SEAOSC is pleased to announce that Hooman Tavallali, SE, Structural Principal Engineer at Cannon, will serve as an incoming SEAOSC board member for the 2024-26 term!

Hooman’s engagement with structural engineering associations has been a cornerstone of his professional journey. Reflecting on his involvement, he shared, "Joining SEAOSC was a natural step for me. Since the start of my professional career, I have been a member of one of the Structural Engineering associations. My journey began with SEAONY when I took my first job in New York City. After moving to California, I joined SEAONC, and finally, I became a member of SEAOSC when I relocated to Irvine two years ago. Throughout my career, I have actively participated in different committees."

For him, his membership in these associations serves two critical purposes. "Firstly, it provides a platform to contribute to both the Structural Engineering community and the general public by promoting the importance of our profession. Secondly, I have always benefited from the interactions with my colleagues and peers, learning from them, and having a common venue to discuss and address the challenges faced by the Structural Engineering community. As structural engineers, we are problem solvers, and there is no better way to tackle our profession's challenges than by collaborating with our peers."

Hooman is particularly enthusiastic about the future of the Structural Engineering industry, driven by technological advancements and a focus on sustainability. "What excites me most about the future of the Structural Engineering industry is the rapid advancement in technology and its potential to revolutionize our field. Innovations in materials, construction methods, and design software are opening up new possibilities for creating safer, more efficient, and sustainable structures. Additionally, the growing emphasis on resilience and sustainability is driving the industry towards developing solutions that not only meet the needs of today but also address the challenges of the future, such as climate change and urbanization. The increasing integration of interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration with other fields also promises to enhance our ability to solve complex problems and innovate continuously. The future of Structural Engineering is bright with opportunities to make a significant impact on society and the built environment." he explained.

When asked about the SEAOSC Community, Hooman emphasized the value of the association's collaborative spirit and the professional growth opportunities it offers. "What I value most about our SEAOSC community is the collaborative spirit and the opportunities it provides for professional growth. The interactions with colleagues and peers are incredibly enriching, offering a platform to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and collectively work towards solutions. This community not only fosters professional development but also promotes the importance of Structural Engineering to the general public, enhancing the impact of our profession. The support and camaraderie within SEAOSC make it an invaluable resource for any structural engineer."

Hooman's proven track record in the industry and active participation in various committees demonstrate his commitment to advancing the field of Structural Engineering. SEAOSC looks forward to his contributions, innovative ideas, and collaborative approach that will significantly enhance the organization's efforts to promote the profession and address the evolving challenges within the industry.

SEAOSC is pleased to announce that Mikhail Gershfeld, S.E., Professional Practice Professor of Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona, will be serving as an incoming SEAOSC board member for the 2024-26 term!

Mikhail's journey into the structural engineering industry is as inspiring as it is unique. Reflecting on his early fascination with the field, he recounted: "I was 12 years old when, during our family visit to a technical bookstore, my father told me to pick a book I wanted to buy. I found a book on structural failures with images and descriptions. I could not believe that these large buildings and bridges could just collapse. I ended up buying that book and have read and re-read it multiple times. Since then, I have wanted to learn why these structures fail and how we can prevent it from happening." This early curiosity laid the foundation for his career, focusing on designing safe and reliable structures.

As a professor at Cal Poly Pomona, Mikhail has a wide range of research interests that reflect his dedication to improving the field of structural engineering. His research areas include Timber Engineering, Earthquake Engineering, Community Resilience, and Interdisciplinary Education.

Offering advice to future engineers, Mikhail emphasized professional integrity: "There will be a time in your engineering practice when your or someone else's poor business decision (low fee, not enough time, not enough personnel, pressure from the customer) might cause you to consider "cutting corners" to accommodate the business situation. My advice is simple: keep business failures from ever impacting the quality of your professional work; draw a bright red line between the two, and once the business decision is made, perform professional work of the highest quality you can."

Mikhail's appointment to the SEAOSC board highlights his expertise and leadership. His commitment to integrity, prevention of structural failures, and diverse research interests inspire current and future engineers. As he takes on this new role, the structural engineering community can look forward to his continued contributions and positive impact.

