In this issue
2026-2027 Leadership
2026-2027 Board of DirectorsPresident
Alban Gjongecaj, S.E.
Vice President
David Miller, S.E.
Treasurer
Kevin Logsdon, S.E.
Secretary
Leticia Valenzuela, P.E.
Past President
Sonia Eliseo, S.E.
Director - Central District
Thelbert Sexton, P.E.
Kendall Johnson, S.E.
Anthony Tiapon, P.E.
Jake Gruber, S.E.
Director - East District
Isabella Villafuerte, P.E.
Director - North District
Julio Silva, P.E.
Director - South District
Megan Chang, S.E.
2026-2027 Committee Chairs
Audit/Budget/Finance
Kevin Logsdon, S.E.
Business Forum
Matthew Melcher, S.E.
Bylaws & Policies
David Palmer, S.E.
Communications
Kendall Johnson, S.E.
David Miller, S.E.
Continued Education
Daryl Santos, P.E.
Disaster Emergency Services
Steven T. Hiner, S.E.
Structural Engineering
Excellence Awards
David Miller, S.E.
Existing Buildings
Hannah Hillegas, S.E.
Doug Mayer, S.E.
Golf Tournament
Nick Herskedal, S.E.
House
James Sweeney
Legislative
Ryan Kersting, S.E.
Devon Lumbard, S.E.
Membership
Kate Worcester, P.E.
Newsletter
Rachel Leung, S.E.
Professional Practice
OPEN
Program
Doug Mayer, S.E.
Public Relations
Gillian Montgomery, S.E.
Scholarship
James Carlson, S.E.
S.E. Exam Interview
Edwin Nicholson, S.E.
SE3 Committee
Lisa Hartley, P.E.
Seismology & Load Criteria
Rachel Leung, S.E.
Social Media
Leticia Valenzuela, P.E.
Structural Standards
Christos Tokas, S.E.
Student Relations
Francisco Rodriguez
Catherine Moore, P.E.
Sustainable Design
OPEN
Website
OPEN
Wind
Ken Luttrell, S.E.
Norm Scheel, S.E.
Younger Member Forum
Francisco Rodriguez
Catherine Moore, P.E.
Have any questions or want to get involved? Contact any of the Committee Chairs or Board Members above. To find their contact information, login to seaocc.org and access the Member Directory through the Member Area sidebar.
Newsletter Submissions
Hiring? Submit a job opening for the Job Forum at the link here. These will be posted on the website and the newsletter will link to the website posting.
If you are interested in having a job ad or general advertisement in the body of the newsletter, you can find more information here.
Do you have any articles or information of interest to the membership to submit for the next newsletter? If so, please email the newsletter editor at [email protected] and the Executive Secretary at [email protected]!
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September 2026 
President's Message
I am honored to start my term as your SEAOCC president. SEAOCC has been a compass in my professional career, and I am humbled to be entrusted with this position.
In this first message of the year, I want to look back on a busy summer for SEAOCC, recognize the people who continue to strengthen our organization, and look ahead to the programs, events, and efforts that will shape the year ahead.
We are often reminded of the importance of our profession, and those reminders seem to be coming more frequently. This summer alone, we saw devastating earthquakes in the Philippines, Venezuela, and Colombia, along with fatal floods across Asia. While we strive to practice safe and resilient design, we must also be ready to serve when called upon. One way we can do this as a community is by becoming Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Program (SAP) evaluators. SEAOCC will host a SAP Evaluator training seminar on October 9th; registration information is included below. If you cannot attend in person, an online instructor-led course is available through the Cal OES website.
The summer months are a time of transition and renewal for our board. I’d like to recognize our outgoing board members for their outstanding contributions: Laura Rice, S.E. (Past President), Nathan Canney, P.E. (Central District Director), and Lisa Hartley, P.E. (East District Director). A heartfelt thank you to you all.
I’d also like to welcome the incoming board members: Anthony Tiapon, P.E. (Central District Director), Theb Sexton, S.E. (Central District Director), and Bella Villafuerte, P.E. (East District Director). I also want to congratulate board members moving to new positions: Sonia Eliseo, S.E. (Past President) and Dave Miller, S.E. (Vice President). Looking forward to continuing working with you all.
