t?need?anything?else.’?Those?are?big?expectations?to?live?up?to,?but?Joanne?has?more?than?risen?to?the?challenge,”?Green?said.?“Not?only?is?she?a?wealth?of?information?about?the?connective?fiber?of?the?relationships?that?make?up?our?stakeholders,?but?she?also?either?knows?the?process?to?accomplish?any?task?or?she?will?figure?it?out?through?sheer?force?of?will.”

Another?aspect?that?stands?out?about?Mann,?the?commander?added,?is?how?she?invests?of?herself?in?everyone?around?her.

“I?count?myself?fortunate?enough?to?be?one?of?those?folks,”?Green?said.?“Joanne?asks?about?the?lives?and?families?of?her?coworkers?because?she?genuinely?cares,?and,?as?anyone?who?knows?her?finds?out,?she?is?quick?to?adopt?them?as?her?own?family.?Joanne?is?more?than?a?coworker?to?all?of?us?in?the?executive?office.?She?is?a?friend,?and?she?is?family,?and?we?wish?her?all?the?best?in?the?next?chapter?of?her?adventure.”

Mann?has?guided?nine?commanders?since?becoming?executive?officer?and?congressional?liaison.

“There?was?something?truly?gratifying?about?witnessing?the?initial?stages?of?a?new?commander,?observing?our?leaders?as?they?seamlessly?adapted?and?thrived?in?their?new?roles,”?Mann?said.?“USACE?excels?in?cultivating?intelligent,?well-rounded?leaders?who?can?navigate?the?complexities?of?our?ever-changing?environment,?but?comfortable?in?embracing?challenges?and?opportunities?that?lay?ahead.”

Current?and?past?district?leaders?made?the?trek?to?Nashville?to?celebrate?Mann’s?career.?Col.?Stephen?Murphy?and?Retired?Col.?John?Hudson,?former?Nashville?District?commanders;?Maj.?Jesse?Davis,?Nashville?District?deputy?commander;?Craig?Carrington,?deputy?for?Project?Management;?Lt.?Col.?Nathan?Branen,?former?deputy?commander;?and?Mike?Wilson?and?Patty?Coffey,?former?deputies?for?Project?Management;?all?paid?their?respect?for?Mann’s?tremendous?impact?to?the?organization.

As?the?Nashville?District’s?executive?officer?and?congressional?liaison,?Mann?planned?and?conducted?the?commander’s?congressional?visits?and?interagency?support,?ensuring?appropriate?communication.?She?also?maintained?relationships?with?stakeholders?and?members?of?Congress.?Teaming?frequently?with?the?district’s?corporate?leaders,?project?and?operations?managers,?office?staffs,?and?especially?the?command?staff,?she?said?everyone?around?her?made?it?enjoyable?and?satisfying?to?plan,?coordinate,?and?implement?programs.

“Working?in?the?Executive?Office?gives?you?a?different?perspective?of?the?command?team,?one?that?others?outside?of?the?office?rarely?see,”?she?explained.?“I?feel?immensely?blessed?for?the?opportunity?to?not?only?work?hard?but?also?find?joy,?laughter?and?camaraderie?alongside?such?remarkable?leaders.”

She?said?successes?came?from?exceptional?employees?and?solid?teams.?Together,?they?overcame?challenges?and?communicated?projects?and?operations?with?congressional?interests.

“I?was?fortunate?to?have?the?opportunity?to?engage?with?all?facets?of?our?organization,?and?in?the?process?gained?valuable?insights?into?the?inner?workings?of?our?mission?and?nation,”?Mann?said.?“I?truly?felt?as?though?my?contributions?were?meaningful.?Plus,?I?got?to?see?some?cool?stuff?and?meet?some?very?interesting?and?influential?people.”

Mann?often?took?work?home?and?especially?credits?her?husband?David?for?his?love?and?steadfast?support,?despite?long?hours?that?seemed?to?be?routine?to?her?position.

“I?am?blessed?to?have?a?partner?whose?selflessness?has?granted?me,?unconditionally,?the?liberty?to?passionately?pursue?my?career?without?reservation,”?Mann?said.?“I?only?hope?I?can?do?the?same?for?him?as?we?embark?on?this?next?chapter.?I?love?him?and?our?life?so?much.”

Mann?has?a?bachelor’s?degree?in?marketing?from?Middle?Tennessee?State?University.?She?completed?the?Nashville?District’s?inaugural?Leadership?Development?Program?Level?1?–?Employees?Achieving?Greatness?and?Leadership?Excellence,?also?known?as?EAGLE.?She?also?completed?LDP?2?and?LDP?3?programs?and?took?advantage?of?developmental?positions.

She?deployed?to?Mississippi?in?response?to?Hurricane?Katrina?in?2005,?and?recently?served?as?an?advisor?for?the?Marine?Transportation?System?with?the?Department?of?Transportation.?Since?joining?the?Corps?of?Engineers,?Mann?has?garnered?the?Commander’s?Award?for?Civilian?Service?and?the?Bronze?Order?of?the?de?Fleury?Medal.

Story by Lee Roberts. The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at?www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at?www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps?and on X (formerly Twitter) at?www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at?https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.