Kurt Clandening, S.E., is stepping into his new role as a SEAOSC board member. As the President of John A. Martin & Associates (JAMA), Kurt brings a wealth of experience and passion to the organization.

Kurt's journey with SEAOSC began during his college years. He joined the association as a student and has maintained his membership for the past 36 years. His involvement with SEAOSC has varied over the years, but his commitment to the organization highlights his dedication to the structural engineering community.

Looking ahead, Kurt is most excited about the future of the structural engineering industry due to its dynamic young members. He is inspired by their eagerness to learn and their drive to advance the field, "It’s both a profession and a practice, keep practicing." Kurt advised.

His path into the industry was guided by his dual love for construction and mathematics. His high school drafting teacher recognized this unique combination of interests and suggested structural engineering as a career. This recommendation proved to be a perfect fit, leading Kurt into a profession where he could merge his passions and talents.

As Kurt takes on his new role with SEAOSC, his extensive experience, enthusiasm for the future, and commitment to continuous improvement will undoubtedly significantly impact the organization and the structural engineering community.

Dear Members,

One thing I have learned in my career and certainly in this year as President of SEAOSC, is that you cannot do everything. There is only so much time and even with all the drive in the world, everyone needs some help. Our community at SEAOSC is one of our greatest strengths and our ability to achieve great things comes from the dedication of many people working together to create all that we do. I have been fortunate to be President the past year of this amazing Association and if getting help or delegating some of the workload wasn't part of my role as President, I am not sure how much would have been achieved.

I shared with you in my newsletters over the course of the year, my "thoughts and words to work (and live by…. i.e. Thoughts for Leadership)". They are words written on a note card that I keep on my desk and they include Attitude, Gratitude, Kindness, Patience, Accountability, Efficiency, Trusted Advisor and Delegate. Somewhere in each day, I find at least one of these words helps me think through a critical decision or challenging conversation. 

So, in this last newsletter of my Presidency, delegating takes center stage. As a leader, if you do not delegate, you cannot achieve to the full potential of your company, team or association. And as I look back on the last year, I know that together we achieved so much and I am so thankful for all the hard work of our members and committees in making our profession and our organization, what we are today.

May was a big month for the Association. Our Structural Engineering Excellence and Safer Cities Awards were presented. A great group of members and guests attended the awards event held at the Mark Taper Auditorium in the Center Library in DTLA. Congrats to all our SEE awards winners and to our Safer Cities Partner, City and Member awardees. And a big Thank You to our event sponsors CSI, John A Martin and Associates, Arup, Miyamoto, Durafuse Frames,  and Fyfe. 

Coming up in June (and beyond) we have several events that should not be missed:

June (future) events: 

• June 12th - The Northridge 30 Earthquake Webinar - Episode 3: 30 Years of Progress in Quantification of Seismic Hazards

• June 13th - Joint Sustainability + Younger Member Committee Happy Hour Event

• June 26th - Technical Summit & President's Lunch at the City Club in DTLA

• July 11th - 2024 Golf Tournament Training Session @ Top Golf in Montebello.

• August 5th - Annual SEAOSC Golf Tournament at Friendly Hills CC in Whittier.

Be sure to come out to our Technical Summit and President's Lunch on June 26th. We have a great lineup of programs along with our annual Association Awards including the celebration of our newest SEAOC Fellow from our MO. Congratulations to Jeff Ellis!

Thank you again for everything you do for our Association and our profession. It has been a tremendous honor being your President for 2023-24. Thank you. I know we are in good hands with Garrett Mills who will take the reins as our 2024-25 SEAOSC President on July 1st. 

Hope to see you at an event soon!

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

SEAOSC is pleased to introduce Daniel Fox, SE, as the new SEAOSC Treasurer for the 2024-2026 term. Dan brings his extensive experience and dedication to this pivotal role, balancing his responsibilities as an Associate and Project Manager at MHP Structural Engineers.

Dan's decision to join SEAOSC was fueled by the desire to contribute positively to the structural engineering community. "SEAOSC offers tremendous opportunities to make a positive impact on our industry and profession, to assist in keeping our communities safe, and to grow the profession through mentorship of students and emerging engineers," Dan explains. This motivation has kept him actively involved in the organization, where he continues to help shape its future and that of the structural engineering profession.

