SAME Leader Development Class 2023 – 2024
Welcome to the 2023 edition of the LDP: Projects to Watch, where we shine a spotlight on the 2023 – 2024 Leader Development Class (LDP) Utilization Project Implementation Capstone (UPIC) Projects.
SAME’s Leader Development Program (LDP), now in its fifth year, is the cornerstone program of the Foundation. LDP nurtures leadership skills in high-potential mid-career members through a dynamic curriculum of speakers, training, discussions, and group exercises.
Funded entirely by the SAME Foundation, the year-long program culminates with a Utilization Project to advance a significant engineering issue.
2023 – 2024 Class Members
Retention of Women within Engineering and STEM-related Professions
PROJECT:
Retention of Women within Engineering and STEM-related Professions
PARTICIPANTS:
Kathleenann Brunstad, Kaylee Kostka, and Emelia Brooks-Sisco
SUMMARY:
According to the National Science Foundation’s Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, retention of women within engineering and STEM-related professions, sharply declines over time, disproportionately to their male counterparts. A study completed in 2016 by the Society of Women Engineers and the Center for Work Life Law, identified three patterns of bias against women engineers which have a negative impact on the culture and climate of organizations, and directly affects opportunities for promotion and advancement of women into key leadership roles.
Continuity of Post Operations Toolkit
PROJECT:
Continuity of Post Operations Toolkit
PARTICIPANT:
Alexander Bohlin
SUMMARY:
Develop a toolkit that will be universal enough to be utilized at both the Post and Regional levels to provide a nearly seamless transition for new Board members. The goal is to have a good answer for the following question: “if you disappeared tomorrow, where is the documentation that would allow your predecessor to hit the ground running?”
Enhancing Cybersecurity Readiness to Support Warfighter
PROJECT:
Enhancing Cybersecurity Readiness to Support the Warfighter with a Focus on Defense Critical Infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems.
PARTICIPANT:
Aaron Burrows
SUMMARY:
The increasing role of technology in military operations has brought about a need for a stronger focus on cybersecurity, especially in the protection of industrial control systems (ICS), and facility related control systems (FRCS). This white paper aims to highlight the importance of cybersecurity readiness for military enlisted personnel, DoD Civilians, and those in leadership. The intent is to propose a comprehensive training program to address the challenges faced in defense critical infrastructure.
Enlisted Personnel Transitioning into Construction Trades
PROJECT:
Enlisted Personnel Transitioning into Construction Trades
PARTICIPANT:
Kevin Chatary
SUMMARY:
This UPIC Project addresses an industry wide problem of a lack of skilled workers in the construction trades and inspection services. With numerous requirements and lack of interest in the construction trades, an immediate need for qualified workers and inspectors is needed. This problem is important to SAME as it affects the A/E/C Industry as a whole, whether it is an Architecture Firm, Engineering Consultant, or Contractor. Enlisted active military personnel are sometimes overlooked in the AEC community due to their lack of an engineering background, or network that can be beneficial to the public AEC community.
Guided Pathways for Early Professional Leadership Development (EPLD)
PROJECT:
Guided Pathways for Early Professional Leadership Development (EPLD)
PARTICIPANTS:
Larry “LJ” Estrella and Rene Cortez
SUMMARY:
The proposed concept of Early Professional Leadership Development (EPLD) encompasses talent assessment and a formalized guided pathway for leadership development of entry-level Young Professionals. The EPLP is a component of the overall Guided Pathways Initiative. Successful implementation of EPLP is focused on leadership education, transition of an entry level professional to a manager of peers – to include entry leadership positions with SAME.
Online Community Collaboration within SAME
PROJECT:
Online Community Collaboration within SAME
PARTICIPANTS:
Travis Cummins, Tom Heesom, and Christian Ward
SUMMARY:
Within SAME, there are very few ways to connect and interact with other members in the Society as a whole. There are opportunities within individual posts and within communities of interest, but each of these tends to operate as a silo; focusing on the problems that affect each one individually.
