About the Academy
The SAME Academy of Fellows recognizes those members who have rendered dedicated and outstanding service to the Society, military engineering, and the A/E/C profession.
SAME has bestowed the title of Fellow on select members since 1972; however, it was in 1995 that an academy was founded to formally acknowledge these distinguished individuals for their dedication to SAME and the A/E/C profession.
The Academy of Fellows serves as the organizing body of Fellows within the Society, sets its strategic priorities and action plans, and serves to inform and inspire all members, including Fellows, to embrace the Fellows’ pledge and commitment to mentoring. Today, there are more than 800 members of the Academy of Fellows.
Learn more about AOF Pearls of Wisdom
Nomination Criteria and Form
The nomination process begins with an informative webinar, on July 14, 2026, 3:00 PM ET. It is REQUIRED for all nominees and nominators to attend or review the recording of the webinar. The recording and slides are posted below after the webinar:
Class of 2027 Nomination deadlines are below.
Nomination Instructions
- Prior to September 4: Nominees must submit intention to apply for Fellow to their Regional Fellows Vice Chair (RFVC). Nomination packet must be at 50% complete stage as determined by the RFVC. Nominees must work with their respective RFVC on the process for submission and review at the regional level. If the RFVC is unresponsive, please contact Kathy Off, koff@same.org.
- September 11: RFVCs submit list of nominees to National Office. Any nominations received by National that were not on the list will not be accepted.
- October 16: Complete draft of nomination packet due to RFVC.
- December 4: Completed Nominations Packages for SAME Fellow are due to the SAME National Office. We suggest that you do not wait until the deadline to ensure that your file uploads correctly. We highly recommend the nominee complete the form and upload the information personally.
- Mid-February: AOF XC Review
- End of February: Results provided to nominees/nominators.
- Investiture will occur at 2027 JETC – May 20, 2027 – Milwaukee, WI. Pending major life events, investees are expected to be present.
Step 1: Download Nomination Form above. The form is in a Word Document to make it easier for you to enter and edit answers prior to final submission. We recommend doing this prior to submitting your intentions with your RFPOC.
Step 2: Attach Endorsements. This is the last step before submission to your RFPOC for review.
Step 3: Turn your document with endorsements into a PDF. You can do this by scanning it or by using Adobe Acrobat.
Upload nomination** If you have any questions on the nomination process and/or to confirm receipt of your nomination package, please contact Kathy Off. **
History & Resources
History of the Academy of Fellows | Past Chairs of the Academy | Mentoring Scorecard | Mentoring Continuum
AOF Operations Manual (Oct. 2022) | AOF Charge & Pledge | AOF 30th Anniversary Pearls of Wisdom
SAME AOF Newsletter
Newsletters will be posted on AOF Engage.
Events Calendar
AOF Townhall
June 4, 2026 | 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.ET
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 265 584 234 306 97
Passcode: 9k7yT2tr
September 3, 2026 | 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.ET
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 254 361 938 475 63
Passcode: X9hy7bo6
Journey to Fellow
Nominations Webinar
July 14, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Meeting ID: 298 434 999 032 600
Passcode: 3aN3vB2T
To access prior webinars, please click the “Register” link below and follow the prompts.
Register
Welcome Class of 2026 Fellows!
- Lt. Col. Patrick Balcazar, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.)
- Col. Matthew Beverly, P.E., PMP, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.)
- Lt. Col. Michael Brannon, P.E., PMP, CCM, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.)
- Beth Cheberenchick, F.SAME
- Jeff Clark, F.SAME
- Rene Cortez, P.E., PG, F.SAME
- Michelle Exaros, F.SAME
- Christine “Summer” Gladden, APMP, LEED AP, F.SAME
- Col. Donald Gleason, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.)
- Brig. Gen. Glenn Goddard, P.E., PMP, F.SAME, USAR (Ret.)
- Guy Graening, P.E., PMP, F.SAME
- Ashlyn Graves, F.SAME
- Brig. Gen. Peter Helmlinger, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.)
- Peter Jaran, P.E., F.SAME
- Stacy Kahatapitiya, F.SAME
- Lori Kropidlowski, CPSM, APMP, F.SAME
- Cdr. Samuel Lee, F.SAME, CEC, USN
- Pamela Little, P.E., PMP, F.SAME
- Selena Lo, F.SAME
- Alexander Masters, F.SAME
- Col. Fabian Mendoza, Jr., F.SAME, USA (Ret.)
- Jill Miller, LEED AP, F.SAME
- Tae Parrish, F.SAME
- Lt. Col. Wayland Patterson, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.)
