Howdy, SEAONC Partners!
I've just returned from the Wild West–themed 2026 SEAOC Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wow, was it hot—even the pool was over 90 degrees! Luckily, there wasn't much time to be outside, thanks to all the amazing content put together by the Convention Committee. Before I dive into my takeaways, here are a few frontier words of wisdom and how I think they apply to our lives as structural engineers:
- "Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction." → Know your audience.
- "Always drink upstream from the herd." → Use judgment when using AI.
- "You'll never break a horse if you stay sittin' on the fence." → Be active. Join a committee. Say yes.
The Convention's themes lined up well with what the Board was already planning for this year's meetings, seminars, and speaking events. Several sessions explored resilience and functional recovery, and AI was a hot topic given its growing presence in our work and lives. We're fortunate to have local SEAONC experts in these areas—so stay tuned for upcoming events on these themes!
The Future of SEAOC
Another big topic in Scottsdale was the future of SEAOC itself—what you may have heard called "SEAOC 3.0" or the "SEAOC Reorganization." A townhall on this was planned for last year's convention but got cancelled due to heat (ironic, given where we were this year), so it was great to finally have an open discussion. This year, SEAONC will host a series of meetings to share where things stand and gather your input on where you'd like them to go.
Here's a brief synopsis of how we got here. Please note that almost nothing is set in stone, and we genuinely value your input:
- May 2024: SEAOC strategy meeting gauges interest in reorganization; recommends forming a working group.
- Fall 2024: The SEAOC 3.0 Working Group is established.
- Winter–Spring 2025: Committees, MO Boards, and Fellows provide feedback on an implementation plan.
- May 2025: All four MO boards vote in favor of continuing toward a unified organization.
- Summer 2025: Krystinne Mica is hired as SEAOC's first full-time Executive Director.
- Fall 2025–Winter 2026: A unified association management system (AMS) is explored, and a Draft Reorganization Business Plan is developed.
- February 2026: The SEAOC Board approves the Draft Business Plan, opening deeper discussion of financial, governance, and membership models.
- Spring 2026: Working groups form to study financial models and communication; a governance model is due Spring 2027.
- May 2026: SEAOC and SEAOSC launch new websites and move to Novi (the new AMS).
- June 2026: SEAOC hires a Director of Strategy and Operations.
- November 2026: SEAONC transitions to Novi.
I'm sure many of you have questions—especially if this is your first time hearing about it. Please email me your thoughts, attend our upcoming events, and watch for a feedback survey soon. Or just talk to me or any Board member when you see us. We want this process to be transparent and to serve our membership well, without losing the unique, local character that makes SEAONC so strong.
Learning from Disaster
I clearly jinxed myself last month by saying I hoped not to mention any more natural disasters. I can joke that they're my fault, but there's nothing funny about the lives lost in the Colombia earthquake and the Nepal floods. At August's evening meeting, we learned about heavy snow loads and the unique damage they cause—and seeing the catastrophic impacts of glacial collapse, debris avalanches, and flash flooding reminded me how wide the range of natural loads is, and how much many of us still have to learn. We must keep learning from these events and sharing that knowledge with others.
In that spirit, I hope to see you at our "Engineers at Ground Zero" film screening and panel discussion on September 8th, where—on its 25th anniversary—we'll reflect on the tragedy of 9/11 and the powerful work of structural engineers in its aftermath.
Sincerely,
Lisa Cassedy, S.E.
lisa.cassedy@hok.com