President’s Message

Message from Natasha Gromak
July 2022

Hello Omaha Post,

First, congratulations to COL Mark Himes, who served as Omaha Post President for July 2021 – July 2022, and his strong board for being recognized as a Sustaining Post for another year. I am very honored to be selected to serve as the SAME Omaha Post President this year and to continue this great work. I have been involved in the Omaha Post since Woolpert encouraged me to join in 2004. The SAME Omaha Post has provided me with an extensive professional network and the opportunity to serve the Omaha community with its longtime Student Mentoring Program (SMP), which is active in many local middle and high schools. Initially, I served the Post as the Scholarships and Camps Chairperson, then as Secretary and now as President.

During my year as President, I would like to widen our base of Post volunteers and get younger members involved. If you haven’t had the opportunity to be on a committee or serve on our board, I would encourage you to do so. Especially with so many of us working remotely these days, the SAME Omaha Post is a great way to stay involved with our community and to reap the benefits of this professional organization. Dave Packard, Bobbi Jo Lang, and Stephanie Ling have been working hard to strengthen our Student Chapters, and we have added chapters at both the University of Nebraska Lincoln and Metro Community College. Rob Hufford has formed a strong alliance with Project Healing Waters, and the Post supports their multiple veteran fly-fishing events annually. Rob is also looking into other ways the Post can support veterans.

There are so many ways for each of us to contribute to the SAME Omaha Post mission. If you are interested in getting more involved, please reach out to me or another board member. We would love for you to join us!

Respectfully,

Natasha Gromak
Omaha Post President 2022-2023

Message from Anne Peterson, RLA
March 1, 2021

From my understanding of SAME core principles, resilience is one of the key elements.  SAME was founded on the need to develop a network of key industries and personnel to aid the nation in times of crises and other emergencies.  Developing strategies to not only cope with these events, but to thrive is the meaning of resilience.  The COVID -19 pandemic has tested our resilience in many ways and hopefully we are learning to continue our mission and to improve our services.

One of our strategies is to provide insightful and knowledgeable presentations during our Post’s General Meetings.  We have been holding those meetings virtually for almost a year and have been pleased to see good attendance with positive feedback.  We intend to continue these virtual meetings until it is safe to meet in person, as directed by National.  We are working on arranging another USACE update for our May meeting.  If weather and pandemic outlooks are looking good, we are also working on a golf outing or other social outdoor event.

We are also evaluating Industry Day events, which for now, are planned for the first week in October.  The organizing committee is meeting soon to discuss this, so an update will be coming soon.  We are always looking for opportunities to increase our Industry/Government engagement.  We welcome suggestions on programs toward this goal.

When the pandemic struck early last year, we were well into our annual Student Mentoring Program (SMP), with the competition scheduled for April last year.  Since we had to quickly switch to virtual, the teams submitted their proposals but were not able to do presentations.  We were happy to have the submissions we received and proud of our teams, mentors, judges and other volunteers for their efforts.  This year, the teams have all been working virtually with their teachers and mentors.  It has been challenging, especially since each school system had different approaches to class attendance and restricted activities.  Our teachers and mentors have made a heroic effort to keep their teams progressing.  This year, they will not only provide their proposals but will also give virtual presentations to our judges.  We are so proud of all of them and of our volunteers and sponsors that keep this program going.  This is the 27^th year for this program and we want it to continue to have a long life of immersing students into STEM fields.

Our Veterans Outreach is another effort near and dear to us.  We heard a presentation and virtually toured the newly opened Fisher House on the Omaha Veterans Administration Campus.  It provides lodging and hospitality for veterans’ families while being treated at the VA hospital.  Our Post donated to the House and we hope to provide some volunteer dinners and other support when feasible. 

With the promise of spring and vaccines, we are looking forward to better days ahead.  We pray for the health and safety of all our members and their loved ones, as well as friends and neighbors.  We continue to look for ways to be of service and to be resilient during these times.

