TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Craig Clutts, PE, CEM, F. SAME

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Craig Clutts, PE, CEM, F.SAME, has spent a lifetime operating where complexity, accountability, and leadership converge. As president and CEO of En Gedi Coaching, he draws on more than two decades as a U.S. Navy officer and engineer, followed by corporate and entrepreneurial leadership, to help executives and organizations develop the clarity, discipline, and systems needed to perform at their highest level. His career has been defined not by visibility, but by responsibility—often in environments where failure was not an option and leadership meant enabling others to succeed without fanfare.

 

Early Roots of Leadership

 

Craig’s leadership journey began long before his naval career. Raised in the Midwest on strong faith values, he learned early the importance of integrity, service, and personal responsibility. As an Eagle Scout, he was already training junior leaders by age 14. At just 17, he became the first to lead a three-troop junior leadership training course for the state of Indiana, managing a staff of nearly 60 and training 180 young leaders. Those early experiences shaped his belief that leadership is less about authority and more about preparation, trust, and care for people.

 

Engineering Excellence in the Navy

 

Craig served nearly four years aboard Navy ships as both an engineer and weapons officer before spending close to 20 years in the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps with the Seabees. Over the course of his career, he led groups ranging in size from a localized 6-man crew to more than 1,275 personnel worldwide, and held multiple global leadership roles. He oversaw billions of dollars in facility sustainment funds from Washington, D.C., managing between $2 and $3 billion annually to operate and maintain Navy active and reserve bases across the globe. During this time, he helped establish new metrics and prioritization methods for critical infrastructure projects—systems still in use today.

 

His operational leadership extended into expeditionary environments. As executive officer for a global deployment unit, he led 1,100 Sailors responsible for offloading supply ships in austere conditions for the Navy and Marine Corps. Later, as executive officer of the Navy’s facilities-focused Research and Development Center, he oversaw all shore facilities, ocean infrastructure, and expeditionary facilities, ensuring innovation translated into real-world operational readiness.

 

Leadership Under Fire

 

Some of Craig’s most defining moments came under extraordinary pressure. As the sole officer in charge of 83 Seabees deployed to Iraq, he was tasked with rebuilding a 13,000-foot airfield runway that had been bombed by the U.S. Air Force to prevent enemy use. The project was scheduled for 10.5 months; his team completed it in just 3.5 months. One day, walking the length of the runway with his chief, Craig watched dozens of Seabees and Marines working independently. His realization—“they didn’t need me”—became a defining leadership lesson. His success lay in creating the safety, training, tools, and systems that allowed others to perform at their best without direct oversight.

 

In another pivotal assignment, Craig was sent to assess a five-year military construction project that was nearly two years behind schedule. The project involved a never-before-built design, foreign contractors, specialized materials, multiple Navy units, and highly technical welding requirements. Rather than focusing solely on engineering fixes, Craig identified leadership and process failures as the root cause. By realigning teams, clarifying accountability, and implementing disciplined processes, he helped bring the project back on track and deliver a first-of-its-kind industrial and construction technology on time.

 

From Federal Infrastructure to Civil Leadership

 

Craig’s expertise extended beyond military service. As a public works officer at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, he served as the senior engineer responsible for 10 runways, more than 500 buildings, utilities, wastewater treatment, and infrastructure supporting the Navy’s propeller-driven aircraft training mission. Later, he transitioned to civilian government service with the County of Ventura, overseeing 106 facilities, including three jails, medical laboratories, clinics, and veteran service centers. While the role carried less operational risk than his naval assignments, it allowed Craig to build deep relationships within the local community—something he found deeply fulfilling.

 

En Gedi Coaching and the Philosophy of Development

 

In 2024, Craig and his wife, Alicia—a Navy veteran who spent a decade driving ships on active duty and in the reserves—launched En Gedi Coaching. The firm supports individuals looking to level up their leadership and small businesses entering the federal marketplace while guiding leaders through personal development, organizational optimization, and sustainable growth. Craig’s model is intentionally countercultural. Rather than promoting people beyond their competence, as described in the Peter Principle, he focuses on maximizing development so leaders grow into greater responsibility with confidence and clarity.

 

What sets Craig apart is his ability to connect across every level of an organization. Equally comfortable discussing mechanical systems with maintenance technicians or strategy with executives, he blends hands-on engineering expertise with academic training and deeply held faith values. At his core is a passion for people and a belief that leadership is a calling to develop others into their full potential.

 

Purpose Beyond the Profession

 

Craig is a Christian, husband, and father who considers his family his greatest personal accomplishment. He is also the founder of Seabatical Charters, a nonprofit launched in 2023 to support pastor couples facing burnout. Drawing from his experience working closely with chaplains during combat deployments, Craig recognized the critical role spiritual leaders play in organizational health. Seabatical Charters provides pastor couples with restorative time at sea—helping them disconnect from constant demands, reconnect with God and each other, and return to their congregations renewed and ready to serve.

 

Solving Problems That Matter

 

What Craig enjoys most about his work has remained constant throughout his career: solving problems and building high-performance teams that can succeed without him. Whether in combat zones, global infrastructure programs, local government, or executive coaching, his focus has always been the same—create environments where people are equipped, trusted, and empowered to lead. For Craig Clutts, leadership is not about command. It is about stewardship, preparation, and leaving systems—and people—stronger than he found them.

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Craig Clutts, PE, CEM, F. SAME
President, CEO
En Gedi Coaching
Website: www.engedilife.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/craig-clutts-pe-cem-f-same-abb556155/

www.linkedin.com/company/en-gedi-coaching
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigclutts