LD COI: SAME National Leadership Opportunities 2026

Ben oversees a federal civilian portfolio, providing strategy and execution for 20+ agencies. He was elected as a SAME National Vice President in 2023 and is a key member of the National Leadership Team and Executive Committee. Last year, Ben worked with SAME’s Technical Community of Interest leaders on translating passion to support the Strategic Plan. Now, he is working with the Human Capital COIs on how to identify, inspire, connect, and retain future leaders.

Fun Fact: Ben had more overseas assignments than US assignments in the US Air Force.

Captain (Ret) Steven “Sid” Osgood is the Technical Director for Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit Oakland where he is responsible for the design and construction of major maintenance and repair for all of the Coast Guard’s west coast shore facilities. Sid retired as a Captain from the Coast Guard in 2020 after serving for over 27 years in a variety of engineering and major systems acquisition assignments. He is a 1993 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with honors in Civil Engineering. He also earned a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science Degree in Engineering and Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sid is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California and is a certified Project Management Professional. Before to reporting to his current position in the Coast Guard, Sid served as the Deputy Construction Branch Chief for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District. Sid is a SAME Fellow who served as the President of the San Francisco Post, and continues to serve as the Fellows Chair and as a Board of Directors advisor. He is also active in the Leadership Development Community of Interest as a Leader Development Program Mentor and as chair of the Key Leader Development Commission.

Pat, a 30-year Coast Guard veteran and retiree, is the Navy and Coast Guard client account manager for DLR Group, a large business architect and engineering firm which specializes in vertical design. Pat has been a SAME member since his time with the San Francisco Post in 2000, is a past president of the Hampton Roads Post, and is currently involved in the SAME Transition Seminar for military veterans and the SAME Foundation.

Pat has lived in 11 states and is currently in Annapolis, MD. He and his wife also recently welcomed their first granddaughter.

Jim Carter has been in the environmental laboratory industry for over 35 years. He graduated with a BS in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College, and from there worked in various positions in environmental laboratories, from Technical Director at Brown and Caldwell to various customer relations manager. He joined EMAX Laboratories, Inc. in 1988 as the National Business Development Manager. EMAX, a small & disadvantaged business, focuses on providing high-quality environmental lab services to the Federal Market. Jim has been very active in the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) as a member of the Board of the Orange County Post, Past President and Chair of the Education and Mentoring Fund. He served as the SAME Regional Vice President for the California Region and currently serves on the NLA and Investment Committee as the Assistant Treasurer for SAME. Jim is married with one daughter and lives in Studio City, CA.

With over 37 years in the A/E/C industry, Mr. Huffstetler currently serves as SAME National Vice President on the National Leadership Team. Mr. Huffstetler leads all Federal Programs for DLR Group, an award-winning international architecture-engineering firm and proud SAME Corporate Member since 1987. Mr. Huffstetler’s prior military service was as an Air Force Civil Engineering Officer and included multiple CE assignments and two successive USAF Officer Exchange Program assignments with the US Army Corps of Engineers, first with the USACE Transatlantic Division and later with USACE Baltimore District supporting CONUS and OCONUS MILCON and contingency operations programs. His subsequent private sector experience included 9 years in the commercial aviation sector on capital improvement programs at Washington-Reagan, Dulles, Atlanta and Miami-Dade airports, followed by a return to federal and international work in 2007. A SAME member since 1988, Mr. Huffstetler lives in Omaha Nebraska and has served as a volunteer and Board member with the Omaha Post beginning in 2016. In addition to his current national role, Mr Huffstetler has served on both the National Board of Direction and the Executive Committee (XC) since 2020. In March he and his wife Maribeth celebrated 36 years of marriage. They have 6 children, two of whom have served and are serving in the military.

Julie Eiter, PE, LEED AP BD+C, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering from Kansas State University and brings over 22 years of experience as a registered mechanical engineer. She currently serves as a Regional Director of Business Development for Black & Veatch’s Federal Business. Julie is a graduate of both the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Leader Development Program (LDP) and the Black & Veatch Leadership Discovery Program. Julie is passionate about supporting our nation’s veterans through both her professional work and volunteer efforts. She serves on the Board of Direction for the SAME Greater Kansas City Post and is Co-Chair of the Post's Military Integration Committee and Leadership Committee. She is also the current Vice Chair for Leadership Development COI. Additionally, she is the Professional Development Chair of Black & Veatch’s Military Employee Resource Group Engagement (MERGE), which supports veterans and active-duty service members across all branches. In recognition of her dedication to veteran transition efforts, Julie received the SAME Gibson Veterans Transition Medal.

Scott Null is with Mason & Hanger and is an active volunteer leader with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He currently serves as a Regional Vice President and is a member of SAME’s National Leadership Assembly and National Board of Direction. Scott brings extensive industry experience and a strong commitment to advancing SAME’s mission and the military engineering community.

Master Sergeant Bradley D. Wilson is the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Air National Guard Deputy Program Manager for Civil Engineering in the Office of Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense and NGB A3/10A. As part of his duties he may work with indigenous tribes such as the Cherokee and Blackfeet Nations. He is responsible for the annual validation and oversight of joint construction projects and exercises that support community partners across the nation with construction labor cost savings in excess of $8 million. His annual portfolio of projects covers multiple States and Territories and encompasses readiness and skills training for over 1,500 joint personnel. Master Sergeant Wilson was previously the Civil Engineer Deployments Managers and Civil Engineer Training Superintendent for the Logistics and Installations Directorate at the Air National Guard Readiness Center (ANGRC), National Guard Bureau (NGB/A4).

Tim Byers is an executive and board member with H.W. Lochner, Inc. and a longtime volunteer leader with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He currently serves as President of the SAME Foundation and is a member of SAME’s National Leadership Assembly and National Board of Direction. Tim has been actively involved with SAME for more than two decades, supporting its mission across a range of national initiatives.

Adam Boubede is a speaker, author, Adjunct Professor, and an ICF certified leadership coach currently serving as a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the 86th Civil Engineer Group. In this capacity, he is the senior enlisted advisor to the Civil Engineer Group Commander to effectively lead over 1,200 military and civilian personnel spanning 18 distinct career fields. The Group’s mission is to provide, protect, and sustain an $11.8 billion physical plant consisting of infrastructure that supports the 86th Airlift Wing’s rapid air mobility and strategic partner missions while providing emergency services and environmental protection for 56,000 personnel in the Kaiserslautern Military Community, the largest military community outside of the United States.

Adam is from New Orleans, Louisiana and is dedicated to leverage his experience to teach, develop, inspire, and mentor leaders, empowering them to unleash untapped potential and grow organizations to achieve greater success.

As a member of the Society of American Military Engineers, he has held various roles at 4 Posts, including Post President at the Mount Tacoma Post, founded Enlisted COI, served as a National Elected Director, and is currently Europe Deputy Regional Vice President.