Climate Change Webinar Series
PROJECT:
Climate Change Webinar Series
PARTICIPANT:
JR Gregory
SUMMARY:
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, affecting all forms of life on Earth. From ecosystems to human civilizations, all are vulnerable to a changing climate. To foster awareness and understanding, I propose hosting an engaging and informative webinar that highlights the science of climate change, and the engineering needs for adapting to the future. The webinar’s dual objective is to educate participants about the causes, impacts, and solutions to climate change while also exploring areas where science could be enhanced for engineers, and investigating ways engineering can be improved to effectively address climate change.
A Guide for the Creation and Administration of Memorial Scholarships
PROJECT:
A Guide for the Creation and Administration of Memorial Scholarships
PARTICIPANT:
Mary Londquist
SUMMARY:
Memorial scholarships are not easy. They are created in grief and are deeply personal. The objectives of this UPIC project are to 1) Create a directory of memorial scholarships administered by SAME Posts; 2) Develop a gentle guide of best practices and lessons learned for the creation and administration of memorial scholarships; and 3) Utilize the guidebook to support the New Jersey Post in the creation of a memorial scholarship for Pam Nugent.
Native Americans STEAM Technology Hands-on Implementation
PROJECT:
Native Americans STEAM Technology Hands-on Implementation
PARTICIPANT:
Lawrence Mullaly
SUMMARY:
The opportunity being addressed for connecting with the Native American STEAM program previous LDP classes worked hard to achieve some amazing and critical results. My UPIC for the 2023-2024 class is to continue their success in taking the next step. The next step being STEAM type technology courses that can lead to internships throughout high school, complete apprenticeships, or work towards completing an AS degree. The Native American communities are underserved, and like the STEAM programs giving them an understanding to learn and develop, technology courses will allow them to work and learn with hands on technology.
STEM Pathways at Carolina Midlands
PROJECT:
STEM Pathways at Carolina Midlands
PARTICIPANT:
Matthew Nelson
SUMMARY:
The goal of this project is to start up a STEM Pathways program at the Carolina Midlands post that focuses on the under-represented communities in the Midlands area and takes the lessons learned from this program and other programs like it around the Society and develop a debrief review that could help other posts develop their own STEM pathways events.
The Reserve Component and SAME: A Relationship is Born
PROJECT:
The Reserve Component and SAME: A Relationship is Born
PARTICIPANTS:
Alyson White and Joseph Brejda
SUMMARY:
The goal of building a relationship with the National Guard (Army and Air) is to understand the relationship that is available on both sides of the counter, and how those missions and goals align for national security. Develop a tool for SAME to recruit and engage with local Guard and Reserve bases to develop stronger and more sustainable relationships together in the A/E/C industry. Reserve Component engineers establish local partnerships to complete local projects every day. Understanding the mutual benefits of the Reserve Component and SAME interactions will ensure a long-lasting relationship on both fronts.
Solving the Labor Shortage Through Collaboration
PROJECT:
Solving the Labor Shortage Through Collaboration
PARTICIPANT:
Kathryn Thomas
SUMMARY:
The United States has undergone significant demographic changes in the last decade due to several factors, including: an aging population, a sharp, stark decrease in birth rates, an increased diversity due to immigration, the opioid epidemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat the effects of labor shortages, the A/E/C industry, in collaboration with the dredging sector, should create in-person, skills-based training, that builds the skills of those who are involved in the carceral system, or formerly incarcerated, with the end certification leading to full-time employment at entry-level.
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The Leadership Development Program has allowed me to make several connections and relationships with other members and to gain leadership knowledge and skills that I could bring to the teams I work with. It also inspired me to find more opportunities to further get involved.
Brittany Schultze, Black & Veatch, LDP Class of 2022
SAME’s Leader Development Program was a rewarding and unique experience. I was able to leverage the experience and knowledge from other aspiring leaders and mentors from similar A/E/C backgrounds and grow personally as well as apply lessons back to my primary profession. This network still exists and helps me even today, years after I graduated the program.
Capt. Arpan Patel, USAF, LDP Class of 2021