On a sadder note, this summer saw the passing of Art Ross, a towering figure in our profession and community. Among his many contributions, Art served as both SEAOCC and SEAOC president and was recognized as a SEAOC Fellow. As we remember and honor Art’s life and legacy, I invite you to read the article below, written by Bill Staehlin.
The SEAOC Convention was held in Scottsdale, AZ, at the end of August. For me, the convention is a time to learn, whether in technical sessions or at the trade show; to catch up with old friends and make new ones; and to celebrate the people who make our organization wonderful.
Among those amazing people, I’d like to congratulate Krista Looza on her induction to the College of Fellows. Congratulations Krista, very well deserved. We will celebrate Krista at our Holiday Party on December 8th – save the date.
I’d also like to congratulate Joyce Fuss and Roy Lobo for receiving SEAOC Service Awards in recognition of their contributions to the Continuing Education and Structural Standards Committees, respectively. Our committees are the heart of our organization, and I encourage anyone who has not yet gotten involved to reach out to our committee chairs and start attending meetings.
At the SEAOC level, the state board and committees are transitioning as well. This transition will see our own Devon Lombard coming in as SEAOC President and Rachel Leung as chair of the State Seismology Committee. Chris Tokas is the new Dean of the College of Fellows.
We were also well represented at the SEAOC SEE awards, where the 13-27 Manners St project by Miyamoto International won an Award of Merit in the Retrofit/Alterations category. Congratulations to the Miyamoto team!
One lunch during the convention featured a panel discussion on the SEAOC reorganization effort. The panel was moderated by Devon Lombard and included Steven Crook (SEAOC Past President, from SEAOSD), David Ojala (Past President of SEAONC), Maria Mohammed (Past President of SEAOSC), Kendall Johnson (2023 and 2027 Convention Chair, from SEAOCC), and Krystinne Mica (Executive Director of SEAOC). The reorganization effort is intended to transform SEAOC into a statewide association that unifies all member organizations while preserving each MOs local identity. This effort has been in planning and initial implementation for several years and is expected to continue for several more as details are reviewed and refined. The current stage is the transition of all MOs to a shared Association Management System (AMS). The new SEAOC website went live in May; the SEAOSC website is built within that platform and launched at the same time. SEAOCC will transition to this platform in the next couple of months, with the goal of going live at the end of October.
Despite the 110+ degree weather, the convention was very well attended. The Pathways Program had another very strong year, the Fellow’s gameshow format continues to be a success, and excitement is in the air about the 2027 Convention in Monterey!
Last, but not least, we won the President’s Cup! Our team included Alizabeth Tuch, Daniel Stoesser, board members Jake Gruber and Theb Sexton, pathways cohort members Pedro Cruz Lopez and Jorge Bucio, and was led by our VP Dave Miller. Despite falling behind at the beginning, our team pulled an upset and won by a mile. Dave Miller solving a sliding puzzle is better than a magic show! Well done team!
Our busy year of events started on Tuesday with our 3rd annual Trivia Night. Special thanks to Doug Mayer for hosting and organizing! In October, in addition to the SAP evaluator training, our dinner meeting presentation will be given by this year’s T.R. Higgins Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Caroline Bennett. Please note this meeting will be on October 20th, rather than our usual second Tuesday of the month. In November, we will return to our regular dinner meeting schedule.
Our continuing education committee is planning an in-person seminar on November 2nd on the new SEAOC Seismic Design Manual, save the date. Our technical committees are setting the schedule of meetings. Our YMF chairs have a full slate of events planned, and the Convention committee is gearing up for an amazing convention.
SEAOCC will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2027, with a special celebration planned for our June dinner meeting. As we built toward that milestone, we have started a new newsletter article series titled Reflection from a Fellow. Each month, keep an eye out for some words of wisdom from our esteemed Fellows, starting this month with an article from Joyce Fuss below.
Thank you for reading and for being part of SEAOCC. I am looking forward to working with all of you this year as we continue strengthening our profession, serving our communities, and preparing for the exciting milestones ahead.
Alban Gjongecaj, S.E.