- Bruce Preston, PMP, RA, NCARB, LEED AP, F.SAME
- Candice Scale, F.SAME
- Col. James Schreiner, Ph.D., PMP, F.SAME, F.ASEM, USA
- Louise Slate, P.E., LEED AP, F.SAME
- Tom Svoboda, P.E., CEM, F.SAME
- Col. Benjamin Wham II, P.E., F.SAME, USAF (Ret.)
- Nancy Yee, F.SAME
Academy of Fellows Leadership
| Chair | Michael Huffstetler, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, F.SAME |
| Deputy Chair | Russell Patterson, GISP, LEED AP, F.SAME |
| Vice Chair, Communications & Marketing | NK Mbaya, CPSM, F.SAME |
| Vice Chair, Outreach & Engagement | Capt. Bill Grip, P.E., F.SAME, USN (Ret.) |
| RFPOC Liaison | Anita Larson, PG, PMP, F.SAME |
| Vice Chair, Awards & Recognition | Caroline Roberts, GISP, F.SAME |
| Vice Chair, Internal | Marilyn Lewis, P.E., F.SAME |
| Vice Chair, Mentoring | Rick Wice, PG, F.SAME |
| Vice Chair, Events | Lt. Col. Frank Mondo, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.) |
| SAME Staff Point of Contact | Kathy Off, PMP |
The first group of Distinguished Fellows was agreed upon by the SAME National Leadership Team in May 2018, chosen from the entire list of Fellows and using distinct criteria that demonstrated their continued dedication to the Society since becoming a Fellow. Additional members have been named Distinguished Fellows in the years since. Distinguished Fellows constitute the Advisory Committee to the Academy of Fellows leadership.
2018
Lt. Col. Wendell “Buddy” Barnes, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), USA (Ret.)
Capt. James Donahue, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), USCG (Ret.)
Col. Anthony Leketa, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), USA (Ret.)
Maj. Gen. Eugene Lupia, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), USAF (Ret.)
Linda McKnight, F.SAME (Dist.)
Jane Penny, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.)
Lt. Col. Scott Prosuch, F.SAME (Dist.), USA (Ret.)
Harold Rosen, F.SAME (Dist.)
2019
Lt. Col. Bernard “Bud” Ossey, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), USA (Ret.)
2021
Suzanne DiGeronimo, RA, F.SAME (Dist.)
Rear Adm. David Nash, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), CEC, USN (Ret.)
Roger Wozny, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.)
Rear Adm. Gary Engle P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), CEC, USN (Ret.)
2023
Col. John Mogge Jr., Ph.D., RA, F.SAME (Dist.), USAF (Ret.)
Col. Sal Nodjomian, P.E., F.SAME (Dist.), USAF (Ret.)
2024
Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers, F.SAME (Dist.), USAF (Ret.)
2025
Vice. Adm. Mike Loose, P.E., F.ASCE, F.SAME (Dist.), USN (Ret.)
Each of SAME’s 18 regions has a Fellows Regional Point of Contact to ensure that Fellows throughout each region are kept abreast of happenings within the Academy of Fellows and to be able to solicit support for local, regional and national events.
| California | Kathryn Stewart, P.E., F.SAME |
| Carolinas | Melvin Williams, F.SAME, FACEC |
| Europe | Scott Matthews, P.E., F.SAME |
| Gulf Coast | Lt. Col. Wayland Patterson, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.) |
| Heartland | CUCM Rodger Aitken, P.E., F.SAME, USNR (Ret.) |
| Lakes | TBD |
| Mid-Atlantic | Lt. Col. Neal Wright, P.E., PMP, F.ASCE, F.NSPE, F.SAME., USA (Ret.) |
| Missouri River | Julia Pluff, F.SAME |
| North Atlantic | Susan Thames, F.SAME |
| Northeast | Sheila Warren, F.SAME |
| Northern Tier | Col. Dave Brewer, F. SAME, USAF (Ret.) |
| Ohio Valley | Tim Kyper, P.E., F.SAME |
| Pacific | Bill Kontess, AIA, PMP, F.SAME |
| Rocky Mountain | Aaron Murray, F.SAME |
| Southeast | Capt. Mike Blount, P.E., F.SAME, USN (Ret.) |
| Southwest | Bruce Preston, PMP, RA, NCARB, LEED AP, F.SAME |
| Tennessee/Kentucky | TBD |
| Texas | Joshua McClure, Ph.D., P.E., CFM, PMP, F.SAME |
**Any RFVC who is TBD or unresponsive will be temporarily replaced by the AOF Vice Chair of RFVCs, Anita Larson.
Communications
E-mails pertaining to Fellows are sent via the SAME database. It is imperative that your record is up-to-date if you want to receive Fellows Communications. To update your record, you must login (top of the page) and then click on “Member Account” in the left menu.
Annual Fellows Events
Each year, the SAME Academy of Fellows sponsors and helps support a number of events including mentoring activity at the Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo, luncheons in connection with other SAME national events, and nominations for Fellow, Golden Eagle Awards, and the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award.
