Dear Members,

Welcome to September! For many this means we have kids going back to school after a long summer break or others possibly have a longer commute now with more people on the road. Either way, I always feel as though the Labor Day Weekend is the starting point to the stretch run for home and push for the end of the year. There is still lots to do at SEAOSC before we close out 2023 and I can't wait!

We had a busy August at SEAOSC starting with our golf tournament at Friendly Hills Country Club. What a successful event we had led by our Chair, Dan Fox, as well as the team from Stratiscope with a big shout out to Lilly Naveira for her hard work pulling all the fun together. We raised thousands of dollars for SEAOSC with a portion of the proceeds going to the SEAOSC Foundation. Great job team!

We also showcased our first SEAOSC movie premiere, Something from Nothing, at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank. We had a great panel discussion along with the movie and it was a wonderful night enjoyed by all who attended.

Many of us should be in Maui right now and I should be writing this report from my hotel balcony, but unfortunately the fires in Maui and the devastation to the town of Lahaina changed things. Many of us were planning to attend this year's convention in Hawaii to hear the latest in structural engineering, meet with colleagues, and possibly enjoy a bit of rest & relaxation on vacation too. But now is not the time to be visiting Maui and canceling the convention was the right decision. There is a tremendous amount of rebuilding and support needed for the community and that is where the focus is and should be. If you are interested in supporting Maui relief efforts, please see these links on the State convention website (click here).

The disappointment of having to cancel our convention in Maui this year reminds me about GRATITUDE, one of my words from the card I keep on my desk. Being thankful and thoughtful about the good things in life is so important. We cannot always control the things in front of us and sometimes we may take them for granted. Taking a moment to reflect on how lucky we are is important for ourselves in recognizing what we have done when something good happens, but also what we have when something that didn't go as planned. As leaders in our companies, within SEAOSC or any other organization, gratitude affects your attitude and can uplift the attitude of others in your circle. I challenge each of you to take a minute and think about gratitude. Why or what can you be grateful about right now?

Here is one of my favorite quotes on gratitude. It's short, but right on point…..

"Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness….." - Amy Collette

And now on to September! It is a busy month for our association. Don't miss out on upcoming events:

9/20 - Structured Connections in Santa Barbara

9/27 - SEAOSC Committee Showcase - In-N-Out food truck

10/18 - OC Membership Breakfast

10/21 - SAP training

10/25 - Structured Connections - Inland Empire

11/30 - 12/3 - SoCal Gingerbread Challenge

1/17/24 - Northridge Earthquake Symposium - 30yr Anniversary event

Hope to see you soon!

Craig Chamberlain, S.E.
SEAOSC President 2023-24

On August 7, 2023, SEAOSC hosted its annual Golf Tournament at Friendly Hills Country Club. It was a wonderful day—the players gave it their all, fun times were had, and the weather was perfect. A sellout crowd of 144 golfers took to the green to compete in a variety of competitions, creating connections and strengthening the Structural Engineering community in Southern California.

Participants started the day with a three-hole putting competition, where six strokes was the score to beat. Four players tied for the title, and in the end, by a draw of the card, Nathan Kehl took the putting champion title this year.

After a group photo and a shotgun start, eight golfers took to their carts and dispersed across the course to their starting hole. Along their day of play, various holes had different activities and challenges. From the longest drive to hole-in-one challenges to an air cannon, the competition kept play lively and fast-paced. Golfing teams also brought their own action to the course, including matching shirts from the SEAOSC WISE team and SSG Engineers (who sported unmissable Taco Bell shirts!), drinking games, and buying mulligans to improve their scores. Fun was the central theme of the day!

After about five hours of play (and lunch!), the group returned to the clubhouse to celebrate the winners. Once again, the 1st place team was Miyamoto, led by the legendary Jeff Crosier.

Other tournament prizes included:

Men’s longest drive: Sandy Hohfner

Women’s longest drive: Jami Ellis

Accurate drive: Jeff Creed

Closest to the pin hole #8: Brett Eckles

Closest to the pin hole #16: Austin Fedrich

2nd place winning team: Kurt Anderson, Chad Gammell, Mark McCauley, Larry McCauley

Congratulations to our winners! The talent and drive (pun intended) each of our teams and individual players showcased throughout the day was impressive.

