Rear Adm. Jeffrey Kilian, Commander for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific, was in San Diego last month, meeting with local military leaders, government contractors and students from his alma mater, San Diego State University (SDSU).

Kilian, along with NAVFAC Southwest Commanding Officer Capt. Laurie Scott, met with a number of local contractors during an Associated General Contractors (AGC) meeting in San Diego Jan. 27. AGC is the leading professional association for the construction industry. At the meeting, Kilian discussed upcoming contracting opportunities within the Pacific, and answered questions about how contractors can better serve the government and its evolving needs.

Later that day, Kilian visited SDSU, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1994 to meet with the College of Engineering Dean Eugene Olevsky, Ph. D. Kilian also took this opportunity to speak with aspiring engineering students about how his experiences as an undergraduate at SDSU contributed to his successes throughout his military career, and how they can leverage their time in college for their future job prospects.

Later during his trip to San Diego, Kilian attended the WEST 2025 conference, where he was one of the guest speakers. His presentation “Poseidon’s Corollary in the Indo-Pacific” focused on leveraging Navy Seabee operational capability, NAVFAC Systems Commands technical capability and contract authority, and contractor / industry partners to restore critical infrastructure that sustains and projects the fight from ashore.

Kilian has been in charge of NAVFAC Pacific since July 2022 and leads a team of more than 9,000 military and civilian personnel across seven Echelon IV commands. This includes public works and construction offices in over 40 locations across the entire Indo-Pacific Theater. Kilian was recently selected to serve as the next NAVFAC Commander and Chief of Civil Engineers in Washington D.C.