

Committee Mission
The SAME Membership Committee develops and communicates to all Posts the strategies, best practices, and tools that are most effective for them to grow their membership, to foster greater member engagement and leadership, and to enhance their members’ experience with SAME, further enabling each Post to support the current Strategic Plan of the Society.
Join the SAME Engage Membership NetworkOverview
As one of the “operational” Communities of Interest (vs. “technical” COIs), the Membership Committee serves as an extension of the national office staff to assist all Post leaders, especially Posts’ Membership Chairs/POCs, with the tools, resources and connections necessary to help enhance their members’ society experience through their locally relevant Posts. Between our COI members and the post membership chairs/POCs, invited to our calls and sponsored webinars, we are over 140 people strong across SAME.
SAME’s Membership Committee is open to any SAME member to participate. Unlike many of our other COIs that focus in on special professional and technical interest areas important to SAME members, the Membership COI provides participants with a broad-ranging opportunity to become involved at the national level. Our forum has the potential to positively impact the experience of every current and future member of the society as it pursues its strategic goals.
COI Objectives
- Provide opportunities to foster connections with other Post leaders across all sizes and post geographies
- Engage with best practices employed at other Posts by their leaders and members
- Share creative tools and resources aimed at improving post level retention and recruitment successes

Committee Chair
Organization Structure
Vice Chair, Tools & Resources: Dick Kochanek
Chair-Elect, Strategic Direction: Lee Ann Zelesnikar
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:
- Shante Fields – Mead &Hunt
- Lalitha Benjaram – Mead & Hunt
Staff Liaison: Jill Murphy
Webinar: Understanding the New Membership Structure
Military Membership – What’s in it for You?
Upcoming National Webinars
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- Webinar
Solving Complex CVOC Problems with ISTR– Field Proven Approaches
This webinar will first discuss the unique aspects of performance-based designs when considering procurement of thermal remediation services. Next, we will discuss how to evaluate criteria when selecting performance objectives, i.e., “ how do you define success?” -
- Webinar
The National Spatial Reference System: Modernizing Our Geodetic Foundation for the Future
The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is in the process of making the critical transition from the current National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) to the upcoming, modernized (2022) system. -
- Webinar
CMMC Level 2: What A/E Firms Must Know Before November
Starting November 10, 2026, the Department of Defense will require CMMC Level 2 certification for contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Unlike prior self-attestation requirements, this mandate requires verification by an accredited third-party assessor before a firm can be awarded or retain applicable DoD contracts.
Related TME Articles – Membership
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Developing Tomorrow’s STEM Workforce Through Partnership
TME recently interviewed leaders of the Panama City Post about paying it forward, their repertoire of STEM outreach, and the benefits of collaborating with similar-minded professional organizations. -
Electrifying Solutions for Military Installations
As military installations implement electrification measures into the future, the challenges they face will not just require innovative technology solutions but embracing a holistic delivery approach implemented early in projects. -
Providing Benefits Through Adaptive Reuse of Federal Assets
Reconfiguring existing sites or buildings for a new mission has many inherent advantages to solve challenges that face federal entities, but key considerations need to be accounted for in order to maximize value. -
Relationships, Resiliency, and Readiness: Increasing Interoperability Through Combined Joint Engineering Operations
The annual base defense exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni brought together engineering forces across the Indo-Pacific, along with members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces, to gain bilateral training, forge relationships, and increase interoperability in a joint environment.