STV’s Fabian Mendoza, U.S. Army Colonel (ret.), principal, and field practice director, has been honored by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Dallas’ Post with its Member of the Year award. This prestigious accolade salutes SAME members in recognition of achievements in support of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) profession, national security objectives, and SAME’s mission.
Founded in 1920, SAME empowers leaders and builds collaborations among government and industry professionals to develop multi-disciplined solutions to national security infrastructure challenges. The Society has a storied history of uniting public and private sector organizations throughout its 100 global posts. SAME also provides extensive opportunities for training, education, and professional development workshops.
Mendoza, who is based in STV’s Midlothian, TX office, has been an active member of SAME since 1985, when he first joined its Fort Belvoir, VA, chapter before serving abroad in the Iraq field chapter, where he established strong relationships with Iraqi engineers.
“I’m humbled and grateful to be chosen for this award by those who are so invested in this organization,” Mendoza said. “There are so many people involved in this program, and being acknowledged for helping to sustain SAME means a lot.”
From his local office, he leads a field practice team of more than 100 individuals on land surveying, sub-surface engineering & inspection, construction management, geospatial services, and ADA compliance work across Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mendoza was the president of the Dallas Post and led the charge on adapting to virtual events while continuing SAME’s crucial role in support of national defense. Today, he takes pride in mentoring civilian engineers as they immerse themselves in the federal market, and former service members as they transition to the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.
“I’ve had the privilege of connecting military planners to the industry for contingency operations, cyber security exercises, and emergency weather preparedness,” he said. “Working with and mentoring others to use our military knowledge base has been the most rewarding part of connecting those relationships.”
Looking ahead as part of his stewardship to SAME and passion for mentoring, Mendoza will continue to travel to military bases across Texas and Oklahoma to coach service members interested in joining the AEC industry. He advises military engineers on how to obtain credentials and emphasizes their transferrable skills on resumes.