President's Message: Strength in Community

Kelsey Parolini

2025-2026 SEAOC President

As we move through the fall season, I’ve been reflecting on the many ways our association enriches our professional lives through connection, collaboration, and shared purpose. Each season brings new opportunities to engage with one another and to be reminded of the collective strength that makes SEAOC so special.

Recently, as I prepared to speak at a student club meeting on the importance of building both professional and personal networks, I found myself revisiting the pivotal role SEAOC has played in my own professional journey. Early in my career, joining a professional association expanded my network beyond the walls of my small office. It connected me with experienced practicing female engineers, role models I didn’t have locally, who were forging successful paths in our industry. That exposure and connection to fellow structural engineers remains among the most valuable aspects of my SEAOC membership and continues to inspire my involvement today.

This past month also brought opportunities to connect with colleagues on a broader scale. At the NCSEA Summit in New York City, California Structural Engineers were well represented. SEAOC members contributed to committee meetings, delivered educational presentations, and were recognized during the Structural Engineering Excellence (SEE) Awards, as well as through individual honors, underscoring our state’s ongoing leadership in innovation and practice across the nation.

It’s worth noting that membership in your regional SEAOC association (Central, Northern, San Diego, or Southern) automatically includes SEAOC membership at the state level and NCSEA affiliation nationally. At the Summit, I was reminded of several ways NCSEA is working on our behalf. A few highlights include:

•  ‘We SEE Above and Beyond’ is a national marketing campaign publicly promoting the value of Structural Engineers. 
• The NCSEA Code Advisory Committee helps shape the Building Codes by launching code proposals and participating in code hearings.
• The NCSEA Communications Committee has crafted a series of outreach resources and STEM activities for those of us looking to engage in a school Career Day or other educational outreach events.

Rounding out the month, I attended my first SEAONC dinner meeting, hosted at SOM’s San Francisco office. The evening was warm and welcoming, filled with great food, engaging conversation, and a fantastic presentation on the San Mateo County Office Building. Thank you to SEAONC for your hospitality and for creating a wonderful space for connection.

As we head into the final stretch of the year, I encourage each of you to take full advantage of your SEAOC membership. Attend a local event, volunteer for a committee (no experience needed!), or simply reach out to a fellow member for a chat. This past month has renewed my belief that our shared purpose in SEAOC is built on our connections and collaboration, and for that, I am thankful. The strength of our association lies in the engagement and generosity of its members.

SEAOC 3.0 Building One Connected Future

Emily Guglielmo,

SEAOC 3.0 Workgroup Chair, SEAOC Past-President 2023-24

For more than ninety years, SEAOC’s strength has come from the people and programs of our four Member Organizations, distinct communities united by a shared commitment to technical excellence and public safety. Over time, that statewide network has grown in size, scope, and complexity, with each MO managing its own membership, finances, and communications. SEAOC 3.0 was born from the recognition that to continue advancing our mission, we must modernize how we operate and connect.

SEAOC 3.0 is a three-year initiative to align our administrative systems, finances, and governance under a single statewide framework that uses shared data to make better decisions, support volunteers, and strengthen the member experience across California. It preserves the local identity and leadership that define our MOs while creating the infrastructure of a unified, data driven association.

This transformation is both practical and ambitious. We are not adding new layers of complexity; we are streamlining what already exists. The same dollars that today support five separate administrative systems will instead fund a small statewide team and regional support, freeing volunteers to focus on programs, mentorship, and community. Members will see no dues increase during the buildout but will gain clarity: one renewal, one system, and transparent reporting that shows how their investment supports both statewide and local impact.

As we enter the first phase, our focus is on building the foundation by inventorying systems, implementing a shared Association Management System (AMS), and setting the stage for consistent financial and membership data across the organization. Later phases will align programs, establish a unified governance structure, and publish the first statewide dashboards that reflect the full strength of our community.

SEAOC 3.0 is not a rebranding. It is a renewal. It is how we move from a federation of great organizations to one connected association with shared purpose, shared data, and shared vision. It is how we honor our history while equipping SEAOC to lead, serve, and inspire the next generation of structural engineers across California.