We’re proud to be your
SAME Joint Engineer Training Conference
May 13-15, 2025
AECOM is a proud titanium sponsor of the 2025 Joint Engineer Training Conference, an educational and networking forum focused on the Society of American Military Engineers’ (SAME) mission “to lead collaborative efforts to identify and resolve national security infrastructure-related challenges.” We’re excited to be in Louisville, Kentucky to meet in-person with attendees from the military, public, private, and academic sectors to discuss all things innovation! We invite you to chat with us at Booth 236 and catch our industry experts in action during the exciting technical sessions below.
AECOM Sessions
Monday, May 12
Pre-Conference Seminar: Pacific Humanitarian
Assistance / Disaster Response Tabletop Exercise
AECOM Speaker: Matt Beverly
1:00 – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, May 13
Concept to Clearance: Navigating ICD 705
from Planning to Accreditation
AECOM Speakers: Peter Brown, Jennifer Ramirez,
Cory Bonham & Tony Funkhouser
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Tuesday, May 13
Building Guam for Mission Resilience,
Integrated Response & Coordination
AECOM Speakers: Avinash Srivastava,
Peter Morris & Komal Dewan
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Wednesday, May 14
IGE Roundtable: Collaborative Delivery:
Recommendations from Industry
AECOM Speaker: Matt Beverly
12:30 – 2:30 pm
Wednesday, May 14
Construction Mega Session:
Design-Build: State of the Nation
AECOM Speaker: Mike Blount
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Wednesday, May 14
Like Peanut Butter & Chocolate,
Partnering & CPARS Go Together
AECOM Speaker: Mike Blount
4:30 – 5:30 pm
AECOM Expertise
AECOM has proudly supported the DOD mission for more than 100 years.
Click the images below to learn more about our capabilities across all federal sectors:
JETC News
AECOM’s Blount honored with SAME Gold Medal
Mike Blount, PE, LEED AP, F.SAME, CEC USN (Ret.), one of our U.S. Navy client account managers, is the 2025 recipient of SAME’s Walter O. Bachus Gold Medal. First awarded in 1920, this distinction recognizes Mike’s outstanding leadership skills and lifelong contributions in support of the SAME mission.
“I can’t think of a more fitting recipient for the SAME Gold Medal,” said former AECOM colleague Jane Penny, a past SAME National President. “Mike is an excellent choice for this award. He’s never hesitated to step up and engage,” she said. “His leadership has been invaluable over the years, and his personality draws others to volunteer.”
Mark Handley, another former AECOM colleague and past SAME National President, echoed these sentiments. “Mike exemplifies the pinnacle of service to SAME and our nation,” said Mark. “Throughout his distinguished SAME career, Mike has consistently demonstrated a profound impact on SAME and the broader engineering profession.”
Some people might have a more idyllic origin story about their beginnings with an organization, but not Mike. “I joined SAME under duress,” he exclaims, adding that his class of young Navy ensigns at the Civil Engineer Corps School were instructed to fill out membership applications. “It was the first I’d heard of SAME,” he says, “and that day started a 43+ year relationship. SAME is a great professional society with great people.”
Over the course of more than four decades, Mike has held countless leadership positions at every level of the SAME organization. From his early roles with the Jacksonville Post to SAME National President in 2016 to his current position on the SAME Foundation Board of Directors, Mike’s commitment to driving innovation and collaboration within the A/E/C industry remains steadfast.
“Of all my duties in SAME, I think leading the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Industry-Government Engagement (IGE) Group has been the most satisfying,” Mike says. In 2021, after SAME appointed him to be the champion for their IGE project related to the CPARS, Mike quickly assembled and led a team of government and industry leaders to address the system’s challenges, identify gaps and inconsistencies within the process, and provide proposed reforms. His strong contributions in this area haven’t gone unnoticed either. In 2023 he received SAME’s IGE – Individual Award.
Mike’s firsthand knowledge of both industry and government perspectives has been instrumental to his work. Mike’s distinguished 43-year career includes 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy, followed by his retirement and transition to the private sector in 2008. He’s been with AECOM supporting Navy programs since 2016. “Working closely with the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) as they execute one of the biggest infrastructure programs in the world has been really rewarding,” he says. “I’ve been on both sides now and what NAVFAC does is remarkable. Among other projects, I’m also especially proud of AECOM’s response to Hurricane Irma. We were the first outsiders to get on many of the affected bases to start the rebuilding process.”
Mike is modest when he’s asked about what the SAME Gold Medal means to him. “This is a great recognition of raising your hand when folks need a volunteer, and then providing value to the community,” he says. Looking forward, he hopes younger SAME members will carry on some of the initiatives he started. “I think both the IGE process and the Leader Development Program provide an opportunity to do more for SAME,” he says. “I encourage them to look for a mentor, be a mentor, and get engaged.”
AECOM’s Riggs and Hanks selected for SAME LDP
Matt Riggs, PE, PMP, and Adam Hanks, PE, have been selected to participate in the prestigious 2025-26 SAME Leader Development Program (LDP).
“There is no other program more aligned with my career, ambitions, and values,” says Matt, who oversees building design and master planning projects out of the Colorado Springs office. “I love to learn and participate in a group where others—exceptionally more giving, intelligent, or focused than me—can help me refine my own abilities as a leader.”
Adam, who manages federal facility design projects from the Roanoke office, shares Matt’s enthusiasm. “I’m excited to broaden my horizons. I value diversity of thought and the more insight I gain from others with varied backgrounds, the better suited I am to lead and contribute to teams in the future,” says Adam. “I also want to understand how other organizations measure success and how to build better partnerships with federal teams.”
In 2019, SAME developed the LDP to identify and cultivate future leaders within the A/E/C profession. The program requires a year-long commitment and combines more than 35 hours of lectures and simulations with hands-on experience. Each participant applies what they’ve learned to a capstone project focused on a critical industry issue of their choice. Matt and Adam are among just 20 high-potential professionals selected for this year’s program.
Both candidates are perhaps most excited to apply what they learn to their work. “It’s all about how we partner with our clients,” says Adam. “I hope to grow as a leader and better understand the strengths and challenges of my government counterparts, so that we’re pursuing what they really need. With the resources AECOM has, it means that we can pull together and accomplish impressive feats!”
“I’ll leverage this experience to deepen collaboration across AECOM, our federal agencies, and industry partners—and to drive mission success for our federal projects,” Matt agrees. “I also want to continue developing the ability to act with kindness, patience, and clarity, especially during moments of extreme criticality. That is what defines character.”
Matt joined SAME 17 years ago, when he attended a high school STEM program in Port Hueneme. He currently serves as treasurer of the Pikes Peak Post. Adam has been a member of the Blue Ridge Post since 2021. He is on the post board and is active with their scholarship, young members, and college outreach committees of interest.
AECOM partners with K9s for Warriors
We are pleased to share our booth in Louisville with K9s for Warriors. Since 2011, this nonprofit has been dedicated to “saving lives at both ends of the leash” by transforming shelter dogs into highly-trained service animals for veterans living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other trauma. If you’d like to join us in supporting this important cause, please donate here or stop by AECOM booth 236 to learn about their mission.
We’re Hiring!
With an expanding federal portfolio, we’re always looking for candidates ready to deliver a better world on our high-performing team. Explore the opportunities: aecom.com/careers
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