 |
Incoming SAME Baltimore Post President Scott McClelland, URS Corp, and Col. Peter Mueller, USA, the new Commander of USACE-Baltimore District, gathered with other members of the Baltimore Post during a summer social event in August. A long-time SAME member challenges the Distric in executing the Base Realignment and Closure mission and other Baltimore District responsibilities.
|
Boston Post Paves the Way for Small Business
It all started in August 2003 when Pete Delano, Nobis Engineering, and Rob Paine, ECC, decided that there just was not enough communication between the small business community, large businesses and federal agencies in the Boston area. Together they petitioned the SAME Boston Post Board of Directors and started a new committee that is now a loud and clear voice for small business throughout New England. The committee’s activity is all about finding ways to connect the small business community with their peers, potential clients and team members using small business-friendly venues. These “Matchmaker Events” are very well attended by representatives from large businesses and federal agencies.
The 14-member committee is made up of people with a wide variety of backgrounds. Active members include scientists, engineers, project managers, construction managers as well as contracts and procurement professionals (including small business liaison officers) making it a melting pot of business experience. The committee also created a small business database that is available through a link from the Boston Post Web site at www.sameboston.org. The database provides a snapshot of the services available from the regional small businesses that are SAME Boston Post Sustaining Members. Submitted by Joe Spangenberger, Boston Post SAME. Click here for the full article.
Public Agency Best Practices
The Houston/Galveston Post is serious about its partnership with Public Agency Sustaining members. So, how do we get such good Public Agency support? Through sponsorships, involvment, education and training, and recognition.
Sponsorships. Each month several of our Sustaining Member firms underwrite the meeting allowing our Public Agency members who attend to pay a substantially reduced meal rate.
Involvement. Each year the Post actively seeks out Public Agency members to serve on the board and in other leadership roles, and to participate in committee activities. It has been successful in attracting high level public agency employees to take on key roles in SAME. As you would expect, when the Director of Public Works supports and attends Post events, many of the employees also attend and participate. In addition, the Post’s Public Agency Committee is very popular and well-supported by our general membership. Six to eight times each year the committee meets at a Public Agency location to discuss the agency’s current issues of the day over a brown bag lunch.
Education & Training. The Post’s Readiness/
Homeland Security Committee is heavily supported by our Public Agencies and our readiness programs have been one of the more tangible benefits that we, as a Society, offer to our local Public Agencies. Each year the Post plans and hosts a workshop that has a readiness or homeland security theme. This year, the committee is carrying out a major accomplishment by improving our Web-based interactive Fast Start Plan and tying it to the State of Texas Regional Response Network. This initiative gives “legs” and a practical application of our Fast Start plan and hopefully will become the model that other SAME Posts can use.
Awards and Recognition. The Public Agency Committee selects a Public Agency of the Month and the Post recognizes the agency with a plaque presented at the monthly membership meetings. In addition, the Post holds an annual Public Agency Sustaining Member of the Year Dinner. The dinner is the most visible and the largest function the Post has each year, which recognizes and honors Public Agency members. Attendance this year was nearly 250; 24 Sustaining Member firms sponsored tables and five firms helped underwrite the event.
|
|
Buffalo Post Spreads the Word
More than 65 individuals attended the Buffalo Post general membership lunch meeting to hear featured speaker David J. Conboy, P.E., Chief, Technical Services Division, USACE-Buffalo District, speak about his civilian and military experiences in Iraq. Conboy served as a civilian with USACE in Basra, Iraq, from February to June 2004, where he was the Area Engineer responsible for overseeing the repair and rehabilitation of the oil infrastructure throughout southern Iraq. He returned to Iraq in September 2004 for one year as a mobilized reservist and served as the military advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces, helping to develop and train the new Iraqi Forces.
In other news…The Post awarded six scholarships again this year. Three were awarded to students attending City of Buffalo Schools, two to USACE-Buffalo District employee family members, and one to a Buffalo Post Sustaining Member family. This year’s luncheon speaker was John Kolber, a long- time USACE-Buffalo District employee, Past President of the Buffalo Post. Special thanks to Laura Ortiz for chairing the scholarship committee and organizing the luncheon. The food was plentiful and the extra food was donated to the City Mission of Buffalo. Submitted by Roman Figler, Buffalo Post President
Washinton D.C. Post Sets Fundraising Record
Setting an all-time record, the Washington, D.C., Post raised more than $21,000 for its Scholarship Program with the 2006 Scholarship Golf Tournament. Dozens of dedicated volunteers, more than 120 players, and a fantastic sponsorship response from members made this tournament a huge success.
The D.C. Post also sponsored two students to attend the SAME Engineering and Construction Camps who, upon returning from their camp experience gave excellent presentations to the D.C. Post membership at one of the Post’s monthly programs. The D.C. Post also is participating in a first-ever SAME Post-sponsored program, Project Lead the Way.
In addition, valuable student resources and quick reference links to A/E/C academic programs, service academies and study tips are provided on the D.C. Post Web site, www.sameDCpost.org, by the Post’s Outreach and Communications team to inspire students to follow a career in engineering, architecture or related sciences.