Dan is particularly enthusiastic about the future of the structural engineering (SE) industry. He points to several exciting developments on the horizon, including advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainability initiatives, policy and ordinance changes, and adaptive reuse projects. "I’m thrilled to be part of this evolution and eager to make an impact on the tomorrow," he says. Dan's vision and proactive approach ensure he remains at the forefront of these transformative changes.

When it comes to advising the next generation of structural engineers, Dan's message is clear: "Be a 'yes' person opening and walking through the door of as many opportunities as you can." This approach is essential for young engineers looking to make significant contributions to the field.

Dan's long-standing membership in SEAOSC, dating back to 2007, showcases his commitment to the organization. He has previously served as a SEAOSC board member and remains active in various committees, including SEAOSC student chapters. Through these roles, he continues to mentor and support emerging engineers, fostering growth and innovation within the industry.

His election as SEAOSC's Treasurer reflects his dedication to leadership, innovation, and mentorship in the structural engineering community. Dan's active involvement and forward-thinking vision are sure to drive positive changes for SEAOSC and the profession as a whole.

Dear Members,

Welcome to May! Our fiscal year is rapidly coming to an end here in June for the 2023-24 year. The association has been busy with event and end of year planning for the upcoming 2024-25 calendar!

In April we had two great partnership meetings with AIA LA:

• April 18th  - AIA Panel on Adaptive Reuse cosponsored by SEAOSC

• April 24th -  SEAOSC & AIA Joint Meeting - Presentation on Adaptive Reuse

Both of these were hosted in local offices and were attended by many members from both AIA and SEAOSC. Adaptive reuse is a hot topic these days and these events highlighted not only the current state of practice, but also changes that are coming. Stay tuned for more events on this topic...

We also had a packed agenda for our board of directors meeting in April with significant work to be done in May and June to finish our fiscal year. Among many topics, we approved the recommend slate of new BOD for 2024 (these were presented to our membership in our newsletter two weeks ago). We also approved our updated Bylaws. This is the first complete overhaul of our Association Bylaws in over 20 years! We also discussed and confirmed a one-year extension of our Association Management Company in Stratiscope. We appreciate all they have done for us and look forward to continued work together.

In May we have our annual Structural Engineering Excellence (SEE) Awards on May 29th at the Mark Taper Auditorium in DTLA. This will be a great event highlighting significant achievements in Structural Engineering and we look forward to celebrating with you. I hope you will be there.

And then in June is our annual President's Lunch with Technical seminar in the morning. We'll be hosting this event at the City Club in DTLA this year. We have an exciting technical lineup with programming including Adaptive Reuse recommendations from our existing building committee, disaster response event overviews, Wind code updates, and a Pathway's panel discussion. This will be followed by our annual President's lunch and awards ceremony. Don't miss out on this fun annual event.

And then we will race right into July and summer and seat our new BOD on July 1st with Garrett Mills as your President. Golfing is right around the corner.

Hope to see you soon!

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

Dear Members,

Our calendar year for SEAOSC goes from July 1^st to June 30^th each year. So, as we enter April, it’s the 4^th quarter. March Madness is in full swing, basketball and hockey playoffs are right around the corner, and if you are a soccer fan like me, European soccer seasons are nearing their seasons end. 

Yes, I am a sports fan, but I also love the competition, drive, and challenge of the fourth quarter of a game, a deadline that is fast approaching or completing everything we can in this calendar year. It’s been a busy 9 months at SEAOSC and we have a lot going on (and a lot still to do!) as we hit our 4^th quarter.

Before we talk about what is ahead though, I do want to thank all our volunteers who helped put on our Emerging Engineers night. And thank you to the SEAOSC Foundation for once again recognizing a number of outstanding students with scholarship awards. It was a great night that was capped by an amazing panel of incredibly talented and distinguished engineers in Susan Dowty, Farzad Naiem, Mel Green and Jeff Ellis. And thanks to our current Treasurer and future President in 2025-26, Maria Mohammed for leading our panel on the night. Congrats to all!

