Post President's Message Archive - January 2008
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2007: A Banner Year for the Washington DC Post

2007 is shaping up to be a banner year for the Washington
DC Post! Outstanding programs with relevant and timely subject matter for our members and industry partners, professional development opportunities, education and mentoring programs,
and scholarship initiatives are just some of the ways the Washington DC Post is bringing value to our members, making a difference in our industry and community, advancing the mission of the Society, and delivering on our annual priorities.

I am pleased to share with you some recent accomplishments and brief you on upcoming programs and events.

Young Members Construction Tour and Networking Social
The Washington DC Post Young Members Committee recently organized an excellent tour of the construction site at the new Capitols stadium. On
June 21, our Post’s Young Members attended the construction site where approximately thirty Navy Junior officers as part of their quarterly area all officers’
conference joined them. Following the tour, they met with our SAME young members group for a networking social at the Ugly Mug on 8th Street.

The Washington DC Post organizes excellent tours for our young professionals throughout the year. All are welcome to attend. To develop the quality of programs and events we offer our Young Members, I encourage you to bring your ideas to our Young Members Committee Chair, consider sponsoring an upcoming program, and of course continue to encourage Young Members to be active participants at our Post.

Youth Summer Construction Camps
This year, the Washington DC Post sponsored two students to attend the SAME Engineering & Construction Camps. Denzel Golden, a junior attending Charles Herbert Flowers High School, attended the US Air Force Academy Construction Camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, held July 5 - 11, 2007, and Olugbenga Fakilede, who is also a junior at Charles Herbert Flowers High School, attended the Seabees Camp, held July 29 - August 4, 2007.

SAME Construction Camps provide high school sophomores, juniors and selected seniors with a unique opportunity to develop leadership, engineering and construction skills, and to have fun with students from around the world. Selection is not only based on grades, but also extra-curricular activities and the student’s interest in attending a service academy.

The success of the annual SAME Construction Camps is attributed to a joint commitment from our SAME Posts who review applications and sponsor students to attend the camps, and from our military components and private industry that sponsor mentors and camp counselors, and provide logistics support to run each summer camp. To learn more about the camps, please visit SAME Engineering and Construction Camps webpage.

Readiness and Homeland Security Committee - Activates PREPARE
The Washington DC Post’s Readiness and Homeland Security Committee met at US EPA Headquarter's Emergency Operation Center in Washington, DC on July 19, and after the meeting attended a networking and fellowship SAME young members social across the street.

The day we met at the EPA, New York City suffered explosions in underground gas lines, and later we watched as Minnesota experienced the devastating bridge collapse. Our nation’s infrastructure requires our attention, and there is no better time than now to prepare and activate strategic deterrence initiatives.

The DC Post’s Readiness and Homeland Security Committee is doing their part by
activating the Committee’s focus areas – PREPARE – Partnership, Relevance,
Education, Planning, Awareness, Recognition, and Evaluation (www.samedcpost.
org/comm_security).

Our Committee meeting also gave us the opportunity to meet with the Northern Virginia Post’s Readiness Committee and their Post leadership. During our meeting, we accomplished the following objectives:

• Increased committee membership – with a few more Post members joining the
  Committee (there is still room to join, visit our Web site and contact Tom Spencer
  or CDR Nelson Mix if interested)
• Educated Post membership on readiness issues by providing dialog and
  exchange of information on the Collaboration and Gap Analysis streamer requirements
• Gained historical insight from past National Committee Chairs for last 14 years
  and from the present National Vice Chair who fueled discussion and provided
  excellent briefs
• Featured a diverse composition of attendees from the public and private
  sectors

With busy schedules and prioritization of tasks, the time we commit to our Post and to our Society will vary. I trust, however, that the effort we commit will continue and translate to opportunities for our Society and industry, contributions for our communities, infrastructure and security preparedness for our nation, and
compassion we project to and assistance we provide for those who have suffered due to catastrophic incidents.

LEED Forum – August 23
As part of the Washington DC Post’s summer program line-up, I welcome you to attend our next program – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) that will be held on August 23 at the Washington Navy Yard, in Washington D.C. A panel of experts from the U.S. Green Building Council and from industry will highlight the latest developments in design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, and review LEED’s performance measurements and documentation standards.

The Washington DC Post remains on-call this summer by planning programs and special events for our members through the end of 2007. The following spotlight on programs features the upcoming Small Business Conference, Scholars and Honors Gala, and our annual Holiday celebration.

Small Business Conference – Oct. 18
The Washington DC Post’s Small Business committee is busy planning the all day Small Business Conference - 7:30 a.m. (registration/networking) to 3:00 p.m., October 18 at the University of Maryland, University College Inn and Conference Center, in Adelphi, Maryland.

The conference features a panel of Small Business Contracting representatives from government agencies and from large and small businesses who will present opportunities for winning small business set-aside contracts and provide overviews on partnership/mentoring opportunities between large and small businesses.

Invited government agencies include USACE, NAVFAC, Air Force, DHS and the V.A. The program will include formal presentation sessions and an informal networking
session with government agencies and large businesses. Conference features also include exhibit opportunities for large firms and sponsorship opportunities at all levels. Additional information on this conference will be sent via our List Serve and Posted to our Web site. Mark your calendars for October 18!

Scholars and Honors Gala – Sept. 15
Planning for the 2nd Annual Washington DC Post Scholars and Honors Gala is in
full swing! The Gala will take place on 15 September at the world-renowned Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C. The inaugural Scholars and Honors Gala held last year raised over $50,000 for the Washington DC Post’s Scholarship Program. We hope to do even better this year, and with your support and participation in this important event we will continue to grow our scholarship program and offer more scholarships, at higher amounts, to deserving engineering and architecture students.

There is still time and space available to become a Gala Sponsor. And thanks to those who have already made a commitment to sponsor this important annual event. Platinum (CH2MHill, Jacobs, PBS&J), Gold (-), Silver (Tetra Tech, Alpha, Parsons, Baker, AMT), Bronze (ECS, Keville), Entertainment (Leo A Daly), Centerpiece (HSMM), Programs (ABC Imaging), Raffle (Southwest, Marriott).

I look forward to the many excellent education and training programs we have lined-up for the next few months, and hope you join me in attending these programs and continue to support the work of the Washington DC Post.

Capt. Ben Pina, P.E., CEC, USN
NAVFAC Washington
President, Washington DC Post

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