In September, the Post held a successful Scholars & Honors Gala to help raise additional critical funds for the Post’s Scholarship Program. The Gala featured an honors recognition ceremony of SAME 50-year members, Engineering Service Chiefs, SAME senior leadership, and the endowment of a new scholarship. A tireless committee of dedicated Gala volunteers, led by Committee Chair Mike Pavlides, PBS&J, worked hard to make this elegant evening a resounding success.
|
Houston/Galveston Post
Teams With APWA
The Houston/Galveston Post and the Southeast Texas Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA) conducted a joint meeting in July to award their scholarships for 2006. Together the two organizations awarded $19,500.
Jacksonville Post
Fun for a Good Cause
The Jacksonville Post raised more than $30,000 for the SAME Ken Butrym College Scholarship Golf Tournament held in September at The Champions Golf Club at Julington Creek. This was the 12th Annual College Scholarship Golf Tournament and 122 golfers participated. Prizes were given for first-, second- and third-place teams, “hole prizes” were awarded for the longest drive and closest to the pin, and many door prizes were raffled off during the meal that concluded the tournament. Since 1995, the Post has awarded 140 scholarships worth more than $161,000.
In other news…Sixty-five people, including 14 children, enjoyed the Post’s annual Suns picnic and baseball game. It was an exciting game that ended with the Jacksonville Suns beating the Huntsville Stars 4 to 2. The event featured typical baseball fare of “all you can eat” hamburgers, hot dogs,
popcorn and ice cream. It was a wonderful event where SAME folks got to enjoy a relaxing night out with family and friends.
Kentuckiana Post Focusing on
Tomorrow's Leaders
In June, USACE-Louisville District and the SAME Kentuckiana Post teamed up to sponsor an event for the Governor’s Scholars Program Engineering Focus Group. Fifty-seven of Kentucky’s brightest high school seniors-to-be were introduced to engineering at Cave Run Lake. They toured the dam and the adjacent fish hatchery and took a boat ride to view the site of a future boat ramp, access road and parking area. After a picnic lunch at the Tailwater Recreation Site, students developed a conceptual design for the boat ramp, road and parking lot. The Post sponsored meals and the boat ride, and provided professional portfolio cases for each scholar’s technical materials. The team members who made the event a success were John Allison, Damon Amlung, Mark Barnum, Nick Bibelhauser, Terry Durham, Rosemary Gilbertson, Brett Heppermann, David Lasoski, Josh Nickel and Ronnie Pride, all with USACE-Louisville District.
In other news…University of Louisville, Ky., ASCE/SAME student chapter members were presented with the top three awards at the Highway Engineering Exchange Program meeting. First place went to Mandy Moore for a presentation on design of a driver training course for sight-impaired individuals at the Kentucky Institute for the Blind; Jason Bush and Nick Stallings took second place with a presentation on optimal design of pre-stressed concrete beams; and Claudel Nisingizwe received third place for his presentation on the use of ground penetrating radar.
Additionally, students volunteered for the Repair Affair on June 17, constructing a wheel chair ramp for access into an elderly family’s home. They also joined in an effort to remove a damaged dog house and rock garden, repair drywall and paint. The chapter is planning a mock employment interview activity for senior students in October. Volunteers, especially SAME Young Members, are needed to assist with the interviews. Please contact Susan Rich at 502-581-0985, or srich@hntb.com, or Rosemary Gilbertson at 502-315-6503, or rosemary.gilbertson@lrl02.usace.
army.mil. Submitted by Stephen Clayton, Editor, ASCE/SAME Student Chapter
Kittyhawk Post Mentors SAME Campers
Under the shadow of Pikes Peak in Colorado, student campers, cadets and Young Members flocked to the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) for the SAME/USAFA Engineering and Construction Camp. This year, the Kittyhawk Post sent more mentors than any other to the camp. Capt. Hans Anker, Capt. Jonathan Gray, Capt. Ryan Novotny, and Capt. Nadja Turek, USAF, worked with Senior Mentor Grant Bartee, also from the Kittyhawk Post, to guide the campers through their engineering journey. The mentors had a professionally and personally enriching experience, cheering on the competitors every step of the way.
Many students, at the conclusion of the weeklong camp, expressed their gratitude for the experience and mentorship they received during the week. One wrote, “The camp was a complete success. Before the camp, I had no idea where I wanted to take my life. Now I am certain where I want to go. I am hooked on engineering!”
San Antonio Post Support Recognized
The San Antonio Post received a Certificate of Appreciation for its support of Fort Sam Houston soldiers and the Family Assistance Center from the Fort Sam Garrison Commander. The Post has provided tickets for the past three years for San Antonio Spurs and Missions games to the recovering soldiers and their family members at Brooke Army Medical Center.
The Post also received a Letter of Appreciation from the Prison Fellowship organization. As part of its community service efforts, the Post contributed $750 to the organization’s Angel Tree program. This program involves individuals, families, classes, departments, mission or friendship groups providing Christmas gifts for children of parents in Texas prisons.
In other news…the Post honored students selected to attend the SAME Engineering & Construction Camps. Each of the campers gave a short presentation on his or her 2007 camp experience including a description of the projects they worked on during the camps. Post President Clayton Perry presented each of the campers with a Post coin for sharing their experience with the Post.
| Welcome |
Please join us in welcoming our newest addition to the SAME family of Posts—the Moody-Valdosta Post in the South Atlantic Region. SAME now has 122 Posts nationwide and abroad.
|
|
|
