Thanks for all your efforts in what was an outstanding 2017. We have an even bigger year in store for 2018 as we gear up for our “Run to 2020 and Beyond!” As the Society lays the groundwork for our second century of service, the SAME National Office remains focused on three priorities: Supporting Regions and Posts, Supporting our National Direction, and Enhancing our National Reputation.
In November, the Board of Direction reviewed our progress to the 2020 SAME Strategic Plan and concluded that the main need is more active participation of members, especially government. Each fall, in what is now an annual process, the Board reviews progress assessments based on bottom-up input from Posts, Committees & Councils and the Academy of Fellows. One benefit of reporting these assessments in the fall is that it provides the National Office input for our budget deliberations. Where we can add resources to support the top Board-identified priorities, we do.
As the Society lays the groundwork for our second century of service, the SAME National Office remains focused on three priorities: Supporting Regions and Posts, Supporting our National Direction, and Enhancing our National Reputation.
After a full day of vibrant group discussions and through many follow-up sessions, we developed an Action Plan to add focus to our efforts to meet the overriding need the Board identified.
These actions are intended to help drive participation by providing opportunities for members (new and old) to get actively engaged in a way that they find both rewarding (“find your passion” as Sal says) and within the time they have to give as volunteers. The main elements of the plan are simply an added emphasis on several of our existing strategic goals and objectives.
Fully Implement the Industry-Government Engagement Plan (Goal 1; Objective 4). Enhance the value that we provide both government and industry in accomplishing our main mission of leading collaboration to solve project delivery related challenges. Expand the impact of SAME industry government engagements beyond marketing by impacting project delivery. Attract the wiling participation of government and military members in so doing.
Recruit Members (Goal 2; Objectives 3, 4). Significantly increase membership and member participation, and make SAME the “society of choice” for military and government engineers. Establish a culture of caring across SAME by implementing sponsorship of members, both new and existing, throughout their journey in the organization.
Produce STEM Professionals for the Nation (Goal 3; Objective 3). Integrate the efforts of SAME’s STEM programs and camps, scholarships, and college outreach to ensure continual engagement to track and support the ultimate delivery of new engineers for the nation—and in so doing, attract life-long SAME members.
Prepare Veterans for the A/E/C Industry (Goal 3). Integrate the efforts of the Credentialing Committee, warrior transition programs, the Transition Workshop & Job Fair and other related SAME efforts and partnerships that help fill our nation’s critical skills shortage gap, and help our veterans in the process.
National Leader Development Program (Goal 2). Establish a national program through which the SAME Foundation delivers its compelling purpose of fostering engineering leadership for the nation. Post-level leadership development programs are envisioned to become a feeder system.
Partnering (Goal 1; Objectives 1, 3, 4). Fully implement national partnership agreements in order to integrate the full range of capabilities that are necessary to solve infrastructure-related challenges and achieve mutual benefits.
SAME is One Society of vibrant Posts that serve their local communities while contributing to our national direction. To our members, thanks for all you do for our Society, our profession, and our nation. Here’s to a great 2018, as we are now officially on the Road to 2020 and Beyond!
[Article first published in the January-February 2018 issue of The Military Engineer.]