2026-2027 SEAOCC President
Newest SEAOC Fellow Krista Looza, with Ryan Kersting (introducer), Kelly Cobeen (outgoing Dean of the College of Fellows), and Chris Tokas (incoming Dean of the College of Fellows)
Joyce Fuss receiving her Service Award with Kelsey Parolini (outgoing SEAOC President) and Devon Lombard (incoming SEAOC President)
Chris Tokas accepting Roy Lobo’s Service Award with Kelsey Parolini (outgoing SEAOC President) and Devon Lombard (incoming SEAOC President)
SEAOCC Members celebrating President’s Cup Win
President’s Cup Winning Team
3rd Annual SEAOCC Trivia
Calendar of Events
Future Meetings
SEAOCC Post Disaster Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Training for Evaluators October 9, 2026
October 09, 2026
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Lionakis
2025 19th Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
SEAOCC Dinner October 20, 2026 AISC T.R. Higgins Lectureship: Fracture Beyond Fatigue
October 20, 2026
5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
The Spaghetti Factory
1625 Watt Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95864
2024 IBC SEAOC Structural/Seismic Design Manual Seminar Monday November 2, 2026
November 02, 2026
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
West Sacramento Community Center
1075 W Capitol Ave
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Venue website
SEAOCC Dinner Meeting November 10, 2026
November 10, 2026
5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
The Spaghetti Factory
1625 Watt Avenue
Sacramento , CA 95864
SEAOCC Holiday Social December 8, 2026
December 08, 2026
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Mix Downtown
1525 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Committee Reports
YMF Update
By Catherine Moore, P.E., YMF Co-Chair
Wow, is summer already over? Thanks to those who joined us for our Summer social at Drake's The Barn. If you weren't able to join, I highly encourage you to experience a really neat outdoor venue right along the river before it gets too cold. As summer comes to a close, we look forward to a busy fall with many opportunities to connect and grow our network. And keep your eyes open for a YMF tipsy putt event later in October!
As always, if you have any event suggestions or would like to get more involved, please reach out!
Remembering Arthur “Art” Ross
By Bill Staehlin, S.E. M.S.C.E., Fellow SEAOC
Art Ross was a multifaceted individual, filling the role of friend, confidante, peer, leader, and structural engineer to all who knew him. Being a determined individual, he earned a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (with honors), and an M.S. in Civil-Structural Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Following a period of service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Art moved to Sacramento to join Cox, Liske, Lionakis and Beaumont (now Lionakis), setting out to establish his own practice, Arthur E. Ross, Inc. In 1999, Art acquired CYS Structural Engineers Inc., serving as President and CEO until his passing.
Art’s professional leadership was profoundly felt within the structural engineering community. He was a pillar of both the SEAoC and SEAoCC, serving as Central President (1981–1982) and State President (1993–1994), with various terms on the Central and State Boards of Directors. His influence extended to other Professional Associations including Applied Technology Council (ATC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), California Division of the State Architect – Advisory Board, Sacramento Builders Exchange (SRBX), and the City of Sacramento Fire & Life Safety Appeals Board.
In recognition of Art’s outstanding service and accomplishments in the field of structural engineering, Art was inducted into the SEAoC College of Fellows at the 1999–2000 Convention. Within the College of Fellows, Art was a steadfast advocate for excellence, always insisting that only the most highly qualified candidates from the SEAoC Central Section be put forward for induction to the College. In addition to being inducted into the SEAoC College of Fellows, Art was elected as a Fellow by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
His commitment to seismic safety led him across the globe and into the core of critical policy changes. Art was part of an EERI-led team of engineers and academics dispatched to Armenia to analyze the failure of concrete buildings during the major 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake. Their assessments of column capitals in flat lift slab construction directly informed subsequent code changes. Following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, Art served as the Project Director for the SAC Joint Venture, a FEMA-funded management team studying the performance of Special Steel Moment Frames. These pivotal projects resulted in numerous updates to building codes, analysis techniques, and a deeper industry understanding of these systems.
Notwithstanding Art’s extensive professional achievements and his tireless work with SEAoC, and other industry organizations, his primary devotion was always to his family. He prioritized every moment he could spend with them, including many family adventures and several cherished fishing trips to Alaska, as Alaska was a place where Art forged a deep affinity. During the time Art spent in Alaska he formed lifelong friendships and a love for Alaska that never waned.
I am honored to have been selected to write this newsletter article as a tribute to my friend Art Ross. Art’s legacy in the engineering community will live on for many generations.
Reflections from a Fellow
The Legacy of SEAOCC in the life of one Structural Engineer
By Joyce Fuss, S.E., Member SEAOCC, SEAOC College of Fellows
My membership in SEAOC started as a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in around 1979. At that time the student chapter was a part of SEAONC, and we were a small fairly close-knit student led organization (I was part of the ARCE class of about 50).
