The 2019 Class of the SAME Leader Development Program Celebrates Five Years

Celebrating Five Years of Leadership and Inspiration

“LDP graduates lead with purpose” is more than just a motto. It is a guiding principle that summarizes the mission of the Leader Development Program and serves an aspirational maxim for participants in their professional lives.

Now celebrating its five-year anniversary, graduates of the 2019 LDP class set the tone for participants in classes to follow. The SAME Leader Development Program began in 2019 as a cornerstone initiative in the Society’s ongoing mission to develop engineering leadership in support of our nation’s national security. The program was designed to be a catalyst for cultivating talent within the Society and providing these rising professionals with critical leadership training and guided mentorship, all while building a deeper understanding of SAME’s strategic goals. LDP is not just a training program, it is a launchpad for rising professionals who want to make a real impact on the military engineering and A/E/C community.

The ripple effects of the LDP are felt throughout the entire organization and beyond. Graduates energize their Posts, take on bigger leadership roles, and bring new ideas and perspectives to their own professional careers. By investing in emerging leaders, SAME ensures that its membership continues to reflect the highest standards of technical excellence, ethical leadership, and patriotic commitment. As the challenges to U.S. national security become increasingly complex, LDP not only seeks strengthen each student’s capabilities but also works to reinforce the Society’s commitment to fostering resilient, mission-ready professionals who are equipped to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the nation.

Since its founding, LDP has graduated more than 85 participants who have completed over 50 impactful Utilization Projects. A new class of 20 participants for 2025-2026 was introduced at JETC in May. As the LDP alumnae grow with each graduating class, their outsized impact on military, government and industry and the Society grows exponentially.

SAME LDP class at JETC 2022
LDP members

“Being part of the inaugural LDP class was an experience that had a lasting impact on my approach to leadership. The opportunity to engage with an exceptional cohort of industry peers provided invaluable perspectives, while the structured time for reflection helped me think more deeply about what leadership could—and should—be.”

Tasmin Brown, Stantec

At its core, the LDP Program is all about investing in people. Each LDP participant brings a unique perspective and experience to the program. With diverse backgrounds from across private industry, uniformed services and academia, LDP graduates continue to thrive and make meaningful advancements across the disciplines. Here are a few of the many outstanding projects which continue to endure and produce real and lasting effects.

STEM Pathways for Indigenous Youth

The idea for a capstone project was to introduce the idea of a career in the STEM fields to underserved American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. The initiative became so successful that it has become a key outreach program for the SAME Foundation. SAME was successfully awarded $61,000 in funding for 2022 through the United Engineering Foundation (UEF). With an additional $4,000 provided by the SAME Foundation, in order to support pilot STEM outreach activities in four sites across the United States serving local American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The outreach was led by local volunteer SAME Posts and members working in conjunction with their respective neighboring tribes and community partners.

Maj. TJ Fakler, P.E., ARNG, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Remley, P.E., USPHS, and Colleen Rust, PMP

Solving the Labor Shortage Through Collaboration

This innovative project sought to address the labor shortage by creating in-person, skills based training for currently incarcerated men. After incarceration, the men would earn certificates covering life and work skills including OSHA-30, First Aid/CPR, Blood Born Pathogen, Leadership, Social Behavior Learning. Funded by the SAME Foundation, collaborations partnered  with Western Dredging Society, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the 4th Circuit Court of $22,000 in certificates.

Kathryn Thomas, ANAMAR Environmental Consulting

2023-2024 LDP Class

Enlisted Personnel Transitioning Into Construction Trades

This UPIC Project addresses an industry wide problem of a lack of skilled workers in the construction trades and inspection services. With numerous requirements and lack of interest in the construction trades, an immediate need for qualified workers and inspectors is needed.

This project is studying the idea that enlisted active military personnel are sometimes overlooked in the AEC community due to their lack of an engineering background, or network into the AEC community, even if their time while enlisted provided them with the knowledge and experience to succeed in the public sector construction trades.

Kevin Chatary, HRV Conformance Verification Associates Inc.