Respectfully,

Anne Peterson, RLA
Omaha Post President 2020-2021

Message from Anne Peterson, RLA
October 1, 2020

As we reflect on this time period in the future, instead of starting out with “once upon a time”, we might be telling our story beginning with “in the time of Covid”. As our response to this pandemic colors a lot of our actions, it has also necessitated adjustments to our Omaha Post activities. We had two excellent general meetings going live and virtual. We realized that there was still a need to keep these virtual, so we plan on having all of meetings that way until the end of the year and then reassess. Hopefully, you are logging on to these meetings, because they have been interesting and valuable. At our upcoming October 6th meeting, we have invited guest from the Public Sector to join us to hear Eric Williams, OPPD Board member, to present “Clean Energy, Local Power”.

Our Student Mentoring Program, SMP, is forging forward and we are creating additional paths and means to reach out to our middle school and high school teams. We are so fortunate to have dedicated teachers and mentors that find this important enough to add it to their busy schedules. We’ve been connecting with UNO to still have workshops (virtually) and we appreciate that strong support. Thank you to all of our Post members that support this program and our scholarship program. These efforts are even more important to keep our connection with our future peers and members.

We have had to cancel some of our wonderful Veterans’ Outreach events, such as the Fly Fishing events with Project Healing Waters. Hopefully, we may be able to continue these events next summer. We are strongly supportive of this Outreach and are looking for additional ways to support, including connecting with the newly constructed Fisher House on the Veteran’s Administration campus. Stay tuned for a call for volunteers once we figure out how we can help. Any other suggestions for veteran support are always appreciated.

Being involved in SMP for so many years, I’ve always felt the support of the Omaha Post. But now, serving as President, I have a greater understand of just how strong that support is and the benefits of being part of a national organization. I am amazed at all the resources available to us as SAME member not only through our Post but through SAME National. You can enhance your career and interests by joining a Community of Interest (COI) – there are so many to choose from. You can definitely network with the thousands of members to find common interest or expertise. You can show off your company or your projects by participating in our Post’s Spotlight feature during General Meetings, or giving a presentation. I encourage you to fully participate in all your membership offers. We, as a Post, will continue to provide as much value as we can, especially “in the time of Covid”.

Respectfully,

Anne Peterson, RLA
Omaha Post President 2020-2021

Message from Anne Peterson, RLA
July 1, 2020

Through the trials of this pandemic, our Omaha Post continues to meet the challenges.  The leadership Chris Langan showed through his term was exemplary and inspired the Post Board of Directors and Leadership to adapt and thrive. I sincerely thank him for the example he set and hope to carry forward the goals we’ve planned for another successful year.

We already had our first Virtual General Meeting on June 11^th. The next meeting will be held as a Live/Virtual event on July 7^th at the Field Club. Along with our guest speaker, our honored guests will include BG D. Peter Helmlinger, Col. John Hudson and Col. Mark Himes because of the USACE Omaha District change of command the next day.

Because of the continued pandemic concern, the Omaha Post Industry Day is delayed until May 2021. There will be more detailed information about that in upcoming communications. Our Student Mentoring Program will continue on and we will adapt it as needed to work with the adjustments our schools are making. We happily awarded trophies and monetary prizes from the Post and our Sponsors to the winning teams. Through positive feedback from our participating teachers, we hope to have another great year for this program.

Although some of our traditional events have been cancelled or delayed, we are always looking for ways to reach out to our membership and provide the networking and value that you’ve come to expect. If you have any ideas about events or would like to participate on a committee, please contact us.

Respectfully,

Anne Peterson, RLA
SAME-Omaha Post President 2020-2021

Message from Chris Langan, P.E.
March 17, 2020

Omaha Post and Guests,

I hope your family, your companies and you are managing through this COVID-19 Pandemic as best we can.

SAME and the Omaha Post have been monitoring and evaluating this ever-evolving situation with health and safety as our top priority. The work that SAME members, partners, and stakeholders do is vital to national security, and building relationships and trust through their interactions in the Society is a critical part of how they do it. However, right now the focus needs be on containing the spread of coronavirus in an effort to shorten its duration. Reducing community spread and limiting in-person gatherings are necessary approaches to take.

