Summit Keynote SpeakerRear Admiral Jeffrey J. “Jeff” KilianCommander, Naval Facilities EngineeringSystems Command / Chief of Civil Engineers

Rear Adm. Jeff Kilian is a native of Spokane, Washington. Prior to joining the Navy, Kilian served four years as a Marine assigned to 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. In 1994 he was commissioned via Officer Candidate School.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from San Diego State University and a Master of Science in Engineering (Construction Engineering and Project Management) from the University of Texas at Austin.

Rear Adm. Kilian’s operational tours include assignments with Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 3 and 74; Construction Battalion Unit 427; and the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment. His contingency tours include deployments in support of the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (U.S. Pacific Command); Expeditionary Strike Group ONE/Commander, Joint Task Force Disaster Assistance (Pakistan, South Asia); I & II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)/Operation Iraqi Freedom; Task Force Sierra/Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit (5 awards), Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Meritorious Service Medal (4 awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (5 awards), Navy Achievement Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal. Rear Adm. Kilian is a registered professional engineer in the State of California, a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps, a Certified Energy Manager, and qualified as a Seabee Combat Warfare officer and Fleet Marine Force officer.

To learn more about Rear Adm. Kilian, click here. 

​​​​​For additional information and to register, click here. 

The Offices of US Senator Thom Tillis and US Senator Ted Budd and the North Carolina Military Business Center are pleased to announce the Southeast Region Federal Construction, Infrastructure & Environmental Summit on April 14-16, 2026 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

When. April 14-16, 2026

Where. Wilmington Convention Center, 515 Nutt Street, Wilmington NC, 28401

​​​​​PURPOSE.  “The Summit” brings together over 800+ representatives of the Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Fort Liberty, Marine Corps Installations East, Seymour Johnson AFB, other Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps installations, US Coast Guard, Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, other federal agencies, general and specialty contractors, designers and construction suppliers from throughout the Southeast of the United States. 

ATTENDANCE. Attendance is encouraged for:

  • General and specialty contractors that work in VA, NC, SC, GA and FL.
  • Design firms that work in VA, NC, SC, GA and FL.
  • Construction supply firms that work in VA, NC, SC, GA and FL.
  • Companies that provide facility-support contracts in VA, NC, SC, GA and FL.
  • Current federal contractors seeking partners and suppliers

WHY ATTEND THE SUMMIT?

  • The Summit is the premier, best-established and most-recognized federal construction event in the Southeast– businesses who are already engaged or want to perform in the federal market need to be there!
  • “Program and Requirements Dialogues” address future projects and acquisition strategies, contractor experiences, teaming and supplier opportunities and other issues related to acquisition and execution of projects at military bases and government throughout the Southeast.  These sessions also include information on federal opportunities in environmental engineering and remediation, energy and horizontal infrastructure (including roads and intersections, water, wastewater, natural gas and other utilities)
  • Other Summit sessions address critical and timely topics, including supplier, service contract and public-private opportunities, small business programs and utilization, budget impacts, contracting processes and pre- and post-award legal issues for federal contractors
  • Summit networking and trade show activities allow businesses to market their services and products to over 800+ general contractors, specialty contractors, engineers, architects and suppliers
  • In addition, Summit networking opportunities include a golf event hosted and organized by the Cape Fear Post of the Society of American Military Engineers  and an evening Summit Social at the Embassy Suites in downtown Wilmington – a huge hit from for the past several years!