Photo By Shelia Fourman | Enshanè Nomoto-Hill, small business professional, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,...... read more read more
The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Northwest Posts hosted the Meet the Chiefs 2025 Regional Event on June 17, at the Seattle Airport Marriott. This gathering brought together leaders from key federal agencies and industry partners for a full day of strategic insights, networking, and future planning.
Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Seattle, Portland, Walla Walla, and Sacramento/San Francisco Districts, Hydrologic Engineering Center, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Bonneville Power Administration, and USACE Northwestern Division attended the event, both in person and virtually, outlining upcoming program requirements and priorities that are critical to infrastructure development across the Northwest and beyond.
“This year marks the 250th birthday of both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” said Col. Kathryn Sanborn, commander of the USACE Seattle District. “The Seattle District proudly joins the Nation in celebrating two and a half centuries of commitment, innovation, and service to the nation and our warfighters. SAME plays a vital role in commemorating this milestone by fostering public-private partnerships that continue the Corps’ legacy of delivering engineering solutions for our Nation’s toughest challenges.”
“The program is absolutely critical to the Nation, and we are looking at innovative ways to deliver solutions through different acquisition strategies,” said Col. Jeffery Hall, Deputy Division Commander for USACE, Northwestern Division.
One of the highlights of the event was the joint session on the Sentinel Program and Over-the-Horizon Radar initiative.
“There are definitely some major opportunities here across the region holistically,” said Sanborn. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the critical infrastructure planning and execution, which creates a multitude of opportunities for contracting, subcontracting, site preparation, and facilities construction.”
These transformational projects underscore the evolving needs of national defense and regional resilience, and the small and large industry professionals were invited to consider how innovation and partnership can support these missions.
In addition to major program updates, attendees had the opportunity to visit information booths, meet with agency decision-makers, and expand their professional network. The event emphasized collaboration and early engagement, giving architecture, engineering, construction, and service providers a jumpstart on planning for future contracting opportunities.
Sanborn delivered an operational and capabilities briefing highlighting the Seattle District’s mission focus and emphasizing the essential role of small businesses in delivering critical infrastructure solutions. She reinforced the district’s commitment to ensuring small businesses have the opportunity to support military and civil works projects.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our mission’s success,” said Col. Sanborn. “We rely on their agility, innovation, and local expertise to meet our demands and goals across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.”
As part of the event’s commitment to transparency and professional connection, the attendee list promoted connections and enabled follow-up engagements.
Meet the Chiefs 2025 exemplifies SAME’s mission to bring government and industry together to strengthen the nation's security and infrastructure. The event concluded with renewed energy for collaboration and a clear view of the opportunities ahead.
“USACE – Seattle District is committed to acquiring, developing, and maintaining a skilled workforce and delivers vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk,” said Sanborn.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2025 16:31 |
| Story ID: | 501254 |
| Location: | SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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