With that in mind below are some key updates regarding upcoming events.

April General Membership Meeting 

Given the latest messages from state and local governments along with consultation from the Field Club, we are canceling the April General Membership Meeting. 

Student Mentoring Program (SMP) Competition 

With school districts closed and limits on public gatherings, the Omaha Post is cancelling the April 16th Competition Day and Awards Ceremony. The SMP team is currently evaluating if written proposals can be submitted and teams judged on them with awards later. The SMP leaders will be working directly with the SMP partners as this develops. 

2020 Omaha Post Industry Day 

The 2020 Omaha Post Industry Day & Golf Outing will be POSTPONED until October of this year. We are working on a few details and will have an exact date for you soon. If you have already paid for this event, your information will automatically transfer to our October date. This includes all registrations for Industry Day, exhibitor booth purchases, sponsorships, golf outing, CQM and RMS training classes, and special event purchases. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. However, if you would like to cancel any of your registrations, sponsorships, etc., we will issue full refunds with no penalties. Please contact Jackie Olsommer with your cancellation request.

The Omaha Post wants to thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented circumstances where containing the spread of coronavirus is critical. If you have questions or concerns please contact any of the Board Members or Post President Chris Langan. Please stay safe and remember we are all in this pandemic together, and we will get through it.

Respectfully,

Chris Langan, P.E.
Omaha Post President 2019-2020

Message from Chris Langan, P.E.
January 8, 2020

Omaha Post and Guests,

What a year 2019 was. It is hard to think back and not reflect on the flooding, our hearts are still with those impacted by the water. Our thanks go out the post members, district members and contractors that continue to repair, manage and mitigate the damage done by that disaster. I was extremely proud of the response by the Omaha Post when Nebraska Emergency Management Agency asked for our help.

Other notable accomplishments of the Post include, supporting Project Healing Waters, the Post served lunch and provided support for these events that support disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans. The Post also continued the Student Mentoring Program (SMP) inspiring and guiding middle school and high school students through a yearlong Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. (STEM) project. The Omaha Post also supported student posts at UNO and UNL campuses and provided of $16,000 in scholarship and camp funding to aspiring young professionals.

These accomplishments and events show the Omaha Post and Society is more than a professional organization and I am excited about what 2020 will bring. 2020 is monumental year for the Society and Post, SAME is celebrating 100-year anniversary and Omaha Post is celebrating 80-year anniversary. We are planning some exciting anniversary celebration events at SMP, Industry Day and throughout the year. If you would like to be a part of planning, coordinating or any of other opportunities that the Post offers please contact one of the Board members.

Respectfully,

Chris Langan, P.E.
Omaha Post President 2019-2020

Message from Chris Langan, P.E.
October 19, 2019

Omaha Post and Guests,

Happy New Year, well federal fiscal year. Those doing business in the federal contracting arena know what a crunch and hectic time September can be leading up the end of one fiscal year and start of the next. The government is issuing and reviewing task orders while fighting for funds and the private contracting side in submitting on task orders make for a very busy time of year.

As a Society we strive to bring all sides of government contracting together and interact in hopes that this process is smoother for all. As a member of this society I would like to take a moment to review some of the opportunities the Omaha Post offers to help you through this process.

At the Omaha Post Industry Day, we recruit government agencies to present and share with us their upcoming project so that members can prepare for and provide a quality submittal. At our December general meeting we will have an Omaha District USACE program update of what is coming in FY20.

For sustaining members, we offer the opportunity to present a brief overview of your company and services provided at our general meetings. With government and potential teaming partners in attendance this opportunity provides great potential to grow a sustaining members business.

The Society has teamed up with other professional organizations to offer our members over 1,400 different courses for Personal Career Development. No matter what area of the A/E/C community you’re in SAME can help you meet your professional goals and licensing requirements. See the SAME Career Development Center for a list of opportunities.

Please make sure you are taking full advantage of your membership. If you know of others that may benefit from these opportunities, please point them to the Omaha Post and help us meet our 100 for 100 Membership Goal.

