Happy New Year!

The turn of the year is always a contemplative moment—an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to set thoughtful, intentional goals for the one ahead. To be a little punny, we reflect on our foundations and look forward to what our community will build in the future.

This past year brought meaningful transitions for both SEAOC and SEAOCC. At the state level, SEAOC welcomed a new Executive Director, Krystinne Mica. Many of you had the opportunity to meet her at our holiday party, along with current SEAOC President Kelsey Parolini. We also recognized an important leadership transition as Don Schinske passed the baton after decades of dedicated service—leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of stewardship and stability.

At our December meeting, we also took time to honor the past at the local level with the recognition of our most recent SEAOCC Fellow, Steve Hiner. We thank Steve for his many years of service to SEAOCC and to the structural engineering community more broadly.

Looking toward the future, it is especially noteworthy that the current President-Elect of SEAOC is our very own Devon Lumbard. His leadership reflects the strength and engagement of our region within the broader statewide organization.

We are also preparing for the next cycle of the SEE Awards. Information will be coming in the next month or so, and now is a good time to begin identifying potential projects. The SEE Awards remain one of the most visible ways to highlight the technical excellence and creativity of engineers in our region. This year’s effort will be coordinated by our Vice President, Alban Gjongecaj.

Another important opportunity for engagement is the SE3 Survey. This survey is your chance to share your experience—from workload and mentorship to career satisfaction and professional growth. Your responses help NCSEA and its partners better understand the profession and guide future initiatives. If you have questions about the survey, please feel free to reach out to our Board member Lisa Hartley, who serves on this committee at the national level. Lisa will also be a speaker at our February dinner meeting, talking about snow loading.

Take the SE3 Survey at benchmarking.ncsea.com.

Thank you for your continued involvement and support of SEAOCC and the profession. I’m optimistic about the year ahead and look forward to what we can accomplish together.

Warmly, Sonia Eliseo, SEAOCC President

What’s Coming Up: February & March

February – Technical Dinner Meeting

Lessons from Deep Snow Country: Design and Detailing for Heavy Snow

A practical discussion focused on snow load behavior, detailing strategies, and lessons learned to help avoid snow-related failures.

February – Simpson Strong-Tie Stockton Lab & Manufacturing Facility Tour

Join us for an inside look at Simpson Strong-Tie’s manufacturing and laboratory facilities, including testing, research, and production processes.

March – Technical Dinner Meeting

SEE Award Winner Presentation: Transforming the Eastern Star Lodge into a Hotel

A case study on the transformation of a historic URM building into a modern, vibrant midtown Sacramento hotel.

Full event details, dates, and registration links are available at seaocc.org.