Women in Engineering

In response to studies showing retention of women within engineering and STEM related professions sharply declines over a shorter period of time than other groups, the Women in Engineering Program took shape. The initiative will promote fellowship, mentorship, allyship and empowerment of women engineers across government and industry by engaging female engineers and their allies (colleagues, mentors, friends, spouses, etc.) and develop a community within SAME dedicated to the advancement of women in STEM.

Emilia Brooks-Sisco, A&M Engineering and Environmental Services Inc., Capt. Kathleenann Brunstad. USAF, Air Force Institute of Technology and Capt. Kaylee Kostka, USAF, 823rd RED HORSE Squadron

Knowledge Network

Building on SAME’s Enterprise Management System these graduates created an online tool that Posts, Communities of Interest (COIs), and other Society groups can use to manage, organize, and discover subject matter experts willing to present on a variety of topics.  The ambitious project seeks to enroll at least 300 speakers with 500 speaking topics encompassing 12 – 15 management areas.

Brandi Smith, The HFW Companies; Camille Murray, Eurofins Calscience; and Maj. Brec Wilshusen, P.E., F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), 55th Civil Engineer Squadron

Dams and Levees Resilience Webinar Series

Two teams comprised of subject matter experts in climate change were organized to host a webinar series highlighting the science of dams and levees and the engineering needs for adapting to the future. In developing the webinars, Gregory coordinated with organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, National Weather Service, California Department of Water Resources, and University of California San Diego, along with SAME’s Resilience COI.

The program’s dual objectives are to educate participants about the causes, impacts, and solutions of maintaining this critical infrastructure while also exploring areas where science could be enhanced for engineers and investigating ways that engineering can be improved to effectively address future issues.

JR Gregory, Project Surveyor / Geomatics Specialist, Towill, Inc.

2023-2024 LDP Class

“The SAME LDP allowed me to learn more about myself as a leader and how to use my personality as a strength and not compare myself to other leaders. Knowing this helped me grow into a more confident leader. Since the program took place, I served as President of the Orange County Post from 2022 through 2024, continuing to guide the Post after COVID. I was also promoted to Vice President at my company, helping to grow our small woman-owned business, and encouraging our young staff to become the next set of leaders in our industry. I am grateful for the leadership skills I was able to take away from my time in the program and the relationships I made.”

Jorge Rodriuez, VP., M.S. Hatch Consulting

We Must Go to Them project presentation, JETC

“Entering the SAME Leadership Development Program (LDP) as a Project Executive overseeing the Government contracting division of my company, I never anticipated how transformative the experience would be. Over the course of the year, I gained invaluable insights from influential leaders in the federal engineering space, received personalized leadership coaching, and built lasting relationships with peers from across the country and internationally.

Thanks to the program, I’ve grown into a stronger leader and am now leading Harkins Builders, a company of 350+ employees with nearly $750 million in annual construction volume. The LDP exposed me to diverse perspectives, sharpened my leadership skills, and helped me build a network that spans both the public and private sectors.

I can confidently say that my participation in the LDP was a pivotal moment in my career, directly contributing to my ability to guide and grow Harkins Builders. The mentorship, coaching, and connections I gained have made me a more effective leader, and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.”

Ben Nichols, President & CEO, Harkins Builders

“The Leader Development Program (LDP) has most impacted me on my journey within SAME. Over the past five years the opportunities afforded to me through the Society of been endless. Since partaking in the program I have served as a Post President, taken over as Chair of the Leader Development COI, am currently entering my second year of service on the Board of Direction and I was recently notified that I was selected as a Fellow for the class of 2025. I am not sure any of these would have taken place if I wasn’t part of the LDP or responsible for the “LDP selfie heard ‘round the world” that continues to live on to this day.

My biggest takeaway from all of this and something that I certainly gleaned through LDP is the importance of blooming where you are planted and being willing to raise your hand when your name is called. Whether it is LDP, a local Post leadership program, or even an hour-long webinar or YouTube, lean into it, make the most of it and see what happens as a result.”

Zakary Payne, Chief Operating Officer, Matrix Design Group, Inc.

Read more about SAME Leader Development Program

Applications for the 2026-2027 LDP Class will open in fall 2025.

Discover more about the SAME Foundation and how it makes a difference.

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