The SAME Academy of Fellows will invest 18 new Fellows during its annual Investiture Ceremony, which will be held Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, North Bethesda, Md., as part of SAME Capital Week and preceding the 2017 Academy of Fellows Golden Eagle Awards Dinner.
Established in 1995, the SAME Academy of Fellows recognizes those members who have rendered dedicated and outstanding service to the Society, to military engineering, and to the A/E/C profession. During the ceremony, the Academy also will honor this year’s recipient of the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award, which is awarded annually to a member of the Academy for outstanding mentoring efforts.
This year’s new SAME Class of Fellows includes current or retired members of four uniformed services (Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard), public sector civilians, and industry professionals. They are part of SAME’s 30,000 members across the world, who, collectively, are a rich and diverse group of individuals from throughout the public, private and academic sectors, working to support SAME’s mission to “lead collaborative efforts to identify and resolve national security infrastructure-related challenge.”
Congratulations to the 18 new SAME Fellows who will be invested in 2017 and to the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award recipient. Learn more about the SAME Academy of Fellows.
- Lt. Col. Matthew R. Altman, P.E., PhD, F.SAME, USAF – U.S. Air Force
Throughout his career, Lt. Col. Matt Altman has demonstrated outstanding service to the engineering profession and dedication to SAME. Over the past 14 years as an SAME member, he has served as a Post Vice President, Post President, Regional Secretary, National Elected Director, and currently is the National Young Member Council Chair and a member of the Executive Committee. In the Air Force, he currently serves as a Legislative Affairs Officer, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, where he is the four-star Combatant Commander’s legislative lead in the Pentagon for all engagement with members of Congress. Col. Altman frequently mentors younger engineers in the Air Force and private sector, through the Young Member Council and other opportunities with the Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. Posts.
- Capt. Robert A. Bevins, P.E., F.SAME, USCG – U.S. Coast Guard
Coast Guard Capt. Bob Bevins has made significant contributions to SAME during his 19-year membership, including President of the Northern Virginia Post. He was Hampton Roads Post Secretary in 1998 and later twice served on the organization committees for the highly successful Washington DC Post Scholarship Galas. The Northern Virginia Post, selected as Distinguished Post from 2008 through 2015, and winning Top Large Post in 2008 and 2009, thrived in part due to his leadership in many board roles over those years. Capt. Bevins has been a civil engineer officer in the Coast Guard for 30 years. As a leader in Engineering and Acquisition, he has designed, built and maintained a wide variety of office, waterfront, vessel, aviation and IT infrastructures. Capt. Bevis has also been a longtime mentor for countless scouts, students, junior engineers, and junior officers.
- Matthew J. “Joel” Burke, F.SAME – AECOM
Joel Burke is currently serving as Vice President of the SAME Savannah Post where he has been a board member for over 10 years. Upon joining the Society in 2005, he immediately assumed the position of Savannah Post Programs Chair. Over the next ten years, he held several positions within the Post while working as a mentor and resource for other SAME members. In particular, he is committed to provide guidance on Post operations and best practices to help the organization thrive. As a retired Air Force non‐commissioned officer, Burke avidly helps grow the Young Member and NCO ranks of the Society. He is currently a Vice President and Regional Federal Program Manager for AECOM, where manages engineers and engineering technicians at military installations in the Southeast.
- James R. Carter, F.SAME – EMAX Laboratories
James Carter has been an SAME member for 17 years. He serves with the Orange County Post, where he has been instrumental in revitalizing the Post over the last decade. He has held several leadership roles, including President and Treasurer and created both the Camp Pendleton Day and Federal Business Opportunities Symposium, which have been extremely successful for the Post. Carter is also a dedicated mentor in a local elementary school and for military engineers transitioning to the private sector. Carter has reached several milestones throughout his 34 year career, including 18 years at EMAX Laboratories where he was recognized for his analytical work with clients, including the Army Corps of Engineers and Camp Pendleton. He is currently the firm’s National Sales Director, and builds nationwide partnerships in support of DOD’s environmental stewardship efforts.