Respectfully,

Chris Langan, P.E.
Omaha Post President 2019-2020

Message from Chris Langan, P.E.
July 1, 2019

Omaha Post and Guests,

Many thanks to COL John L Hudson and the Omaha Post Leadership Board for their service this past year. Through their guidance the Omaha Post was recognize as a SAME Distinguished Post and accomplished many wonderful things. With our members support the Omaha Post accomplishes some great things in the community such as awarding scholarships to college students and helping support veteran events with Project Healing Waters. The Omaha Post also has a nationally recognized Student Mentoring Program that has worked with over 6.000 middle and high school students over its history. Early 2019 seen some challenges also with natural disasters in the area, when Nebraska Emergency Management Agency needed help, Omaha Post members answered the call and provided assistance during the flood event. As a post we also provide continuing education opportunities throughout the year with constant networking and interaction between government and industry.

I highlight these amazing things the post has done because, we could not do these without the support of our members and Sustaining Member Firms. If you have not participated in these events, I suggest you talk to someone who has and consider helping, they truly are fun and meaningful events. One of my goals for the next year will be connect with our sustain member firms and determine how we can support to each other to continue this great work our Society and Post do.

We truly are a diverse group of professionals and 2020 will mark the Society’s centennial year and the Omaha Posts 80th anniversary, both key milestones that will be celebrated throughout the year both nationally and at our Post level. Please look for more information on these celebrations.

Thank you for this opportunity to serve the Omaha Post and I look forward to talking with you at one of events over the next year.

Thank you again for all that you do to serve our Nation and make our Post successful; we cannot be successful without each of you. I look forward to seeing you soon at a monthly meeting.

Respectfully,

Chris Langan, P.E.
Omaha Post President 2019-2020

Message from COL John W. Henderson, P.E., USA
February 20, 2017

Team,

Happy National Engineers Week!

While there are many definitions of an engineer, its very essence is the application of our technical expertise to solving problems. By this definition, we are all engineers, dreamers, innovators, and problem solvers regardless of our chosen career field. This is an opportunity for The Society of American Engineers (SAME) to celebrate our history, our profession, and our shared commitment to serving our Nation.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kandi Srb and Dan Taylor who received the “President’s Award” at our Annual Engineers Week Banquet sponsored by the Engineer Round Table at the UNO Campus last week. Kandi works for HDR and currently serves as our Vice President for Professional Development and Personal Growth and has made significant contributions to our Post over the years through our Professional Development Programs, Scholarships, Industry Days, and Mentoring. Dan is the Owner of AMI Environmental and this year he has been active as a member of the National Small Business Council and very proactive in providing training venues, socials, and roundtable discussions to better network our small businesses with large sustaining member businesses.

The celebration of National Engineers Week was started in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers in conjunction with President George Washington’s Birthday. President Washington is commonly considered the Nation’s first engineer. George Washington appointed the first engineer officers of the Army on June 16, 1775, during the American Revolution, and engineers have served in combat in all subsequent American wars. The Army established the Corps of Engineers as a separate, permanent branch on March 16, 1802, and gave the engineers responsibility for founding and operating the U.S. Military Academy at West Point… and the rest is history.

The over 30,000 members of the SAME leads collaborative efforts to identify and resolve national security infrastructure-related challenges. Founded in 1920, SAME unites public and private sector individuals and organizations from across the architecture, engineering, construction, environmental and facility management, cyber security, project planning, contracting and acquisition, and related disciplines in support of national security.

Engineers Week is a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies who are dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future technical workforce. Each year, this coalition reaches out to thousands of schools, businesses, and community groups to emphasize the importance of technical education, inform students about STEM-related careers, provide scholarships, and inspire them to dream, innovate, design, create, and build a bright future for our world.

Thanks to everyone from across all of our professions who pull together as a team to engineer solutions to our Nation’s most challenging and complex problems. Thanks also to all of you who have volunteered your time to advance our professions and inspire our youth through the Student Mentoring Program, summer camps, scholarships, awards, student chapters, mentoring, STEM programs, Industry Days, and outreach events sponsored by the SAME Omaha Post. Your actions have real and lasting positive impacts on our associated professions, our future teammates, and our Nation.