March was also highlighted by a Structural Connections event in Orange County at Degenkolb’s offices as well as a Women Working Together Networking Happy Hour in DTLA at JAMA’s offices. 

One of the most critical aspects of our organization is our committees. There are so many critical discussions that are worked through in these groups as we advocate for our profession. If you are not part of one of the dozen or so committees, please consider reaching out to join. It does involve extra time beyond each of our “day jobs” but trust me in that you will gain just as much as you give.

One committee that has been hard at work is our Sustainability Committee lead by Chair, Rachelle Habchi. And something that everyone may not know is that new embodied carbon reduction mandates in CA are set to take effect on July 1^st. Building code changes are coming that will limit embodied carbon emissions in the construction, remodel, or adaptive reuse of certain commercial buildings. Here is a link to a YouTube recording of the second WBLCA webinar on the updates.

Also of note is the SEAOC SE Pathways initiative. While applications for this years SE Pathways just closed on April 1^st, there is still time to support the initiative by becoming a sponsor. This is a great initiative that supports the advancement of our profession.

Other topics that are at the forefront of our Association right now include:

• Bylaw Revisions – We moved the BOD vote on the latest updates to our April Board meeting where we will review and vote on the latest changes.

• SEE Awards – Thank you for all the applications received this year. We will be reviewing all entries and look forward to the awards event on May 29^th at the Mark Taper Auditorium at the LA Central Library in DTLA.

• SEAOSC Convention committee for 2026. Come join our convention committee as we kick off our work for hosting the state convention in 2026.

• Our annual SEAOSC awards presented at the President’s lunch is fast approaching. If you have any recommendations, do not hesitate to reach out.

• Program and Budget for 2024-25 – We are well into planning for our next year pulling together program and budgets. Garrett Mills will be our President in 2024-25 and I am so excited to see what next year will bring. If you have any recommendations for programming in the coming year, there is no better time than now to speak up! Please reach out Garrett at garrett@tsstructural.com. 

And in addition to all these topics, here are the next events coming up. I hope to see you there!

• April 10^th – Structured Connections in Pasadena.

• April 13^th – ACLA – Design by Diversity Day 2024 (East LA College)

• April 24^th - SEAOSC & AIA Joint Event – Adaptive Reuse Ordinance Expansion

• May 15^th – Webinar from our Concrete Committee (Topic forthcoming) 

• May 29^th – 2024 SEAOSC SEE Awards (LA Central Library)

• June - Presidents Lunch and ½ day technical session

• July – Topgolf event

• August 5^th – Annual Golf Tournament at Friendly Hills Country Club

Have a great April!

Best,

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

Dear Members,

I recently read an article about decision making. How many decisions do you make each day? Just getting out of bed as you wake up (decision #1), you probably make 10 or more. I was surprised to read that the average number of adult choices each day is 35,000! How many of these decisions do we make at work? For our projects? When we think about this collectively with working with others, my guess is the number is in the hundreds of thousands or millions for a single structural engineering project!

Decisions for our projects from multiple people must go together and while not all need to work, most will need to. Our clients look to us for our expertise and guidance while they risk their capital driving new development. We are tasked with providing the support they need when they need it. It's the trusted advisor role that we can deliver that keeps them coming back to the expert they know and need. And in many ways, SEAOSC looks to provide this support to our members. We want to be that trusted advisor that you look to and need when you have a question or need support. Do not forgot that we are here—reach out when you need support!

As we roll into March, there are a number of things that we are busy working on:

Our Bylaw revisions were put out to a vote by membership. Thank you to those who voted and provided feedback. Amendments and changes to our Bylaws are governed by Section IX of our current Bylaws (https://seaosc.org/BylawS). Although we did not exceed 50% of our members voting, we did receive votes from more than 20% of our voting members. Therefore, in accordance with our Bylaws, our BOD will be voting this month at our monthly board meeting to approve or oppose the latest revisions (with one minor update from member comments).

SEE (Structural Engineering Excellence) Award nominations are here. Don't forget to sign up your best projects and be recognized!

