New yearlong effort involving 20 participants aims to fill training gap of tomorrow’s problem solvers
Black & Veatch proudly announces that licensed mechanical engineer Julie Eiter of the company’s federal business has been accepted to the Society of American Military Engineers’ (SAME) inaugural national leadership development program (LDP) for innovative problem solvers.
With more than 17 years of experience in the architecture, engineering and contractor (A/E/C) space, Eiter is among 20 participants in the program designed to identify creative SAME members and develop them as the next generation of military, government and industry leaders. Financially supported by the SAME Foundation, the program also fills a vital training gap in the industry and helps meet the crucial leadership needs of the country and the profession.
Chosen from a field of 45 applicants, Eiter and the other participants in the yearlong program spanning to May 2022 are considered enthusiastic, mid-career professionals dedicated to SAME’s mission and strategic direction. Objectives include understanding and successfully applying the participant’s strengths while developing leadership skills through training, assignments, a service project and other opportunities. Coursework also includes team concepts such as roles, responsibilities, accountability and group dynamics.
Eiter spent six years at a mid-sized firm designing mechanical systems for pharmaceutical companies before joining Black & Veatch’s federal services business. Since then, she has provided solutions involving heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and mechanical and plumbing design for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other government agencies. She oversees the mechanical staff for the company’s federal work and offers career-development counseling of her department’s colleagues.
“Being accepted into this new program is a incredible honor, not only for the opportunity to further develop my leadership skills with my peers but to extend my relationship with SAME and its members who deliver innovative, mission-critical work each day,” Eiter said.
Rick Kaiser, vice president of Black & Veatch’s Special Projects Corp. and Eiter’s requested mentor in the SAME initiative, said this “wonderful opportunity” of a program “provides an exciting curriculum and a degree of rigor that produces incredible results.”
“Julie is the perfect candidate for this collaborative training, given that she already exhibits tremendous leadership competencies. Her enthusiasm and appreciation for her team permeates the entire organization,” added Kaiser, who before joining Black & Veatch in mid-2020 served for more than three decades with the USACE, most recently as its second-in-command deputy chief of engineers.
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Editor’s Notes:
- For a high-resolution image of Eiter, click here.
- Eiter is a licensed mechanical engineer in the state of Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering.
- Eiter is vice president of Black & Veatch’s Military Employee Resource Group Engagement (MERGE), which supports internal and external veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces. In that role, she has helped to create a remembrance event to educate others about Memorial Day, and she has raised money for care packages sent to employees or their family members.
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2020 exceeded US$3.0 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.
About Society of American Military Engineers
Founded in 1920, the Society of American Military Engineers builds leaders and fosters collaboration among government and industry to develop multi-disciplined solutions to national security infrastructure challenges. With a national office in Alexandria, Virginia, and more than 100 posts and field chapters around the world, the society unites public and private sector individuals and organizations from across the architecture, engineering, construction, environmental and facility management, cybersecurity, and contracting and acquisition disciplines. For more information, see https://www.same.org.
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