- Andrew J. Cueto, P.E., PMP, F.SAME – Cueto Consulting & Construction
Andrew Cueto has been actively involved in SAME for 14 years. He served as the 2013 President of the Fort Worth Post and has held every position on the Board of Directions. In part thanks to his leadership, Fort Worth earned Distinguished Post with Distinction status three times, and Top Large Post Honorable Mention in 2010. In 2007, Cueto received a Regional Vice Presidents medal for his work on the TEXOMA Regional Conference. He has been a member of SAME National Committees over the years, including the Small Business Council and Facility Asset Management Committee. In his professional career, Cueto is a small business owner and has successfully grown his design/build construction firm—Cueto Consulting & Construction—to a certified 8(a)/HUBZone firm serving the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Lt. Col. Michael R. Darrow, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.) – USACE Norfolk District
Retired Army Lt. Col. Michael Darrow has contributed to SAME and the engineering profession for 27 years. He has supported SAME at all levels from Post Board Member through Post President and today, as a member of the SAME National Board of Direction as a Regional Vice President, where he is taking steps to enhance communications with the Posts in his region. Darrow has proctored P.E. exams, served as a regional conference program chair, and a willing and accessible public sector leader within SAME. Currently, Col. Darrow is the Deputy District Engineer for USACE Norfolk District. He is responsible for the $500 million program and serves as the face of the district to outside stakeholders to include member of Congress, and state and local leaders. Col. Darrow was named 2016 USACE Civilian of the Year.
- Wendi Goldsmith, Ph.D., CPG, F.SAME – Center for Urban Watershed Resilience
Wendi Goldsmith joined the Boston Post in 1996 and has contributed at the SAME Post, Regional, and National levels ever since. She is a contributing author for TME Energy & Sustainability News column and has served in multiple leadership roles on the SAME Energy and Sustainability Committee and been a driver within the Society on sustainability, including representing SAME in a meeting held by the White House Council on Environmental Quality in 2012. Goldsmith also led the development of three senior leader roundtable seminars for SAME and was a key participant in organizing the Executive Forums. Professionally, a former small business owner who had a major role in building the post-Katrina hurricane and storm damage risk reduction system, she is now Director of the Center for Urban Watershed Resilience. She serves on multiple boards fostering advancement of girls and women in STEM and entrepreneurship, and was a Federal Appointee to the National Women’s Business Council.
- Rear Adm. Mark A. Handley, P.E., F.SAME, USN (Ret.) – AECOM
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Handley has been an SAME member since 1995. He is currently Chair of the National Energy & Sustainability Committee and a member of the National Investment Committee. Along with multiple leadership roles, he has been active on the Post level, including with the Hampton Roads, Honolulu and San Diego Posts. As an engineering and acquisition professional Rear Adm. Handley led NAVFAC organizations in the effective management of shore infrastructure. He personally negotiated and awarded the Navy’s first CLEAN (environmental) contracts. As a Seabee commander, his service included duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Regimental Commander deployed in support of the First Marine Expeditionary Force in 2004, and as the First Naval Construction Division overseeing 33 regimental and battalion deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Adm.l Handley is now Senior Vice President of Federal Programs at AECOM.
- Col. Edward A. “Charlie” Hart, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.) – General Services Administration
Retired Army Col. Charlie Hart joined SAME in 1978 and has been an active member of numerous Posts over the years while serving in military positions in North Carolina, California, Texas or overseas in Germany, Korea, Haiti and Iraq. While serving as Command Engineer at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, headquartered in North Texas, Col. Hart joined the Dallas Post to continue his involvement with SAME. He immediately became active in support of Post activities and in 2004 he accepted an appointment to join its Board of Directors. He is currently President for the Fort Worth Post. Col. Hart is currently Southern Border Executive for the General Services Administration. He led the federal response to the unaccompanied alien children crisis, delivering real estate solutions that earned GSA the Federal Executive Board’s Annual Award for Interagency Collaboration.
- Capt. John J. Hickey, P.E., F.SAME, USCG (Ret.) – Jacobs
Retired Coast Guard Capt. John Hickey has provided exemplary leadership for both SAME and the United States Coast Guard. He served on the board of directors of the Honolulu Post from 2007-2010. He was the Seattle Post president (2012-2013) and is currently the Northwest Regional Vice President. As the Coast Guard worked to enhance its energy program, he provided leadership resulting in award winning project execution. Throughout his career he demonstrated operational excellence as evidenced by his response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. For both incidents he led highly effective engineering and logistics support to the Incident Commander enabling mission execution. Due to his technical skills and leadership abilities, he was selected for command for three consecutive tours of duty. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to mentoring students in five different cities. He created new programs in Rhode Island, Boston, Seattle and Juneau, Alaska, and he inspired children to pursue STEM education. Capt. Hickey is now a Principal with Jacobs.