After graduating in 1982 I took a job at Charles Grimes and Associates in Stockton, my hometown. Charlie invited me to join SEAOCC back when we used cards and needed 2-3 SEAOCC members to sign for us and vouch that we were eligible candidates for membership. My boss Charlie would drive us all (there were only four engineers in that small office) to Sacramento for the dinner meetings each month and pay for our dinner.
Those early dinners were usually held in a meeting room at the back of a smoke-filled bar (“Posey’s” for several years) and most of the time I would be the only woman there – and often the only young engineer. Besides enjoying the support of my boss and co-workers I was met by some kind and welcoming SEAOCC members, Norm Scheel and Steve Pelham among the most memorable. I also remember receiving monthly paper newsletters (I still have a few in my archives) and reading them cover to cover for the latest structural news and technical information.
In 1985, after receiving my Civil Engineering license, Allan and I moved to Sacramento and I went to work for Marr Shaffer and Associates. I continued my membership in SEAOCC and attended some of the dinner meetings (we were on our own by then). I still kept reading the newsletters in order to keep up with the latest in structural engineering (there was no internet and no webinars back then). I enjoyed seminars for in-person training on technical topics including exam preparation and attended my first convention in Sacramento soon after moving. After considering joining a committee I attended a few meetings of the Code Committee which was quite intimidating at the time. I sat for and passed the structural exam in 1988 thanks in part to the SEAOCC technical training and the daily hands-on experience at the office.
I eventually received an invitation to serve on the SEAOCC Board of Directors so agreed to run – I managed to get elected (that was in around 1989 I think). This deepened my connections with fellow structural engineers and SEAOCC members. I went to another SEAOC convention hosted by SEAOCC at North Lake Tahoe, in Incline Village. SEAOCC continued to play an important role in my career for training and camaraderie – I treasure the value of the in-person interactions and mutual support. One project that stands out involved the expertise of another long-time SEAOCC member, Art Ross. It was just after the Northridge earthquake, and I was designing a steel moment frame medical office building. Art was involved in the SAC Joint Venture (SEAOC, ATC, CUREE) to study and test moment frame connections and work with AISC to develop new design criteria based on observed behavior. We were able to convince the client to support the fabrication and testing of a new connection configuration, and so Art and I headed down to the Smith Emery Labs in Los Angeles to observe the testing of these prototypes. The tests went well and closely matched the finite element analysis by a UC Davis grad student. Again, the connections developed by participation in SEAOCC led to access to someone like Art Ross and his amazing technical knowledge and experience.
I left Marr Shaffer and Associates to join Lionakis in 1992, where support for SEAOCC membership and participation in leadership opportunities remains high. I was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors again in around 2008, and further deepened ties to the structural community. Attendance at dinner meetings, seminars and eventually webinars continued to be a source of growth and knowledge that supported my career. Attending the SEAOCC hosted conventions in 2011 (Las Vegas) and 2015 (Seattle) allowed for more technical growth and deepening connections with fellow engineers. I had also begun serving on our local Continuing Education Committee, mostly helping with the day-of set up and take down.
An incredible opportunity came my way in 2017 – I was nominated to be the president elect for SEAOC by the SEAOCC board. After checking with my office leadership and with the support of Kerry Volker and Matt Melcher I agreed to serve and became SEAOC president for the year 2018-2019. This opened up the chance to rub shoulders with many giants within our organization. In 2018 I was attending the convention in Southern California and got an invitation to sit in on the SEAOC Continuing Education Committee meeting by Kelly Cobeen (SEAONC). I joined with some trepidation but stuck with it to learn the names and topics for many noteworthy presenters in our profession. In around 2019 I became co-chair of the CEC with Tim Hart (SEAONC) and then with Bernard Cruz, continuing to enjoy working to provide technical webinars in support of our membership.
In about 2023 I was elected to the SEAOC College of Fellows which brought the opportunity to meet and mingle with more of the great contributors and legends that are part of SEAOCC and SEAOC. The opportunities and support I have received over the years and the benefits of saying yes when asked are beyond measure and my career would not have been the same without this great organization. I am forever grateful to those who have been both welcoming and supportive and could not have participated in SEAOCC and SEAOC without them.