Thanks for all you do.

Very Respectfully,

COL John W. Henderson, P.E., US

Message from COL John W. Henderson, P.E., USA
January 13, 2017

Team,

On Monday, January 16th, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Day in honor of the life and legacy of a truly great American. This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to reflect on our own character as well as the collective character of our profession.

Dr. King is an exceptional role model for all who are dedicated to serving our Nation, to include members of the Society of American Military Engineers. We have a lot in common as committed professionals who choose a life of service, contributing our talents for the betterment of our Nation, and building strong teams which are founded on trust and respect for each other. We all chose to serve something bigger than ourselves; a Nation which continues to strive for freedom, justice, equality, opportunity, and tolerance for men and women everywhere – regardless of race, creed, gender, or national origin.

The strength of our team, and therefore our ability to continue accomplishing our missions well, is derived from the mutual respect that we have for our teammates. This mutual respect is based on trust, which is a function of our consistently demonstrated actions to be people of good character, committed to our mutual success, striving for a high level of competence in our chosen profession. This is important because it lies at the foundation of everything that we do as a profession, as SAME members, and ultimately as a Nation.

Dr. King’s legacy inspires us all to be better humans and therefore to be a stronger team and a better Nation. Dr. King believed so strongly in this that he continued advocating for the civil rights and fair treatment of all at the risk of his own life. I’d humbly ask that we all take some time to honor his life by reflecting on our own humanity and character, recommitting ourselves to our mission, and finding a sense of purpose in serving something bigger than ourselves.

Please accept my sincere gratitude for all your selfless contributions to the Society of American Military Engineers, and that you for your continued partnership. Please know that you are appreciated.

Most Respectfully,

COL John W. Henderson, P.E., US

Message from COL John W. Henderson, P.E., USA
December 21, 2016

Team,

On behalf of SAME Officer and Board Members, please accept our sincere wishes for a relaxing and safe holiday season. This is an excellent time of year for all of us to reflect on our accomplishments as a team, to reflect on those things that are most important to each of us, and to celebrate our Families, our freedoms, our communities, and our traditions. We are very thankful for your participation in SAME, for your unparalleled support to our many programs, and for your contributions to promote and facilitate engineering support for our Nation.

We have a lot for which to be thankful this year; a few of the highlights are listed below.

• Congratulations our teammates who earned several awards this past year to include Ben Nixa (Student Chapter Rising Star Award), Rob Hufford, Mike Huffstetler, and Brian Schuele (Omaha Post Rising Stars), Mike Baldino (Doug Plack Golden Eagle Award), Justin Shillerberg, Joe Shields, and Jodi Vaccaro (Omaha Post President’s Award), Tony Kraus (Public Sector Partnering Award), and Dan Taylor (Post Small Business Liaison Officer Award).
• Congratulations to Dave Packard and Lt. Col. Gary Krupa (Ret.) who were approved for induction into the SAME Academy of Fellows this year. This places them in a special category of The Society’s membership, recognizing their efforts over the years on behalf of The Society and the engineering profession. They will be formally inducted into the Academy of Fellows at the annual Investiture Ceremony.
• Congratulations to our scholarship winners this year – Jacob Quint ($2K), Natan Ritterling ($2K), and Allan Cramblitt ($2K). Additionally, a new needs-based scholarship has been established by the Omaha Post. The scholarship will be offered annually to a graduating high school senior and will be in the amount of $2K. Thanks to all for your generous contributions to our scholarship funds each year, and special thanks to the Doug Plack Memorial Scholarship Fund for their generous contributions to this endeavor.
• Congratulations to the Omaha Post for meeting the criteria to win the following Streamer Awards with Distinction in 2015: Education and Training, Leadership and Mentoring, and Relationships and Recognition. We also won Streamer Awards for Emergency Preparedness and Infrastructure Resilience, and Membership. As a result of these awards, the Omaha Post was recognized as a Distinguished Post!
• Thanks to everyone who facilitated a number of events last year to foster great relationships within our profession and our community. Some of these included co-hosting the Engineer’s Week Banquet, sponsoring a very successful 2015 Industry Day and Golf Tournament, completing another amazing year in our Student Mentoring Program, and facilitating the 2016 Large-Small Business Mentorship Roundtable Discussion.