- Steven H. Holt Sr., P.E., CEM, F.SAME – Alfaro Consulting
Steven Holt has been a dedicated member of SAME for 14 years and he is the current Past Post President and a Board member of the San Antonio Post. Under his leadership, San Antonio received distinguished status and its total membership soared to more than 1,000 members. He has served as Post Vice President and he was previously the Post Professional Development Director and Assistant Treasurer. Holt has contributed directly to training, developing and mentoring a generation of young members in the San Antonio Post. His participation in the Post Leadership Lab and San Antonio Post Small Business Conference are examples of sustained, long term dedication to Post activities. Professionally, Holt is a Senior Project Manager with Alfaro Consulting. During the past four years he has managed four large critical electrical infrastructure projects with a total construction valve over $50 million. Earlier in his career, he was a civilian engineer with the U.S. Air Force.
- Lt. Col. Gary J. Krupa, P.E., F.SAME, ANG (Ret.) – Department of Veterans Affairs
Retired Air National Guard Lt. Col, Gary Krupa joined SAME more than 25 years ago. He has been recognized as outstanding Young Member of the Omaha Post, earned the President’s Medal for Leadership and served as Omaha Post President (2009-2010). He been a Student Mentoring Program team mentor every year since being Post President, with the exception of the year he was deployed in Afghanistan. The program launched in 1994 and has introduced over 4,000 middle and high school student to real world architectural and engineering design problems Col. Krupa has served the United States through dual careers in the Army and Air National Guard. He currently works for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Senior Electrical Engineer and has led the development of a process to interpret and implement VA Physical Security requirements. He is a member of the multi-disciplinary board rewriting the VA Physical Security Design Manual.
- Cynthia E. Lincicome, F.SAME – Betance Enterprises
Cindy Lincicome has become a champion for SAME since joining the Society in 2004. She served in a variety of leadership roles: including Vice President at three posts (Denver Metro, Frontier and Pikes Peak), the first female President of the Pikes Peak Post, and most recently as a Regional Vice President and member of the SAME National Board of Direction and Executive Committee. As RVP, she helped rejuvenate the Tularosa, Frontier and Yuma Posts in the Rocky Mountain Region. Throughout her 35-year professional career, she has contributed to military engineering, communities, and solider quality of life. Cindy’s dedication to STEM, future young engineers, and leader development is demonstrated through her support and planning for the SAME Engineering & Construction Camp at the Air Force Academy, the Air Force Academy Cadet Engineer Dinner, and Boy/Girl Scouts badging program. Cindy currently works as a Pre-Construction manager for Betance Enterprises, a service-disabled veteran owned small business general contractor.
- David A. Packard, RA, PMP, F.SAME – USACE Northwestern Division
David Packard has been an active member of the Omaha Post for over 29 years and last year served as the Post President. During the year, the Post achieved a number of successes, including reinvigorating the University of Nebraska-Omaha Student Chapter, which earned a Distinguished Student Chapter Award. Packard has been a mentor in the Omaha Post’s Student Mentoring Program at both middle and high school levels since 1998. Since 2012, he also has served as the National SAME Architectural Practice Committee Vice Chair for Communications and was one of the committee’s founders. Professionally, he has worked as an Architect, Program Manager, and BRAC Integrator for USACE Omaha District and Northwestern Division. He has successfully disposed of several military installations and managed the construction of over $2 billion in sustainable military construction projects at BRAC gainer installations.
- Cdr. Philip J. Spalding, P.E., PMP, F.SAME, USN (Ret.) – Tetra Tech
Retired Navy Cdr. Philip Spalding has been a dedicated member of SAME since 1994. Since his retirement from the Navy (Reserves) in 2010, he has dedicated himself to the Detroit Post including serving as Post President (2013-2014). He has worked to expand the scholarship program outreach, and recruit and mentor new young members from demographics that have been underrepresented in the past. He also created a new scholarship for high school students in the ROTC who plan to pursue STEM degrees. Cdr. Spalding has had a distinguished military and civilian engineering career with contributions to environmental and facilities engineering, and military programs, including serving as Commanding Officer of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 26. He has a passion for missions that protect our natural resources and he served in his community. Cdr. Spalding currently works as a Vice President for Tetra Tech, where he focuses on project performance.