Special thanks are in order to our dedicated sponsors, who made the event possible with their generous support. Our sponsors provided refreshments, golf carts, and more—there was even a golf air cannon which will not surprise anyone to know that our engineers thoroughly enjoyed testing out.

Dear Members,

It's August 1st and the middle of summer and it's hot out there! Stay cool SEAOSC.

We had a great kickoff to our 2023-24 year with our first Board of Directors meeting in mid-July followed a day later by our Committee Chair kickoff event. It was great to see everyone in person and begin to collaborate on this year's programs for our membership. We had a number of familiar faces who have served on the Board or committees for some time as well as several new faces. I am excited and energized by all who attended and shared their vision for the year.

Something I want to touch on in these President's messages over the course of the year is sharing my thoughts on several words I have jotted down on a card that I keep on my desk and I look at work each day. Not every day goes smoothly, and we all have our ups and downs as we complete our work as Structural Engineers. What we do can be stressful with calculations and details that are so important to the construction of our buildings and infrastructure. So, I keep these words written on a card on my desk and refer to them often when working to keep myself grounded and focused on what I am doing to support our team and our clients and our profession: Attitude, Gratitude, Kindness, Patience, Accountability, Efficiency, Trusted Advisor and Delegate. Each month I plan to touch on one of these words and the deeper meaning it has to me as I strive to be the best that I can be in whatever it is I am doing.

Attitude - This is item #1 for me. We have things which are in our control and out of our control each day, but our attitude is our choice. We can choose to be happy or sad, positive or negative, thoughtful and caring or selfish and inconsiderate. The pace of our work can be challenging. The disappointment of not getting awarded a new project or promotion can be hard. The frustration from realizing you missed a detail in developing a set of plans that is now going to result in a change order is tough. Our days can seem overwhelming at times and yet keeping a positive attitude can help in so many ways. It helps you remain focused on the task at hand. It presents a positive message to others that you can handle the challenge in front of you. And it can help provide you with the energy you need to tackle and concur what lies in front of you.

I recall over the past year what an amazing attitude our past president, Patti Harburg-Petrich, brought to each and every meeting we had. I am sure there were days that may not have gone quite right, but she was always positive and genuinely happy to see and interact with the people she worked with. Kudos to you Patti for such an amazing and positive attitude you always bring!

I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming golf event on August 7th followed by our movie night showcasing our DEI movie series on August 17th. Then it’s the convention in Maui (stop by our special SEAOSC event just for our So Cal members!) and then the committee showcase later in September.

Hope to see you at an event soon!

Craig Chamberlain, S.E.
SEAOSC President 2023-24

Dear Members,

Welcome to our 2023-24 year for SEAOSC. I am incredibly excited and humbled to be your President this year. I have spent the past two years on the Executive Committee as Treasurer and President-Elect working with our recent past Presidents, Patti Harburg-Petrich and Kelsey Parolini, as well as our Board of Directors making our association the best we can be! I look forward to working with our new board, Executive Committee, Past Presidents, Committee Chairs and Committee Members, and our overall Membership in continuing to strengthen and expand our Association in 23-24. And we start that right away this week with our Board of Directors kickoff meeting this Thursday and Committee Chair kickoff meeting this Friday!

A big emphasis to kick off this year will be membership engagement. This was a difficult task through the pandemic (as many things were….) but we have worked hard the past several years reconnecting with our membership bringing a variety of events and programs to our diverse membership. And reinvigorating our membership engagement only happens if we are all working together on it. So expect more connections from our Board and committees and I look forward to seeing our membership connecting and getting involved!

So, what events are coming up, you ask?

