New Trustees President to Usher in 75th Anniversary | |
Heather Kline, SEAW State President | |
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As I step into the role of SEAW’s President of the Board of Trustees, I am filled with gratitude and excitement. Having grown up in Spokane and worked in various locations, including downtown Seattle, I’ve witnessed SEAW’s positive impact firsthand. Over the years, I’ve transitioned from an observer to an active participant, and I’m eager to contribute to our organization’s continued success.
Founded in 1950, just one year after the 1949 Seattle Earthquake, SEAW has been instrumental in advancing structural engineering in Washington state. Our rich history is worth exploring and you can get a glimpse of it on our website here and here. During my term we will approach our 75th anniversary, an excellent moment to celebrate our achievements and reflect on our journey. In 2025, we look forward to doing just that.
As we reflect on our history, we also need to look forward to continue to shape our future. Under the guidance of our outgoing President, Tyler Winkley, the SEAW State Board, along with other representatives, has been working on updating our strategic plan. This comprehensive revision, the first since 2012, will serve as our compass, guiding our initiatives in the coming years. We’re committed to enhancing our impact and fostering excellence in structural engineering.
Your voice matters, not only to me, but to all on the board and who are active in SEAW. I invite each of you to share your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback – whether through direct communication with me or in participation at one of our events. Let’s continue to advance structural engineering in our state together.
Here’s to celebrating our past and embracing the exciting possibilities ahead!
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SEATTLE
Owen Kohashi
I’m very excited to be leading an energized Seattle Chapter board, and hope to continue the positive momentum from the last couple of years – thank you to past presidents Jessica Jenness and Tyler Winkley for setting the bar high. We tried out different venues and several formats for our in-person meetings last year, and we’ll leverage what we learned to improve next year and try a few more new things with the goal of increasing attendance at Seattle Chapter meetings.
Additionally, we would like to make progress working with the YMG to pilot a mentorship program, with the goal of not only benefitting younger members in their development but also providing an engaging experience for the mentors. I hope everyone has a great summer and I’m looking forward to reconnecting in the fall!
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SPOKANE
Emily Sackmann
It has been a quiet summer for our Spokane Chapter as we gear up to resume our monthly meetings in September. Our chapter had a great 2023-2024 year of events, and we ended the year with our May Vendor Social at Dryfly Distillery. The State Board also visited Spokane for an in-person board meeting, and many of the board members were able to join us at the May Vendor Social afterwards.
Other year highlights included a shop tour at Finnoe Design & Fabrication, a project showcase presented by several local firms, and a PE/SE Licensure Panel last Fall. We look forward to more plant tours, site visits, and fun events in the 2024-2025 season.
If you would like to stay up to date on the local Spokane Chapter activities, email us at SEAWSpokane@gmail.com to get added to the list.
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SEAW Spokane members tour the Finnoe fabrication plant in March. Photo by Heather Kline. | |
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SOUTHWEST
Evan Olszko
You may have seen my name previously on Southwest Chapter Young Member Group emails, or in my capacity as the Southwest Chapter Vice President during the last year. This year I will be stepping into the SEAW Southwest Chapter President position after Jared Plank. Jared has done an excellent job for the last two years and is moving into a role as Past President. In fact, I had the privilege to attend the annual Awards Banquet for CSI Mt. Rainier Chapter event on June 18th to receive a collaboration award on Jared’s behalf. What a great way to cap his term as President and pass the reins!
The SEAW Southwest Chapter Board is currently hard at work planning our meetings for the upcoming event year, including our annual joint events and the return of the Southwest Chapter Trade Show! I also hope many of you are planning to attend the Northwest Conference, in Portland on September 4th-7th. And if you have a local project you would like to showcase to the Southwest Chapter or an idea for a chapter event, now is the time to reach out to me or anyone on the Board.
The Southwest Chapter YMG is also currently looking for one or more active members under 35 to help plan and coordinate YMG events. If you are interested, please send me an email at eolszko@pcs-structural.com. I am looking forward to another great year!