- Junjian “JJ” Tang, AIA, F.SAME – HDR Inc.
J.J. Tang has been a SAME member for 11 years. He was the recipient of the SAME 2015 President’s Medal for his support and dedication to the Society, 2010 SAME Urbahn Medal for his notable contributions in the field of architecture. Tang founded the SAME National Architectural Practice Committee (APC) in 2012 and served on the SAME National Board of Direction from 2012 to 2016. In this role, he fostered a national relationship between SAME and AIA, including several cross-organizational initiatives. And he raised the awareness of architecture within SAME and the role of architects in the military engineering mission. During the last 16 years, he has mentored many young architects with whom he worked. Many young architects gained professional registrations and actively participated in SAME under his mentorship. Currently, Tang is a principal for HDR Federal programs and is considered an industry leader in the DOD architectural practice.
- Nadja F. Turek, P.E., F.SAME – Woolpert
Nadja Turek has made outstanding contributions to SAME since becoming a member in 2002. She served as Post President at the Kittyhawk Post in 2015-2016, and on the Board of Directors from 2011-2014. She has judged hundreds of science fair projects, evaluated 500+ scholarship applications, and has been the Post’s liaison to 150+ scholarship and science fair winners, meeting their families, and following up with them. She has helped arrange or teach at least 90+ hours of Continuing Professional Education for her Post in the last 10 years. At the national level, she has provided subject-matter expertise in sustainable design, construction and operations—pushing for net-zero buildings and resilient installations for our warfighters. She was a founding member of the National Energy & Sustainability Committee. A sought-after consultant, teacher and speaker, Turek currently works as a Research & Development Facilitator for Woolpert. At the start of her career, she served in the U.S. Air Force as a civil engineering officer.
- Kenneth L. Woodard, P.E., PMP, F.SAME – USACE Huntington District
Ken Woodard has been an SAME member for over 20 years. He has been an asset to the Huntington Post, serving in numerous offices including Post President and Vice President, and leading Huntington to Distinguished Post status. Mr. Woodard is an advocate for promoting STEM with students from early elementary school through college. He has been involved in the Post’s annual Engineering Career Day for as long as he’s been an SAME member, which reaches about 140 students per year. He also previously served for several years as the Advisor for the Explorer Post 2401 for high school students interested in engineering careers. Professionally, Woodard is a Project Manager with USACE Huntington District, and was recently honored as the 2016 USACE Project Manager of the Year. In the engineering profession, he has distinguished himself by leading teams to complete projects ahead of schedule and below cost. Currently, he leads the reachback team for an international effort to repair the Mosul Dam in Iraq, one of the world’s most challenging projects.
Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award Winner –
Col. Robert B. Keyser, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.)
Col. Robert Keyser has provided mentoring for individuals ranging from high school students to senior military officers—providing insights and career advice, connections with the A/E/C community, and encouraging participation in SAME sponsored events. What sets him apart is that he spends time with engineers of all ages, sharing perspective on careers in the profession. Drawing from his experience as an engineer officer, assignment officer and consultant, Col. Keyser has provided career counseling to military officers on whether to continue with their military career or pursue opportunities in the private sector. Feeling there is a lack of mentorship and counsel similar to what he experienced when he transitioned, he has made it a priority to ensure other junior and senior officers are better prepared to address their transition. Col. Keyser is involved with the University of South Alabama SAME Student Chapter and has been a speaker both there and at the University of West Florida on career progression, preparation, and networking. Most importantly, he works hand in hand with the students, providing advice, encouragement and perspective that allow them to benefit from his 38 years in the engineering profession. He is proactive in bringing Sustaining Member firms to the students while also ensuring that students attend Post meetings to broaden their understanding about the profession and learn about career opportunities. His outreach efforts also include being an annual speaker at career day at local high schools and providing career counseling to members of the high school soccer team he coaches. Col. Keyser exemplifies what it means to be an SAME Fellow and is fully deserving of the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award.
