

Community Mission
The mission of the SAME Leader Development Community of Interest (LD COI) is to develop, execute, and track leader development activities across the SAME enterprise in support of the 2025 SAME Strategic Plan – Securing America’s Future, Together.
Specifically, the LD COI will lead efforts to enhance leadership development and cultivate the talent necessary to address the nation’s grand challenges (including through supporting the SAME Leader Development Program as well as many other local and regional leader development initiatives across the Society) and ensure the enduring stewardship of the A/E/C profession.
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Community Chair
Zakary Payne
P.E., Matrix Design Group
Vice Chair/Chair Elect: Julie Eiter, Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp.
Immediate Past Chair: Cdr. Roland de Guzman, P.E., CEM, USN (Ret.), MBP
Vice Chair, Programs: Vacant
Vice Chair, Communication: Yvonne Rivera, Gannett Fleming
Vice Chair, Post Liaison: Lt Col Josh Carroll, PE, PMP, USAF
Vice Chair, COI Liaison: Gerald Morris, F.SAME, Michael Baker International
Vice Chair, Education: Col. Eric Wilbur, P.E., USAF (Ret.). Wilbur Consulting
LDP Liaison: Brandi Smith, Cornerstone Engineering
Mentoring Advisory Group Liaison: Dr. Joshua McClure, F. SAME Halff Associates, Inc.
SAME National Office POC: Ree Miskimon, CPSM, FSMPS
Goal 1: Strengthen Industry-Government Engagement
Lead efforts to foster communication and build relationships among military, public, academic, and professional organizations; further collaboration to identify issues and develop solutions in support of National security.
LDP provides a platform for industry and government members to grow professionally in a mutually supportive environment. Industry and government professionals interact under a common theme. The program also offers members of government and industry the opportunity to support the program as instructors and mentors.
Goal 2: Build and Sustain Resilient Communities
Lead efforts to prepare communities to absorb, recover, and adapt from natural and man-made threats, fortify our nation’s resolve directly where people work and live.
Leadership is key to decision-making. When faced with tough circumstances, a leader’s ability to respond to threats helps determine their resilience. LDP enhances that ability.
Goal 3. Develop Leaders for the Profession
Lead efforts to enhance leadership development and cultivate the talent necessary to address the nation’s grand challenges; ensure the enduring stewardship of the A/E/C profession.
Leader development is core to the Leader Development Program.
Goal 4: Enrich the STEM Pipeline for the Nation
Lead efforts to inspire, encourage, and enable youth to pursue STEM careers; help develop the technical capacity that our nation needs to remain globally competitive.
As a component of leader development, mentoring ensures knowledge, skills, and aptitudes are shared among the membership. Student members can especially benefit from mentoring to enhance their own leader development.
Goal 5. Prepare Service Members and Veterans for the A/E/C Industry
Lead efforts to fully integrate military and government members in the A/E/C industry; support training, credentialing, and networking initiatives that build, maintain, and translate skills to meet current and future needs.
LD provides a platform to leverage the leadership of service members and veterans as well as enhance leadership development for them to address challenges in the A/E/C profession.
LDP Vice Chair: Brandi Smith, Cornerstone Engineering
Immediate Past Chair: Col. Eric Wilbur, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.)
LDP Book Discussion POC:
- Travis Cummin, Enterprise Engineering
- Candice Scale, HDR
LDP Mentor POC:
- Jack Johannes, Professional Engineering Consultants
- Steve Price, HDR
LDP UPIC Projects Lead: Roland DeGuzman, F. SAME
LDP Evaluations:
- Colleen Rust, EA Engineering, Science, and Technology
- Ryan Elliott, RHA
LDP Alumni POC:
- Susan Thames, F. SAME, Miller-Remick
- Sam Barnett, iParametrics
SAME National Office POC: Ree Miskimon, CPSM, FSMPS
Mentoring Vice-chair: Dr. Joshua McClure, F.SAME, Halff Associates, Inc.
LDP Mentoring POC:
- Jack Johannes, Professional Engineering Consultants
- Steve Price, HDR
AOF Mentoring POC: Rick Wice, F. SAME, Sundance, Inc.
Post-level Mentoring: Gerald Morris, F. SAME, Michael Baker International
SAME National Office POC: Ree Miskimon, CPSM, FSMPS
Class | Occupation Sector | Position | Gender | Race | Military Service |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 32% Private Sector 47% Public Sector (DoD) 21% Public Sector (non-DoD) |
42% Project Manager 42% Engineer 16% Marketing or Business Development |
47% Male 53% Female |
90% White 5% Asian or Pacific Islander 5% Black or African American |
22% Active Duty 0% Veteran 6% Reserve/National Guard 72% Never Served |
2021 | 33% Private Sector 60% Public Sector (DoD) 7% Public Sector (non-DoD) |
27% Project Manager 60% Engineer 13% Marketing or Business Development |
73% Male 27% Female |
93% White 7% Asian or Pacific Islander |
40% Active Duty 0% Veteran 13% Reserve/National Guard 47% Never Served |
2020 | 46% Private Sector 46% Public Sector (DoD) 8% Public Sector (non-DoD) |
61% Project Manager 31% Engineer 8% Marketing or Business Development |
70% Male 30% Female |
85% White 15% Hispanic/Latino |
31% Active Duty 31% Veteran 7% Reserve/National Guard 31% Never Served |
Upcoming National Webinars
Related TME Articles – Leader Development
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Fulfilling the Mission
Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, CEC, USN, Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, sits down with TME to discuss the Department of the Navy’s Systems Command for shore facilities and expeditionary equipment, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) and its varied responsibility that directly support warfighter lethality. -
Strengthening Installation Energy Resilience Through a Community of Practice
The Military Energy Resilience Catalyst strengthens installation energy resilience by providing opportunities for energy practitioners to develop professionally and connect with experts, senior leaders, and colleagues.
One of the three goals of the SAME Strategic Plan is to Develop People. We exist as a COI to make that goal a reality for the Society and our membership!
Zakary Payne, PE, Chief Operating Officer, Matrix Design Group, Inc.