Young Professionals Council

SAME Young Professional Council logo

Credentialing Assistance Program (CAP) Application

YP Charter

YP Member Benefits

YP Membership Video

YP Post Engagement Guide

Mentoring Continuum

SAME Young Professionals Council Members

Council Mission

The mission of the SAME Young Professionals (YP) Council is to be an advocate for and engage young professionals in support of the SAME Strategic Plan through outreach, training, networking, and recognition. The council provides educational programming, hosts networking activities, promotes leadership and engagement opportunities, and emphasizes recognition of young professionals within the Society.

Join the SAME Engage YP Network

Annual Volunteer Opportunities: Engineering & Construction Camps. Each spring/summer, SAME’s Engineering &Construction Camps recruit volunteers to serve as mentors and camp counselors.
Learn more: Camps Mentoring.

Council Leaders

Council Chair

LCDR Tim Dahms, P.E., CEC, USN, NAVFAC

Immediate Past Chair

Suzanne Grix, MBA, Forgen

Council Structure
Organization Structure

Communications Vice Chair: Cristen Sheppard, AICP, PP, mcfa

Conferences Vice Chair: Jaimie Wright, The Lewis Group

Credentialing Vice Chair: Wille Parks, RA, LEED AP BC+C, RRMM Architects

Programs Vice Chair: Sal Forgione, Associate AIA, PMP, HDR

SAME POC: Sarah Feighery, SAME National Office

SAME Young Professionals Council Steering Committee 24-25
SAME Young Professionals Council Liaisons
Communications

Highlight your achievements or those of another YP in TME! Please use the following Spotlight Nomination Form to submit or contact the Communications Vice Chair with any questions.

Have a Post Event or YP Achievement to share in our next newsletter or across our social media platforms? Contact the Communications Vice Chair with any submissions.

Conferences

The Conference Committee organizes networking events for Young Professionals as part of SAME’s two major national conferences, the Joint Engineer Training Conference (JETC) in May and the Federal Small Business Conference (SBC) in November. These include YP and Fellow networking events, Pre-Conference Connections, and support for reviewing and providing feedback to YPs submitting abstracts to speak at the conferences. YPs are also provided with an opportunity to apply to receive a stipend to attend the conference in the event they or their company are unable to afford to send them. Click the below ribbon for more information.

YP and Uniformed Member Stipend Application (JETC 2025)

Rules/Information: Stipends to attend the 2025 Joint Engineer Training Conference and Expo (JETC) will be awarded to active SAME Young Professionals (YP) and Enlisted members who have demonstrated support of SAME at the Post, Regional, and/or National level and who might not otherwise be able to attend. Young Professional recipients must attend the YP Community of Interest (COI) meeting, and the Enlisted Members must attend the Enlisted Member COI meeting at JETC.

The stipends will provide complimentary registration, round-trip flights, and a hotel stay of up to four nights. Recipients will be accepted based on: SAME Participation; Professional Development; and Accomplishments. Questions on YP and Enlisted stipends can be directed to Sarah Feighery.

Applications will close March 7, 2025

Eligibility Criteria

  • Young Professionals (Industry, Government, or Military) who are 39 or under at the time of 20254 JETC or Enlisted Members (Active, Guard, or Reserve)
  • SAME member for at least 18 months prior to stipend application deadline date. Join Date before October 1, 2022.
  • Active member of a SAME Post, Field Chapter, and/or National COI for the past years (as reflected in the application form)
  • Completion of the online application form, which includes a short summary of SAME Participation, Professional Development, and Accomplishments
  • A Letter of Endorsement from the Post or Field Chapter President or COI Chair supporting the nominee of a stipend.

*Note: Priority will be given to individuals who have never attended JETC or have not previously been awarded a stipend.

Stipend Application
Credentialing

SAME is invested in providing members with the tools and resources to develop and advance their careers within the A/E/C profession. The Credentialing Committee is working to help members understand the importance of credentials, what credentials apply to the A/E/C profession, and how to get and maintain them. Visit the Credentialing Opportunities webpage or contact the Credentialing Vice Chair with questions.

Credentialing Assistance Program (CAP)

SAME believes the engineering community is strengthened when engineers and other practitioners obtain professional licensure and certifications. To assist this, the Credentialing Assistance Program is provided as a member benefit to reimburse anyone who obtains approved credentials. Reimbursement can apply to exam fees or study materials! For complete information, restrictions, and to find the application, visit the Credentialing Opportunities Webpage or contact the Credentialing Vice Chair with questions.

Credentialing Review Course (CRC) Program

SAME believes the engineering community is strengthened when engineers and other practitioners obtain professional licensure and certifications. To assist this, the Credentialing Review Course (CRC) Program provides SAME members with free access to credentialing review courses of their choosing to help prepare for their professional certification exam testing. For complete information, restrictions, and to find the application, visit the Credentialing Opportunities Webpage or contact the Credentialing Vice Chair with questions.

Programs

The Programs Committee helps organize and review webinars focused on topics of interest to Young Professionals by finding presenters to participate in and support SAMEs robust national webinar opportunities.

SAME National Webinars