Several months ago, we held a strategic planning meeting with members from the SAME Board of Direction and SAME HQ staff to chart our course for the coming year. We reviewed the Society’s Mission, Vision and Values, and agreed that no changes were necessary. We made some modifications to our goals and objectives, and incorporated the feedback from the Streamer process. The Board of Direction approved the changes last month. The revised plan is on the SAME Web site and in the July edition of The Military Engineer.

Our principal focus areas for the coming year are:

Increase the relevance, diversity and public sector participation in the Society through inspired leadership at the Post, Regional and National levels.

We are going to continue and broaden what Gen. Fox emphasized during his term. Let me address the components:

• Relevance. Post leaders must design their programs to address the highest interests of both the public and private sector. I ask the Posts to focus their strategic planning process to establish programs that meet current and future needs of our members.
• Diversity. The strength of SAME is its diversity. We need to facilitate partnerships and involve every segment of our Society. Posts should provide opportunities for public-private and for inter-service partnerships. We need to increase the focus and participation of our Noncommissioned Officers.
• Public Sector Participation. We need to significantly inspire our public sector membership and participation. About 20 percent of our members work in DOD, either as civilians or in uniform. The Board of Direction is laser-focused on increasing the public sector’s membership and participation. It has reduced the dues and registration fees for public sector membership and participation in our conferences (see report on Board meeting on Page 5). I strongly encourage Posts to host events that specifically target the public sector, seek public sector speakers for programs, and reduce the prices for public sector attendees at meetings and workshops. Find a SAME member within each public sector organization who will proactively attend our SAME programs and will generate high interest in our Society.
• Inspired Leadership. Our Society is great. Be passionate in your desire to achieve excellence and mentor others to become part of our Society.

  Support continuing education for licensure, professional certifications and professional development for Society members.
  At the national level, SAME HQ is working with the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) and others to provide greater access to our members preparing for licensure and other certifications relevant to the military engineering profession. Currently, 32 states require continuing education credits to maintain a professional engineer license, and many of the other certifications require some type of maintenance credits or professional development hours (PDH). SAME HQ has on its Web site an excellent Professional Competency Guide that was developed by the Professional Development and Education Committee (see www.same.org/pde). I encourage the Posts to make an extra effort to provide for PDHs for your programs. What we have found works best is to have Posts provide a technical workshop (from 1-2 hours) prior to or after a luncheon meeting for people who want to obtain PDHs but don’t wish to attend a luncheon. Posts also are encouraged to host a “Webinar” or “Webcast” that can present a one-hour technical session without people leaving their offices. As a Society, we provide an excellent venue for relevant, inexpensive training and education, so let’s capitalize on that capability to achieve our goals and objectives.

  Support the Nation’s deployed engineering team and their families.
  As we begin our third year of having a substantial engineer force forward deployed in the Global War on Terrorism, we are increasing our support to those who are getting ready to deploy, are deployed, or who have just returned. Deployments have a major impact on our military families, and today, with many DOD civilians and contractors deploying with our military, there is major impact on their families as well. I am asking the Society to initiate actions at both the National and Post level to show that we care for our engineer team. And don’t forget about our National Guard, Reserve Forces, and those from the private sector. Currently, more than 150,000 of our guard and reserve forces are mobilized to support the Global War on Terrorism.

• At the National level, we will get the mailing addresses of deployed units so that we can mail them SAME publications. Often, our members do not change their mailing address for a deployment since their families are still at home. We also will be developing a form on the SAME Web site that can be filled out by members who are deploying with their temporary address and e-mail address so that we can better stay in touch with them while they are deployed.
• At the Post level, I ask each Post to adopt some type of pro-active outreach program to deployed members and their families. This can be hosting an event periodically to which we invite families of deployed forces or hosting recognition programs to honor those who have returned. Posts that are near military hospitals are encouraged to visit our wounded service members and find ways to assist them and their families.

I hope I have given you some ideas that will help you and your Posts achieve the goals and objectives of the Society’s Strategic Plan and some areas on which to focus in the coming year. I wish you well in your programs and look forward to celebrating your successes.

Rear Adm. M.K. Loose, P.E., F.SAME
U.S. Navy, Civil Engineer Corps
SAME President, 2005-2006