U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Project managers from the Colorado Springs Utilities Southern Delivery System visited the Air Force Academy earlier this month to show cadets studying project management how their academic knowledge could be used during their future careers as officers.
John Fredell and Keith Riley spoke about the SDS, designed to bring Arkansas River water stored in the Pueblo Reservoir to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security and Pueblo West.
“Project management course instructors met with utilities staff [before the visit], and after hearing about the extensive level of tie to project management course concepts, it was decided the cadets would benefit from an example of project management tools,” said Capt. Geoffrey Carrigan, a Management Department instructor at the Academy.
Carrigan said the lessons learned from the project were discussed, as well as how the city successfully completed a $985 million project $156 million under budget.
Cadet 2nd Class Kellen Cleveland, a projects management major, said the visit was more than relevant.
“What went into the project from a planning and management aspect is exactly what this course is about,” Cleveland said. “It was also an inspirational presentation from an overall Academy and government standpoint to see what goes into the things we take for granted like our water supply.”
Cleveland said he was inspired by Fredell’s passion for the project.
“It spanned more than a decade and he had a lot of his life invested in it,” Cleveland said. “He was clearly thrilled by how things turned out and passionate about sharing the successes and the challenges with cadets who could very easily be involved in a project of that size.”
Colorado Springs City Councilman Larry Bagley, a Academy graduate, proposed the idea to connect the Academy with SDS.