This year’s State convention will be in Portland in September. In 2025, the state Convention will be back in San Diego. As with tradition, each MO hosts and helps plan a convention once every four years and SEAOSC's next convention to host will be in 2026. So, come join the committee! We are just beginning to plan and you can help shape where we may go! If you have interest in joining, please reach out to me directly at craig.m.chamberlain@imegcorp.com or to our association at seaosc@seaosc.org.

We have a number of events coming up as well. 

• March 6 - Structural Connections: Orange County (Degenkolb Offices)
• March 7, 14, 21 - NCSEA/SEAOC Webinar Series
• March 13 - Emerging Engineers Night (DTLA @ Boomtown Brewery)
• March 21 - Women Working Together Networking Happy Hour (DTLA @ JAMA offices)
• April - SEAOSC & AIA Joint Membership Mtg
• May - SEE Awards
• June - President's Lunch

I hope to see you all there.

Wishing you a productive and inspiring March!

Best,

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

Dear Members,

Winter is in full swing. If you are in Southern California reading this message this week, you are probably inside trying to stay out of the cold and rainy weather we are having.

Although one of the main reasons we all live in California (and particularly Southern California) is the sunny weather we have for most of the year, I love the rain. It changes what we might think to do. It gives us a pause from the hustle and bustle of events outside to maybe stay inside... And in my case, provide some time to sit down and reflect on my President's Message!

January was a very busy kickoff to the calendar year for SEAOSC. We had our Symposium on the Northridge earthquake at CalTech on January 17. This was an opportunity to look back at what happened, examine what we have done since then to make our community more resilient, and look forward to what we continue to work on. We brought community leaders, government and building officials, structural engineers, and first responders together in a collective discussion about structural engineering, seismic design, and our preparedness for the next one.

And we can’t forget about our very successful Trivia Night just a week ago with nearly 20 teams. Congrats to all the participants and our winners for a fun night! And our events rolled right into February from there with our annual Structured Connections event in San Luis Obispo on the weekend of the Cal Poly SLO Structural Forum. Thank you to all who attended—and for those of you we missed, we look forward to seeing you there next year.

One of the many organizations we stay connected with at SEAOSC is the Applied Technology Council. SEAOSC has a designated member on the ATC board which has been recently filled by Michael Cochran. He has done a tremendous job as our board representative. Michael terms out this month on the ATC Board and we thank him for his service. David Cocke has taken over as the SEAOSC rep on the board of ATC and we look forward to his support of ATC as our SEAOSC rep in the coming years.

The next balloting discussion for updated provisions for the 2026 NEHRP cycle through the BSSC is upon us. Get involved on the Seismology committee if you want to have a voice through SEAOSC and SEAOC on these measures.

I’d like to highlight a number of exciting things going on and coming up at SEAOSC in the months ahead:

• We have a co-sponsored webinar between ASCE/EERI/SEAOSC coming up in mid-February that expands on some of the topics discussed at the Northridge Symposium.
• In March, our Emerging Engineers Night on March 13 will be a great dinner program that you should not miss. Come and meet this year's Foundation scholarship recipients and then listen to a panel of esteemed SEAOSC members discuss their careers and how they got to where they are today.
• There will be a joint SEAOSC/AIA event in April.
• May is our SEE Awards!
• June is the President's Lunch with technical sessions the morning of.
• August will be our Annual Golf Tournament with a bigger pre-tournament event at Top Golf in July! (If interested in helping out, please join the golf committee as we begin to plan for these events.)

And, last but not least, we are also in the midst of nominations for BOD members for 2024-25. Please speak up and let us know if you have a candidate for consideration.

If you have an interest in any of the above events, please reach out to me directly at craig.m.chamberlain@imegcorp.com or to our association at seaosc@seaosc.org.

Have a great February! Try and stay dry and I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event soon!

Best,

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

Dear Members,

The end of the year is often a time for reflection. We look back on the year we just had and think forward about the year that is to come. We think about the things we are thankful for and possibly a few things we are sad about. It's a good opportunity to take some time to unwind and unpack your thoughts as we get ready to do it all again!

I am going to do this slightly in reverse though. We will look forward first as January has two big events for our association.

