Growing up in Eastern Arkansas near the Mississippi River, Christopher Atkins had an early appreciation for the river and the Army Corps of Engineers. He’s now nearing his 20th year in his Corps’ career, and recently returned to the St. Paul District as the deputy chief of operations.
“From a relatively early age, I had a basic understanding of what the Corps’ mission was,” he said. “I had some family members who worked for the Corps. I always found those kinds of things fascinating, especially the things we did on the river.”
Atkins, who formerly worked as chief of physical support branch and chief of the locks and dams section here in the St. Paul District, departed for Nashville in 2015 to become the chief of the technical support branch there. Returning to St. Paul “was a good opportunity for me, and I knew most of the folks in the program, so it was an easy transition.”
As deputy chief of operations, he helps oversee a large portfolio of projects and activities, including project management, safety and labor relations issues, and basically addressing big issues that arise, or as he terms it “anything that’s hot.”
“There’s always something going on in operations,” said Atkins.
Atkins has three degrees from Washington University in St. Louis: a bachelor’s in structural/civil engineering, a master’s in structural engineering, and a master’s in international finance and project management. “I think in my work in the Corps, I use all of those things,” said Atkins.
In his spare time, Atkins owns a 300-acre cattle farm in Northwest Arkansas. His parents run the day-to-day operations, while he takes care of finances and general management remotely. He tries to get down there as often as he can. “It’s something I really enjoy,” said Atkins.
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