Dear Members,

“The Structural Engineers Association of Southern California will empower its members and advance the Structural Engineering Profession in service to our community” - This is SEAOSC’s mission.  A single simple sentence to let the world know what we are all about. Twenty-two strategically crafted words strung together, intended to define the vast types of works we do. It is the five words in service to our community that I would like to focus on today.

For me, “our community” is the neighborhoods, cities, and counties that we live, work, and raise our families in. To be able to serve this community is a powerful thing. That act of service is providing safe buildings for our community members to thrive. That act of service is educating the next generation of engineers, providing new research and technical resources to those already in the field, or developing new products.  And that act of service also includes educating and advocating for our neighbors - protecting and improving the housing, economy, and character of those around us. SEAOSC has approached this advocacy recently on multiple fonts:

• For nearly a decade, our SEAOSC Safer Cities Program has emphasized the value of strengthening existing buildings as a means of creating safer communities. Our volunteers have worked with a number of Southern California Cities to aid in the development of recent Seismic Retrofit Ordinances. And as recently as August, we once again activated our Safer Cities Advisory Program to support a local jurisdiction. To learn more about the current efforts our members are collaborating on, please join us for the State of SEAOSC address, September 8th.

• This past year, SEAOC sponsored state Assembly Bill 1329, fighting to raise design standards above and beyond that of life safety. On behalf of all four California Member Organizations, SEAOC’s Legislative Committee gave us a powerful statewide collective voice on capitol hill. Here in Southern California, we lent support to the effort by connecting with state legislative offices to discuss vulnerabilities in our own backyards.  If this type of work is something that peaks your interest, please check out our SEAOSC Legislative Action Committee during the October 6th Committee Showcase.  (Although the bill did not make it to the Governor’s desk last week, the amount of effort put forth by the SEAOC committee and chair Ryan Kersting was enormous and much appreciated.)

What does in service to our community look like for you, and how can SEAOSC help you with that vision?  As always, share your thoughts and feedback with SEAOSC@SEAOSC.org.  

Warmest Regards,

Kelsey Anne Parolini, S.E.
SEAOSC President, 2021-22