The 30-year anniversary of the Northridge earthquake is this January 17th! This is still one of the biggest natural disasters in the history of Southern California. SEAOSC is putting on a one-day symposium that offers a chance to look back at what happened, understand what changes we have made, look forward at where we are going and dive deep into a host of technical topics that will provide something for all of our membership. Don't miss this significant event and signup today (https://seaosc.org/northridge30).

The end of January will also have our annual Trivia night. This fun yet competitive event is sure not to be missed. Stay tuned for location to be announced soon but mark your calendars and set your teams for Friday, January 26th!

Now as we look back at December, it was another busy month for the association. A big thank you goes out to all who participated in the Gingerbread challenge where we had a successful year two and look forward to another great event next year! And we also wrapped our events for 2023 with a historic structures pub crawl and a webinar on a retrofit project in Alaska.

Our Board of Directors was also hard at work at our December meeting. Three key topics of discussion included:

• Bylaw updates - An ad-hoc committee has spent the past year updating and providing revisions to our bylaws. It's been over 20 years since the last major revisions to our bylaws. An overview of the revisions and updates were presented by the Ad-Hoc Committee Chair (and Past SEAOSC President and current State SEAOC Treasurer) Kelsey Parolini. After a thorough review and discussion, the Board voted to present the Bylaw changes to SEAOSC for a membership vote. Keep a look out for a separate email on this in early January.
• The SEAOSC Existing Building Committee (EBC) presented two draft letters with their recommendations in response to requests from local jurisdictions on potential upcoming ordinances or changes to ordinances.
• • The County of Los Angeles requested feedback from the SEAOSC EBC on a potential upcoming LA county ordinance on non-ductile concrete buildings. A draft ordinance was received by the EBC for review and consideration. Over several months, the EBC reviewed and discussed recommendations and developed a draft letter of recommendations for the Boards review and approval. Daniel Zapeda, current EBC Co-Chair and BOD member, provided an overview of the recommendations. The Board discussed, voted and passed on the recommendations which will be sent back to LA County.
  • The City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has been actively working on updates to adaptive reuse language in the current LA City building code. LADBS reached out to SEAOSC's EBC to provide comments and any potential recommendations for changes to the existing adaptive reuse guidelines which have been in effect for over 20 years. There are many aspects to the guidelines that go beyond structural engineering, but a key component of the guidelines is mandatory evaluation/analysis for commercial to residential conversions. The EBC presented a draft letter of recommendations to the Board for consideration and review. An overview was also provided by Daniel Zapeda and many thoughtful comments were shared by the Board. These comments are now going back to the EBC for further discussion and completion of the letter. An updated draft letter will be sent to the Board with completion of the recommendations in early January for issuance to LADBS.

• The board also voted on and approved a request by the WISE committee to separate and form a stand-alone Mentorship committee. This group has grown in size and the mentorship program has been a big success in the last two years at SEAOSC. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank WiSE for putting in countless hours of hard work in initiating and launching it the program. Some of these efforts included background research through SE3, partnering with SEAONC for lessons learned and sharing resources, and developing a program that could smoothly run for future chairs and members of the new committee. Thank you WISE! Please keep a lookout for a separate announcement of the new committee and chairs and join up if you are interested!

I'd like to remind everyone that there are plenty of other opportunities to get involved. We still have opportunities for participation on State committees including representation on either the Wind, Policy/Legislature, Professional Practice or Continuing Education State Commitees. We will also begin forming our convention committee for 2026 and if you want to be part of the planning and help organize one of the most important and prestigious Structural Engineering events in the world, please consider signing up. If you have interest in either of these, please reach out to me directly or to our association executive director at seaosc@seaosc.org.

And in words to live and work by for the month, my word this month is efficient. We all know how busy life can be. Sometimes we think the only way we can do more is by cutting something out. But maybe it's not what needs to be cut out, but rather becomes more efficient. And in true form to the word, I will leave it at that. Consider how you can be more efficient and find that bit of elusive time you thought you didn’t have.

Welcome to 2024! I can't believe it's here….. Let’s have a great year!

Craig Chamberlain, SE

2023-24 SEAOSC President