Fellows Investiture Ceremony
The new Class of Fellows is invested into the Academy of Fellows each year during the AOF Luncheon at JETC. The ceremony includes presentation of the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award, which is given annually to an SAME Fellow for outstanding mentoring and support of the SAME mission.
Academy of Fellows Luncheons
These events serve as a means for Fellows to come together during major SAME National events to discuss issues and network. Current and new Fellows are welcome to attend, network, and hear presentations on topics of interest to the Academy of Fellows. There is usually an RSVP option on event registrations for you to note your attendance. These events are only open to Fellows unless otherwise stated. The Investiture Luncheon at JETC is open to anybody who purchases a ticket.
Academy of Fellows Townhall Meetings
AOF Townhall Meetings are a great way to get information in a virtual face-to-face manner. Fellows can hear directly from the Chair and Vice Chairs about different initiatives, upcoming events, and Society news that is relevant to Fellows. The format allows for questions, sharing of information, and direct communication with the AOF Executive Committee. Dates and times are distributed to RFVCs for further distribution and posted on the AOF Engage Network. This allows the AOF to utilize the established structure to test communication effectiveness.
Mentoring
The AOF includes over 800 Fellows, each with the capacity to serve as a mentor to others. As a Fellow, you can share your knowledge, skills and expertise to shape the future by positively impacting the career paths of others through your mentoring engagement. By serving as a mentor to tomorrow’s leaders, you uphold the dignity and quality of the profession and advance the professionalism of SAME Members. As a mentor, you interact and communicate with mentees, on a consistent basis, both in-person or by other means, and serve them in many important roles, including:
Advocate
- Arrange for the mentee to participate in high-visibility activities within your organization and in SAME-sponsored activities.
- Encourage members to take a leadership role in SAME at the Post, Regional or National level. Show interest in their participation and become a resource for information.
Advisor
- Communicate the formal and informal realities of career progression.
- Recommend beneficial training opportunities (i.e. SAME-sponsored opportunities).
- Recommend appropriate strategies for career direction, and act as a sounding board for ideas and career concerns.
- Periodicly review mentee’s professional development plan.
- Identify resources to help the mentee solve specific problems, then follow up to ensure that the referred resources were useful or engage in dialog to answer questions.
Coach
- Clarify performance goals and developmental needs.
- Demonstrate managerial, communications and technical skills.
- Recommend specific behaviors for professional and individual development success.
Sponsor
- Expand the mentee’s network of professional contacts, starting with introductions to colleagues at SAME events that you attend together.
- Bring together different mentees who might mutually benefit by networking and collaborating with each other.
- Connect mentees with appropriate educational or employment opportunities.
- Help members pursue professional licensing or certification by providing access to resources.
- Engage mentees in Post committee initiatives or other activities to provide a forum for peer group interaction.
Fellows Awards Program
The SAME Academy of Fellows presents three awards each year—the Golden Eagle Award for Contributions to National Security, the Golden Eagle Award for Contributions to the A/E/C Profession, and the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award.
Golden Eagle Award
The Academy of Fellows will honor two outstanding Americans: an SAME Fellow for outstanding contributions to the engineering profession; and a prominent leader for significant contributions to national security. The Golden Eagle Dinner is a prestigious event where all members of the government and military engineering, construction and architecture industries are encouraged to attend. Golden Eagle Award nominations are handled through the Academy of Fellows leadership.
Learn more about Golden Eagle NominationsGerald C. Brown Mentoring Award
SAME created a Mentoring Award in 2005 to recognize Fellows for outstanding mentoring efforts. In 2009, the award was renamed the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award in honor of Brig. Gen. Gerald C. “Jed” Brown, USA (Ret.), who chaired the Working Group that formalized organizing the Fellows into an Academy in 1994 and served as the first chair in 1995.
View Award Nomination FormRegional Fellow Medal
This award acknowledges those who go above and beyond, whose contributions at the Post and/or Regional level truly stand out. Nominations for this award will be accepted by the Regional Fellows Vice Chairs, from Post Presidents and Fellows. These exceptional individuals will be recognized during signature Post, Regional, and Fellow events at annual national conferences, adding a new layer of distinction to our vibrant community.
View Award Nomination Form
Career Impacts of Becoming a Fellow
Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award
History of the Academy of Fellows
I urge you to approach this honor of being invested as a Fellow not as a moment in time, or a professional ‘lifetime achievement award’ of sorts. Rather, I urge you to approach your new status as Fellow as the start of a new opportunity, a charge to be a role model, a charge to be a mentor, and a charge to share all you have learned with future leaders with whom much can be shared, and just as much learned.
Heather Wishart-Smith, P.E., PMP, LEED AP, F.SAME, F.ASCE, 2018 Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Awardee