Thank you again for all that you do to serve our Nation and make our Post successful; we certainly could not be successful without each of you. Happy Holidays, and best to you and yours for a very successful New Year!

Most Respectfully,

COL John W. Henderson, P.E., US

Message from COL John W. Henderson, P.E., USA
August 11, 2016

Team,

First, we owe a huge THANK YOU to Mr. Dave Packard for his leadership, dedication, and service to the Omaha Post over this past year while serving as our Post President. Our “Distinguished Post” continues to thrive thanks to the efforts of leaders like Dave, our many volunteer board/committee members, our industry partners, our public entities, and military involvement. Dave adeptly brought this diverse team together to achieve amazing results again last year… an accomplishment for which we can all be proud. Also, I’d like to thank our group of distinguished SAME Fellows who so actively support and participate in SAME mentorship, education, training, and professional development programs; sharing their experience, insight, and enthusiasm with our team to the great benefit of our Post. I would also like to take this opportunity congratulate Capt. Michael Blount, USN (Ret) for being sworn in as the new National President of SAME, and Ms. Jackie Hacker for being inducted as our Regional Vice President.

The SAME Omaha Post is special and unique in many ways. We can all be inspired by the sense of volunteerism, the hard work, and the many contributions made by our membership back to the community of Omaha and to the profession of engineering. We have a very strong network of trusted industry partners, technical experts, public entities, and military engineers who are committed to selflessly serving our Nation in order to collaboratively find solutions to our national security infrastructure challenges. This collaborative network of professionals exists because of your involvement, engagement, and support to the SAME Omaha Post; please accept my personal gratitude for all that you do to make this an organization that is value added for our members, for our profession, for the people that we serve, and ultimately for our Nation.

We have one of the most comprehensive and mature STEM Student Mentoring Programs in the Nation. This is certainly a treasure for the Omaha community and an enduring legacy of our Post. We have engineering professionals serving in our organizations now who were students in our mentorship programs 20 years ago; who attended engineering camps sponsored by us; who received scholarships from us to earn engineering degrees; who now serve our profession and our Nation. I’d ask that we all evaluate our capacity to ensure that this program continues to thrive and endures to produce another generation of engineering professionals who possess a sense of patriotism and service to our Nation.

We are a society of professionals; architects, engineers, scientists, builders, entrepreneurs, public servants, and service members. We are unique, and we are only successful because of the proactive engagement with each other as a society for the common good of our profession and our Nation. Our “value proposition” for our members, as well as our prospective members, is the essence of why we serve. It is incumbent for all of us to understand why it is important to give back to our profession; why it is important to take a proactive role in mentoring future engineers and scientists; why it is important to give back to the communities that enable our success in many ways, and why a strong, collaborative public/private/academic/military network is so important to the enduring success of our Nation. So as we continue to strive to make our network strong, to make our contributions relevant, and to make our investments of time and treasure value-added to our Nation and to our members, we should also take time to remind ourselves of the value of belonging to SAME and our role as members in creating this value.

Finally, we enjoy phenomenal external relationships with our field chapter in Rapid City, our Student Chapters at Iowa State, UNL, and UNO, our academic and military partners, our sister SAME posts in the region, and with our National HQs. Our new executive director, BG(Ret) Joe Schroedel, is serving as an agent for change with a new SAME National Strategic Plan as well as the establishment of the SAME Foundation. As a Distinguished Post, we should aspire to embrace the positive changes that are ongoing in our organization nationally, continue to be leaders in our profession, and continue to foster these very important external relationships.

Thank you again for all that you do to serve our Nation and make our Post successful; we certainly could not be successful without each of you.

Most Respectfully,

COL John W. Henderson, P.E., US