Welcome New Members
NEW YEAR MAKE THIS THE YEAR YOU JOIN SEAOCC
New members Posted Members September 8, 2026
Arth Belvi - Student, UC Davis
Michael Auchter - Member, Ardurra
An Chuong - Student, UC Davis
Ronald Belknap - Member, Belknap and Assoc
New members Approved Members
Tonmoy Das- Member, Degenkolb
Andrew Baro, Associate, Buehler
Mayank Batra, Member, Buehler
Hayden Brascia, Associate, Aurora
Melanie Rippel, Student, CYS
Rachel McFatter, Member, El Dorado County
Jasmine Gonzalez, Associate, VST Eng
Joelle Schalesky, Associate, Advanced Structural Design
Jacob Wenham, Associate, Bevier
Anand Chaurushia, Associate, Response Str. Eng
Zhuoqi Tao, Student, University of Illinois
Zachary Drew, Student, Structural One
Leanne Lawson, Member, JKAE
Paul Kovach, Member, ECS Pacific
SEAOC News
SEAOSC Wood Design 101 Webinar Series
SEAOSC is hosting a 10-week webinar course on wood design. SEAOC members (SEAOC membership is included with most SEAOCC membership grades) are eligible for the membership discount, so be sure to log into seaoc.org when registering. Click here for more details.
2026 SEE Awards Webinar Registration
Series Registration
Wednesday, September 9, 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. PT
UCSF Health Sci Center (Maffei Structural Engineering) and Congregation Emanu-El (Forell/Elsesser)
Wednesday, September 16 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. PT
LAX/Metro Transit Center (Arup) and Luther George Park Pavilion (Nous)
Wednesday, September 23 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. PT
LACMA (Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill)
Wednesday, September 30 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. PT
California College of Arts (Arup) and Exchange Pavilion (MDEP Structures)
NCSEA News
Structural Engineering Summit This year's Summit is in San Francisco from October 27–30, 2026. Click on the link above to register, view the schedule/program and location. SEAOC members receive a discounted rate, so be sure to login to your NCSEA Account to receive your SEA member discount.
*All tickets include the Welcome to San Francisco! Opening Reception, Exhibit Hall Happy Hour and SEE Awards Celebration. You can purchase additional guest tickets separately.
Job Forum
Job Posting for Members
Job listings are submitted for SEAOCC approval before being posted. Once approved by SEAOCC your listing will be posted for two months from the approval date. For listing to be reposted please resubmit your job listing.
The member fee for a 2 month posting is $150. You will be prompted for a credit card payment after clicking on the "Submit" button.
Job Posting for Non-Members
Job listings are submitted for SEAOCC approval before being posted. Once approved by SEAOCC your listing will be posted for two months from the approval date. For listing to be reposted please resubmit your job listing.
The nonmember fee for a 2 month posting is $250. You will be prompted for a credit card payment after clicking on the "Submit" button.
Submit an Ad - members Submit an Ad - Non-Members
Project Manager - Structural (5-8 years)
Rutherford + Chekene
Job Posting
Jun. 23, 2026
Membership Dues Reminder
Membership Dues Renewal Begins July 1st
Membership renewals emails have been sent out to both firms on firm renewals and to individuals. If you have not renewed, please check your emails or log into at seaocc.org website under "Member Area". Please note that per our bylaws, a late fee will be applied beginning October 15.
If you have recently received your PE or your SE and your membership grade is incorrect, please notify us as soon as possible via email sent to [email protected]. Please also review and update your membership profile with any address or firm changes that may have recently occurred. Updating your member profile will allow us, SEAOC, and NCSEA to better serve you. If your firm participates in the firm renewal program, please check with your firm administrator that your name and correct email address is on email list sent back to SEAOCC with the payment so that there is no interruption in your membership. We look forward to your continued membership, participation, and support! Please let us know at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Ask SEAOCC Leadership
If buildings had personalities, which famous structure would best match yours, and why?
"Grand Central Station. I kinda thrive on organized chaos." - Catherine Moore
"The Colosseum in Rome. I like a challenge, I fight hard, love winning and enjoy a good game." - Heather Caya
SEAOCC Gear Available
Looking for SEAOCC gear? Our Lands’ End company store offers a selection of apparel and accessories featuring the SEAOCC logo.
Visit business.landsend.com/store/