Well, coming up in just a couple of weeks is our first ever Golf Introduction event at Top Golf in El Segundo. Come out for instructions from a professional golfer and then stay for drinks and appetizers and socialize with your fellow SEAOSC members. This is followed by our annual Golf Tournament which is nearly already sold out except for a few foursomes, some individual spots and sponsorship opportunities. We then move right into August with a movie night showcasing our DEI movie series on August 17th. Then it’s the convention in Maui and our Committee Showcase later in September. Whew!!!!

I always feel as though I say, "I can't believe how fast this year is going by…." and I probably will say that a number of times throughout this year. But it's true. It's July. 2023 is half over. We have had so many interesting programs and events this year and there are so many in front of us!

Lot's going on and lots to do. I hope to see you out there!

Craig Chamberlain, S.E.
SEAOSC President 2023-24

Maria Mohammed is Structural Focus's Project Engineer and the incoming 2023-2025 SEAOSC Treasurer. She believes that future generations of structural engineers can benefit greatly from being involved in the SE industry. To add, Maria encourages them to be open to saying "yes" to opportunities that come their way and not underestimate the value of their contributions to any association they choose to participate in. Maria has grown professionally through her involvement in the SE industry and encourages others to do the same.

As SEAOSC's incoming treasurer, Maria emphasizes the SEAOSC community's commitment to growing the profession and admires the countless hours of volunteering and tireless work that members contribute to areas such as code development and membership engagement. Since joining SEAOSC, Maria has developed friendships with colleagues through her involvement with the membership and feels grateful for the personal growth she has experienced by being a part of the association. She has previously led the SEAOSC Communications Committee as well as served on the Board for the past two years. She currently is also the co-chair of the State Communications Committee.

"Participating in the Great SoCal Gingerbread Challenge was a meaningful experience for me, serving as a fun-filled yet enlightening opportunity to interact with a diverse group of professionals and enthusiasts in a unique application of our skills as engineers. The competition provided a refreshingly unique venue for networking with engineers, architects, contractors, and students, allowing us to bridge the gap between different domains and industries while engaging in friendly competition.

The creativity displayed by the teams was a testament to the capabilities and ingenuity inherent in our industry. It was inspiring to witness the transformation of simple gingerbread into structural and architectural marvels, fueling my own drive for creativity. Each structure was a festive interpretation of an iconic SoCal building or a recognizable fictional structure brought to life by a talented team. I was deeply impressed by how teams managed to push the boundaries of what could be achieved with gingerbread and candies in a short amount of time.

The Build Night, which kicked off the holiday season, was a phenomenal experience. Amid the fun and excitement, it served as an engaging way to apply my skills as an engineer in an entirely unique context. Being part of the competition was an enjoyable and rewarding contrast to the demanding nature of our daily responsibilities as engineers. The stress of tight deadlines and rigorous precision gave way to laughter, camaraderie, and the sweet scent of gingerbread. Participating in the Southern California Gingerbread Challenge offered a much-needed departure from the end of year rush as an amazing way to ring in the holiday season."

Matt Michnewich, S.E.
SEAOSC Board Member

Dear Members,

This month is both exciting and bittersweet for me as we wrap up the 2022-2023 SEAOSC year. It has been such an honor and a pleasure to serve as your president. I’m continually impressed with the initiatives and accomplishments achieved by our talented committee members. And I’ve had a great time interacting with you at our events this year: our first annual SoCal Gingerbread Challenge, a raucous Trivia Night, and the always-inspiring Leadership Symposium among many others. Your creativity and drive as structural engineers make our community a better place, and I’m grateful to be a part of this group.

We have some great events coming up before the year comes to a close. I hope to see you tomorrow at our Structural Engineering Excellence and Safer Cities Awards - if you haven’t voted for People’s Choice, there’s still time! Our annual Technical Summit and President’s Lunch will take place on June 22. It’s going to be a fascinating technical program that you won’t want to miss.

Thank you again for the privilege to serve as your president. I’m looking forward to Craig Chamberlain’s leadership in this upcoming year!

