About the Post
Origins of the Tennessee Valley Post
In late 2013 initial discussions between Perry Barker and Ray Alexander began the path to establish a SAME Post in Oak Ridge. Barry Totten and Sheldon Johnson joined the dialogue. During the first half of 2014, with many meetings/discussions and assistance from Chris Green, the Nashville Post offered to sponsor the formation Field Chapter in Oak Ridge.
The East Tennessee Technology Corridor Field Chapter (ETTC FC) founded in August 2014. Ray Alexander was the Senior Representative, with a full cadre of staff (Additional Founding Members: Linda Albrecht, Lorie Baker-Wallace, Mike Lee, and Bill Sawrey). Barry Totten became the Senior Representative in late fall of 2014. The FC was fully operational with regular meetings and events through early 2016. Bob Sidoti, Regional VP at the time, was instrumental in guiding the FC leadership to finalize the documents in early 2016 to become a full fledged Post.
The Tennessee Valley Post (TVP) in Oak Ridge, TN was chartered in April 2016, as the 105th Post for SAME. Later that year the TVP earned its first Streamer for Relationships. In 2017 the TVP earned all five Steamers and was designated as a Distinguished Small Post. Since inception, the meeting venue has been at the Event Center on Melton Hill Lake, although there have been several different names/owners. Now operated by Calhoun’s.
Story of the Tennessee Valley Post Coin Design/Logo
The coin design was a collaborative effort from the Leadership Team to develop a concept. This concept was originally drawn by Erica Beck (daughter of founding member Sheldon Johnson) and further refined by Heidi Hoffmann (Jacobs).
Symbology: The map of Tennessee with star pinpoints the geographic location of Oak Ridge. Junction of the two rivers (French Broad and Holston) form the Tennessee River, east of Oak Ridge. The three stars represent the three sections of the State–East, Middle and West Tennessee, through which the Tennessee River flows. The Tennessee Valley Post, as Team #105 was established in 2016.
Founding Member
| Name | Employer |
|---|---|
| Linda Albrecht | Alliant |
| Ray Alexander | Jacobs |
| Lorie Baker-Wallace | Navarro |
| Perry Barker | US Navy |
| Sheldon Johnson | Retired |
| Mike Lee | USACE |
| Bill Sawrey | Jacobs |
| Barry Totten | CNS |
| Susan Walter | Abel Key |
Communities of Interest
SAME’s Communities of Interest offer members a chance to engage nationally with other professionals focused on a particular technical field or demographic within joint engineering and the A/E/C industry.