

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
Bobbi Jo Lang, Olsson
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
Journey to SAME Fellow Webinar
No two careers are the same and our paths may twist and turn as we carry our passions towards out goals. However, those detours don’t need to come at the expense of our long-term goals and achievements! In fact, they may be some of the most rewarding and challenging experiences. Thinking through and making a game plan during these seasons to make sure our long-term goals stay on track is incredibly important if we want to meet those goals. -
- Webinar
Assessment and Inspection Process for Sites with General Radioactive Materials
A framework has been recently developed which provides a standardized approach in conducting a Preliminary Assessment (PA) and Site Inspection (SI) for sites with a known presence or potential presence of General-Radioactive Materials (G-RAM). -
- Webinar
Business Impacts of the FAR Revisions and Contract Vehicle Realignment
The government contracting landscape has been redefined through recent revisions to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs). All businesses alike and federal agencies are operating under a totally new set of rules based on recently released FAR 19 revisions and contract vehicle realignment. -
- Webinar
Credentialing for Successful Careers
This webinar will provide an overview of professional credentialing pathways for individuals transitioning within or into the A/E/C, national security, and public service sectors.
Related TME Articles – Membership
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Delivering Energetic Materials Manufacturing Facilities
Designing and constructing facilities that manufacture, process, handle, or store explosives and energetic materials present some of the most challenging defense projects—requiring technical experience, strict safety protocols, and a comprehensive understanding of regulatory frameworks. -
Forging Tradition and Innovation: A New Design Standard at Camp Lejeune
The II MEF Headquarters at Camp Lejeune blends Georgian Revival architecture with modern sustainability—delivering durability, efficiency, and precision that meets contemporary functional requirements while honoring heritage. -
Expanding a Sacred Legacy at Arlington National Cemetery
The design for Arlington National Cemetery’s Southern Expansion focused on seamlessly integrating the project with the historic site’s landscape, increasing burial capacity, and enhancing accessibility, resilience, and security. -
Prefabricated Magazine Earns Protective Construction Designation
Innovation Theater presented by Armag. Armags new 3-Bar Earth Covered Magazine (ECM) is an innovative structure and the first of its kind, being the only prefabricated ECM with the ability to withstand external blast pressures equivalent to site-built ECMs. Accomplishing this feat required the development of new technology and input from many departments of the U.S. military.