To vote for this year's Structural Engineering Excellence: People's Choice Award, please scan the QR code below:

Minye Pak is the Chief of Development Services Case Management of LADBS. She joined SEAOSC to stay connected to a wide network of Structural Engineers and stay up-to-date with the latest developments and issues in the industry. She has worked in both the private and public sectors and believes that being in touch with the leading structural engineering organization with industry leaders is essential to hear various viewpoints, learn about best practices, and receive ongoing training. Minye has been involved in the Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE) Committee for over four years, volunteering on the Symposium planning committee, and also serving as Coordinator for the Mentorship Program. She now wants to branch out and join the Existing Building Committee to bridge policy and implementation of important structural considerations when repurposing existing buildings. Through her involvement with SEAOSC, she has developed many friendships, and also been mentored unofficially by incredible leaders, to whom she is grateful as she continues her journey as a Structural Engineer. She adds, "I look forward to serving on the Board of SEAOSC the next two years, to hear from the SEAOSC community, contribute to safer cities in the SoCal region, and promote the advancement and support of the Structural Engineering profession."

When asked about what excites her the most about the future of the structural engineering industry, Minye highlights the growth in diversity of structural engineers from various backgrounds and stages in their careers. She recalls being asked why she chose to pursue civil engineering in a field dominated by men, "It did not occur to me at the time that this would be the case as I had grown up watching my strong independent working mom who encouraged me to be the same. In my courses at school, early in my career, and even currently in certain meetings, I can't deny that there were some situations in which I was noticeably the only woman in the room."

However, Minye has seen a positive shift in recent years diverse engineers being valued and encouraged to participate in the structural engineering community through SEAOSC and companies across the Southern California region. Minye believes that the wider the net of engineers cast, the larger and stronger the community will grow, and she looks forward to being an active participant in the growth of the structural engineering profession.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. The SEAOSC D&I Committee, along with, The State of California, The Library of Congress, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.

“This month, we celebrate the enduring heritage of Jewish Americans, whose values, culture, and contributions have shaped the character of our Nation. For generations, the story of the Jewish people — one of resilience, faith, and hope in the face of adversity, prejudice and persecution — has been woven into the fabric of our Nation’s story. It has driven us forward in our ongoing march for justice, equality, and freedom as we recommit to upholding the principles of our Nation’s founding and realizing the promise of America for all Americans.” – Joseph R. Biden Jr.

In particular, we wish to highlight and celebrate the work of a Jewish American who contributed much to the architecture and engineering community. Dankmar Adler (July 3, 1844 – April 16, 1900), a German-born American architect and civil engineer. He is best known for his fifteen-year partnership with Louis Sullivan, during which they designed influential skyscrapers that boldly addressed their steel skeleton through their exterior design: the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, Missouri (1891), the Chicago Stock Exchange Building (1894), and the Guaranty Building in Buffalo, New York (1896).

For the complete version of President Biden’s Proclamation, please visit, A Proclamation on Jewish American Heritage Month, 2023. Additionally, for Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proclamation, please visit, Governor Newsom Proclaims Jewish American Heritage Month | California Governor.

For more information, visit https://jewishamericanheritage.org/

Jamie Garza is 2022-23 SEAOSC Communications Committee's co-chair and currently a principal at The Design Collaborative. As an incoming SEAOSC board member, Jamie is most excited about the challenge to get our industry to design and build ecologically appropriate buildings that are part of the solution to address the climate crisis. "I believe this is going to require structural engineers to do what they do best: figure out the puzzle of ecologically appropriate structural materials, ecological development, and reducing the environmental impact of construction."

For future generations of structural engineers, Jamie's advice is to remain true to themselves and their passion for structural engineering. Jamie encourages young structural engineers not to shy away from challenging the status quo and proposing innovative solutions that are resilient and ecologically forward. She also emphasizes the importance of advocating for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Additionally, Jamie urges future generations of structural engineers to be allies for women and LGBTQIA+ visibility, parity in leadership positions, and company ownership.

Jamie's vision for the future of the structural engineering industry is one of sustainability and inclusivity. By staying true to their ideals and actively working to address the challenges of climate change, structural engineers can make a significant contribution to a more equitable and sustainable future.

We are thrilled to have Jamie join the 2023-25 SEAOSC board!