Maj. Gen. David Hill, PMP, USA (Ret.), Named 19th Executive Director of SAME

MG Dave Hill (USA, Ret.)

The Society of American Military Engineers is pleased to announce that Maj. Gen. David Hill, PMP, USA (Ret.), has been named its new Executive Director. In this role, he is the chief salaried administrator of the Society—responsible for the effective operation and management of the organization to the National Leadership Assembly, Board of Direction and Executive Committee, and the SAME National President. He also serves as Executive Director of the SAME Foundation, which is separately incorporated and with its own Board of Directors but fully integrated for financial management and SAME program support.

Hill will begin the transition period on May 4, 2026, formally taking over the duties on June 2, succeeding Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr, P.E., USA (Ret.), who announced last fall his intention to transition out of the role he has held since summer 2023.

“Dave brings a wealth of executive-level experience and stakeholder relationships from throughout his leadership career,” says Mike Huffstetler, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, F.SAME, SAME National President, “and he has a great combination of expertise of our core military engineering community, a service-mindset, and a proven track record of operating in a collaborative, team-oriented environment. On behalf of the SAME Executive Committee, I look forward to his coming on board and working with him and the National Office staff and all of our volunteer leaders throughout SAME to advance the Society’s mission.”

Hill comes to SAME with more than three decades of experience as leader within the U.S. Army, serving most recently as Commandant of the Army War College (2021-2025), where he led the Army’s senior professional military education institution, and its 4,300 personnel who live, work, and study there. As part of that role, he also oversaw a $97 million annual budget for education/research programs, facilities operation, and other services. Hill arrived at the War College following a long career as an engineer officer in the Army, including senior command assignments as Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Army Central (2018-2020); Commander of USACE Transatlantic Division (2017-2018); and Commander of USACE Southwest Division (2014-2017). This period included service on the presidentially appointed Mississippi River Commission. Hill also served in HQ USACE as Deputy Commanding General (2020-2021), and before taking over Southwestern Division, he was the Director of the Office of the Chief of Engineers.

“It is a privilege to join SAME and to help steward an organization with such a proud history of service to the nation,” Hill says. “The Society’s members and volunteers represent the very best of industry-government collaboration, addressing complex challenges at the nexus of national security, infrastructure, and engineering. I am tremendously excited for the opportunity to contribute to this important work and to continue serving with purpose alongside the SAME community.”

In addition to leading the day-to-day business of SAME, supporting governance responsibilities, and collaborating on policies and programs to carry out the Society’s vision, mission, and interrelated goals of the 2030 SAME Strategic Plan (Drive Partnerships, Deliver Solutions, Develop People) Hill will oversee activities of the National Office staff; manage an annual budget of approximately $14 million along with a diverse investment portfolio; and develop and cultivate relationships with key internal and external stakeholders such as the presidents and volunteers leaders of SAME’s 100 Posts/Chapters, the engineering chiefs of the uniformed services, federal government executives, and strategic partners throughout the A/E/C community.

“It is a privilege to join SAME and to help steward an organization with such a proud history of service to the nation,” Hill says. “The Society’s members and volunteers represent the very best of industry-government collaboration, addressing complex challenges at the nexus of national security, infrastructure, and engineering. I am tremendously excited for the opportunity to contribute to this important work and to continue serving with purpose alongside the SAME community.”

Hill is a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He holds a master’s in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri-Rolla (Missouri University of Science & Technology) and a master’s in National Security Strategy from the National War College. He becomes SAME’s 19th Executive Director since the organization was founded in 1920, joining a distinguished list of leaders, including: Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr, P.E., USA (Ret.), Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.), Dr. Robert Wolff, P.E., F.SAME, Maj. Gen. Pat Stevens IV, F.SAME, USA (Ret.), Vice Adm. Bruce Beran, P.E., F.SAME, USCG (Ret.), Brig. Gen. Walter Bachus, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.), and Brig. Gen. W.C. Hall, USA (Ret.).

Hill was selected for the role following a focused months-long process that attracted a wide variety of high-level senior leader candidates from across the military engineering and association management sectors; the entire procedure was overseen by the XD Succession Committee, and supported by the XD Search Committee, in alignment with SAME’s governance policies.

SAME Strategic Infographic 2030

Founded in 1920, SAME is focused on leading collaboration across the A/E/C profession and joint engineering community in support of our national security priorities—helping advance readiness for warfighters and power projection along with strengthening resilience for America’s critical infrastructure. The Society has a storied history of uniting individuals and organizations representing military, government, industry, and academia from across the architecture, engineering, construction, environmental and facility management, cyber security, project planning, contracting and acquisition, and related disciplines.

With a National Office in Alexandria, Va., 100 local Posts/Chapters around the world, a collection of C3s (Communities of Interest, Committees, and Councils) that are centered on key technical fields within the A/E/C sector, and nationally-recognized programs including the Leader Development Program, STEM Pathways, and STEM/Engineering & Construction Camps, SAME provides its 20,000 members with extensive opportunities for training, education, professional development and career advancement through a robust offering of conferences, workshops, networking events, leadership training, publications, webinars, and other member-driven programs. The organization is directly supported by the SAME Foundation, which was founded in 2016 with a focused mission to invest in STEM outreach and leader development for the betterment of the A/E/C profession and our nation’s future.

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SAME Executive Directors – Since 1920

  • 1920-1921: Maj. D.L. Weart, USA
  • 1921-1921: Maj. H.J. Richards, USA
  • 1921-1922: Maj. R.W. Crawford, USA
  • 1922-1929: Maj. Lenox Lohr, USA
  • 1929-1931: Lt. Col. J.N. Hodges, USA
  • 1931-1931: Maj. J.H. Wheat, USA
  • 1931-1939: Col. W.P. Wooten, USA (Ret.)
  • 1939-1940: Col. W.A. Mitchell, USA (Ret.)
  • 1940-1940: Maj. William Bowie, USA (Ret.)
  • 1940-1947: Col. J. Franklin Bell, USA (Ret.)
  • 1947-1965: Col. Fabian Kohloss, USA (Ret.)
  • 1965-1978: Brig. Gen. William Hall, USA (Ret.)
  • 1978-1993: Brig. Gen. Walter Bachus, USA (Ret.)
  • 1993-1999: Vice Adm. Bruce Beran, USCG (Ret.)
  • 1999-2002: Maj. Gen. Pat Stevens IV, USA (Ret.)
  • 2002-2014: Dr. Robert Wolff
  • 2014-2023: Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, USA (Ret.)
  • 2023-2026: Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr, USA (Ret.)
  • as of June 2026: Maj. Gen. David Hill, USA (Ret.)

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