SAME Sacramento Post President's Message

Colonel Bill LeadyDear Members and Friends of the Sacramento Post, Society of American Military Engineers:

As a proud member of the Post since 2004, I am honored to be elected your Post President. There are many ways to serve in our Post, and my path has involved Scholarship Committee Chair, Director, Treasurer, and 2nd Vice President over the years. Please consider serving on a committee or becoming more involved in our Post – I have made life-long friends and am proud of our organization’s service to the community.

I am excited to work with both new and/or continuing Board Officers, Directors and Committee chairs in my tenure as President. A special thanks to Sean McNeil (1st Vice President), COL Caldwell, (2nd Vice President), and LTC Lively (Board Director) for personally contributing to the Board and providing support from the USACE Sacramento District. Continuing in their current Board officer positions, Jackie Hader (Secretary) and Adam Harvey (Treasurer), are crucial to the success of our operations as a non-profit organization. We are also fortunate to have the continued support and mentorship of our SAME Fellows who have served on or advised the Board for decades.

Our Young Professionals Group, led by Jackie Hader, is the future of our Post and has received national SAME recognition. Please encourage the YP’s in your firm to participate in our YP Group’s events so they can build their professional network and have a sense of camaraderie with colleagues in the Sacramento region.

Our Sustaining Members Forum event, chaired by Jordan Ollanik (Board Director) and BG (CA) Mike Herman (SAME Fellow), is typically held at Travis Air Force Base in August and grows each year. This Industry-Government Engagement (IGE) is the cornerstone of SAME’s mission established over 100 years ago when industry and military leaders recognized the importance of sharing ideas to ensure readiness for the nation’s civil and military needs. It is a great way to learn about upcoming business development opportunities, advertise your firm’s capabilities, engage with federal representatives, and meet new business associates.

$35,000 in scholarships awarded in 2023, and $558,000 cumulative since 2008!

In May, we celebrated another group of amazing scholarship winning students during our annual scholarship event. This year the Post mailed out checks for scholarships totaling $35,000 to 14 high school students and 7 college students pursuing STEM degrees. In addition, we sent 3 campers to the SAME Navy and Army engineering camps. All this due to your support!

A call for Volunteers!

There are a number of volunteers who take the time out of their busy schedules to assist in a variety of roles at our annual events. Many of them are Post members, however, we are fortunate to have connections with individuals who are not a part of our Post but enjoy the experience of volunteering. We can use your help today and in the upcoming months. If you are interested in helping out or being more involved in our Post, please reach out to me or a Board member.

Thank you for your support of the Sacramento Post.

Guy Graening, PE, PMP
GHD Services Inc.
President, SAME Sacramento Post

The Society of American Military Engineers: formed “in the interest of National Defense… bringing together all phases of U.S. engineering, [in both the] civil sector and military, for the advancement of knowledge…and the rapid mobilization of engineering capabilities.” - Charter of the Society of American Military Engineers, founded in 1920.