SEAONC Members,
I cannot believe it is already October! Days are shorter. Kids are back in school or off to college. The weather supposedly is getting cooler (someone forgot to tell the weather gods of the Bay Area this fact). And pumpkins are in grocery stores and in lattes.
This October, I am excited to be hosting the SEAONC Committee Involvement Fair at HOK’s office. I love that this event highlights the contributions of each of committees and introduces new prospective members to them. As someone who has been active in several of the committees over my years in SEAONC, I really see the value of participation. In addition to learning a lot, both in terms of technical content and leadership skills, I have also made some lifelong connections via being on SEAONC committees. If you want to hear a funny story, ask Kevin Morton for the story of us shoveling manure for hours during a Rebuilding Together event.
I thought that I would use this President’s Message to run through our active committees and encourage you to attend the Committee Involvement Fair. It is never too late or too early to join a committee. To the leadership groups of each committee, thank you for your service and, please forgive me if I have not described your committee perfectly. I am prepared to be corrected at the Fair.
Business Forum: Newly restarted this year, the Business Forum focuses on business development, management, organization, and professionalism. This group compliments our technical committees by sharing practical knowledge about the industry and our careers in it.
Construction Quality Assurance Committee: This group deals with issues related to the engineer’s role in the quality of construction, especially as it relates to what is mandated by the building code. They have written guidelines to help engineers deal with issues frequently addressed by engineers during construction.
Continuing Education Committee: This team organizes technical seminars and webinars on structural engineering content, ensuring that SEAONC members stay current and knowledgeable. They work to gather excellent speakers on relevant topics and code updates.
Disaster Emergency Services: This committee coordinates among structural engineers, local communities and government agencies to prepare for, and respond to, disasters that cause structural damage. A few of their main charges include training SAP Evaluators (good reminder to myself to refresh my training) and maintaining the SAP Evaluator database as well as maintaining and updating SEAOC’s Disaster Response Plan.
Existing Buildings Committee: The EBC works on issues related to the evaluation, analysis, retrofit, and alteration of existing buildings with the aim of improving engineering practices and safety for the existing built environment. They develop technical content and work on local significant programs including the NDC and RWFD retrofit programs.
SEAONC Legacy & History Committee: This team serves as SEAONC’s historian. They maintain and contribute to the Hensolt SEAONC Legacy Project, adding stories of notable projects, people, and firms to this amazing archive.
Outreach Committee: This team is committed to promoting community engagement of SEAONC members. They do this via structural engineering presentations at local schools, running the Job Shadow program, and organizing volunteer events to help our local community.
Resilience Committee: This group discusses the emerging field of resilience-based planning and design, including the topic of functional recovery.
Structural Engineering Engagement & Equity Committee (SE3): This team focuses on racial equity, mentorship, retention, and DEI in the structural engineering profession. They provide workshops and materials addressing the pipeline and retention of structural engineers.
Seismology Committee: This technical committee engages in seismic code updates and also coordinates presentations about the latest trends in earthquake engineering. Their focus is both on the code and on materials. They also interact with college students via organizing the University Research Program (URP).
Sustainable Design Committee: This group is dedicated to advancing sustainable design within structural engineering and developing tools to assist engineers in reducing the carbon footprint of their buildings. They built the SDC Resource Hub, make educational presentations, and write technical papers.
Young Members Forum: This group is aimed structural engineering professionals under 35-years-old (I think that’s the cutoff??). They organize social events, educational presentations, help our young members prepare for the PE and SE exams, and liaise with our local university SEAONC chapters.
Hope to see you at the Committee Involvement Fair on October 13th! Register HERE.
Sincerely from your SEAONC President,
Lisa Cassedy, S.E.
lisa.cassedy@hok.com