

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
USSOCOM Engineering
This webinar will provide a detailed brief on the role of engineering in U.S. Special Operations Command, exploring its important and expansive mission set. Special Operations Command develops and employs the world’s finest special operations force to conduct global special operations -
- Webinar
One Team, One Fight: Breaking Down Walls in Partnering Sessions
This webinar will look at what happens when a complex, critical to national security project brings together high-level professionals to tackle the job. Along with their invaluable experience however, industry experts often come with matching egos.
Related TME Articles – Membership
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Achieving Energy Self-Sufficiency at Guantanamo Bay
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay achieved energy self-sufficiency through a record-setting energy savings performance contract that enabled construction of a state-of-the-art combined cycle power plant. -
Evaluating Energy Needs With State-of-the-Art Simulations
Incorporating downscaled global models of future climate change-induced weather trends and other projection technologies into energy performance contracts can aid in properly designing systems to meet rapidly evolving needs. -
Employing Microgrids for Installation Energy Resilience
To increase mission readiness and stay prepared for the energy needs of tomorrow, the Department of the Air Force is investing in microgrid solutions across the enterprise to remain resilient in the face of environmental, physical, and cyber threats. -
Powering Puerto Rico
Following Hurricane Fiona in 2022, the time-critical construction, installation, and short-term operation of temporary power at Palo Seco Power Plant and San Juan Power Plant was crucial to restoring essential services.