Post Best Practices: Meeting Member Needs in Georgia

At the local level, SAME Posts succeed by offering a tailored approach to make sure members are plugged into national security efforts while remaining attuned to the needs of their immediate area. For some chapters with a tight focus on a specific installation, such as the Robins AFB Post, remaining plugged in is even more critical, as their connection to readiness is more direct than most.

TME recently chatted with leaders of the Robins AFB Post to talk about their engagement with the installation, how they approach the development of programs and events, and ways that they are tackling the challenges unique to small Posts.

TME: Can you provide a brief overview of the Robins AFB Post?

Robins AFB Post: We are a small Post, located in Warner Robins, Ga. We meet monthly in person at a restaurant with a meeting room about 10 minutes off the base. We hold two to three offsite events a year, which are always very popular since they serve as chances to get boots on ground with our profession in the community, and we host an annual golf tournament to support our scholarship fund.

Our membership is very diverse, and our Post leadership is representative of that. We have everyone from federal government employees to A-E firms, small business members, military enlisted and officers, and retired military/civilian members.

TME: How does the Post support the mission needs of the installation and help to drive industry-government engagement?

Robins AFB Post: The Post last surveyed its membership in August 2021. We are still using the results from that feedback to shape our programs. Something that our survey highlighted as an area of interest for many members of the Post was organizing site visits/tours, so we increased the number of those outings in our programs. While our members also enjoy technical presentations, everyone really enjoys getting out to visit project sites.
In addition to the local emergency management agency, we have maintained good relationships with local utility (power) providers. Georgia Power (Southern Company) presented at our Small Business Industry Day since the utility has several project opportunities at Robins AFB that local small business companies can support. This event was a huge success, with a variety of speakers and presentations to highlight the contributions of our profession.

TME: How do you develop upcoming events to engage members and keep up an active programming calendar?

Robins AFB Post: We are lucky to have a small but engaged staff and a very energetic Programs Chair, Joe Ballard, who has been serving in this position for eight years. Having that continuity comes with the benefit of building strong relationships within the community that we have been able to leverage through a wide range of programs and on-site “field trip” meetings.

Over the past year, we met with leadership from the Georgia Veterans Career Transition Resource Center and toured its educational space, which is run jointly with the Central Georgia Technical School. Another unique site visit was the Houston County Emergency Management Agency. Members toured the new center and learned how the agency coordinates emergency response, including dealing with failed/damaged infrastructure. At this event, the Post was able to observe and participate in an actual briefing and response plan from the National Weather Service for upcoming severe winter weather.

TME: What are the main challenges facing the Post?

Robins AFB Post: We see two main challenges facing our Post. The first is identifying and maintaining a leadership pipeline. We are working on this with the addition of board positions to attract a variety of members to serve in our leadership. However, we have not established a consistent turnover yet.

The second challenge is re-establishing our STEM outreach post-COVID. While we transitioned Post meetings back to in-person within a year, our ability to conduct STEM engagement with local schools after COVID has proved challenging. There are a lot more protocols in place that limit large gatherings and the ability to bring together disparate groups.

TME: What have been the keys to keeping members engaged?

Robins AFB Post: We aim to engage a wide range of interests and keep our Post engaged with the community and local professionals through varied programming. As a small Post, we provide leader development by bringing on new and young members to the leadership team, which has benefited us with new ideas and new energy.

Our Post is committed to instilling and upholding core professional values. We offer funding support for any member who is pursuing credentialing or training. We ensure this information is disseminated by sharing opportunities to attend workshops and training classes. We also held a panel discussion on mentoring and pursuing professional registration. The panel members included Post leaders, Robins AFB members who are supervisors and/or recently registered, along with an individual from the Georgia Chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers. This discussion provided a great mentorship opportunity from young engineers in the audience on how to prepare for the licensure examinations and the overall importance of professional development and the value of becoming licensed.

TME: What advice would you share with other small Posts?

Robins AFB Post: Your Post does not have to be large to have great impact! We have a small, enthusiastic core membership that has kept this Post viable through tough years. Find what works for your membership and keep doing it! We have an annual golf tournament in October that is our main fundraiser for the scholarship fund, and everyone in the Post looks forward to attending it.

In 2022, the Post was able to sponsor an attendee for the STEM Camp in Vicksburg, Miss. Additionally, we provide two college scholarships for local students pursuing engineering or architecture at Mercer University. When we hear about the fantastic experience they had, that is something we can all get behind.