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Evan Olszko, left, receives an award of appreciation on behalf of Jared Plank, outgoing SEAW SW Chapter President, from Eric Carmin of the CSI Mt. Rainier Chapter. Photo courtesy Jerry Litwin. | |
2024 Joint SEAOC Convention/SEA Northwest Conference | |
Scott Douglas, Seattle Chapter | |
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Check out the block schedule for the combined Northwest Conference and SEAOC Convention, to be held in Portland in early September.
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Seattle Chapter Hosts Panel of Structural Engineers | |
Doug McArthur, Seattle Chapter | |
SEAW Seattle Chapter hosts a panel of structural engineers for its dinner meeting in May, allowing a variety of voices to discuss their career and experience. Photo by Doug McArthur. | |
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In May, the SEAW Seattle Chapter chose to change the format for one of their typical dinner meetings and instead hosted an intergenerational panel of structural engineers. Linda Ji, the current SEAW Seattle treasurer, moderated the discussion which ranged in topic from early beginnings to the effects of AI today. The four panelists included Paolo Bourdeau, a design engineer with three years of experience at Magnusson Klemencic Associates; Emily Carlip, an associate principal with Holmes; Owen Kohashi, a structural engineering supervisor at Seattle City Light (and current Seattle Chapter president); and Marjorie Lund, a structural engineer with 46 years of experience and who co-founded the Seattle firm Lund Opsahl.
The conversation was engaging and thoughtful with many pieces of wise advice from the lessons Marjorie and Owen learned throughout their careers so far. We heard the benefits and difficulties of trying something new such as switching between the public and private sector or leaving a large firm to go off and start your own. Emily shared her thoughts on how COVID, and raising a child in a pandemic while working full-time as a structural engineer, changed how she approached her work and personal life. From Paolo, we heard about his excitement for AI and new technologies to improve our efficiencies and allow more time to still get all-important mentoring from other engineers.
Overall, the panelists and attendees could agree that the structural engineering world has changed over the past decades and will continue to innovate and adapt in the coming years. The panel helped shine a spotlight on the growing diversity of the structural engineering community and the all-important goal of working together to support the next generation of structural engineers.
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Seattle Social Presents Awards, Highlights Aquarium
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Hanna Bonotto and Hanna Kato present the structural engineering and architecture of the new Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion project at the Seattle Spring Social in June. Photo by Sebina Kalawadwala. | |
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SEAW’s Spring Social in June is the Seattle Chapter’s annual headliner event and as always, this year’s event was an absolute blast. I am stepping into a new role this year as the YMG president, and this was my first official event. Having met the board in an official setting beforehand, I enjoyed seeing them in a more social one.
The event took place in a new venue and the space was phenomenal. Meeting engineers from a wide range of companies and varying levels of experience was quite educational. I am always amazed at the diversity of professionals in our field. From county officials to steel fabricators to consultants, it takes a village to successfully deliver a project.
The meeting began with the presentation of scholarship recipients and SEAW awards. The scholarship recipients all had outstanding merit and qualifications, and all demonstrated strong goals towards contributing to our profession. The SEAW awards that followed were equally inspiring. It was really great to hear the meaning behind each award and the contributions of the individuals receiving them. Seeing the decades of service toward the structural engineering industry and being recognized by peers was an emotional moment for everyone involved.
The program then shifted towards a presentation on the addition to the Seattle Aquarium – the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion. The presentation was given by Hannah Bonotto of Magnusson Klemencic Associates and Hanna Kato of LMN Architects. The presentation, titled “When the Main Habitat Becomes the Main Lateral System,” took the audience through a visual journey of the project from its conception to completion.
The structure is a 50,000 square foot facility, the design of which moves away from the traditional model of aquarium design and instead acknowledges the interplay between human life and ocean life. In addition to giving the audience a peek into the architectural design process, the presentation also dove into the complex structural systems that made this architectural vision come true. It was an absolute treat to get a behind the curtains look into one of the most amazing projects of our time.
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Tyler Winkley Recognized as Seattle Chapter Engineer of the Year | |
Forty-two years ago, while Bill Mooseker was President of the Seattle Chapter, he established the Engineer of the Year award. The award has been given for a variety of reasons, sometimes because of a particular project, significant service, or other reason. This year’s recipient is Tyler Winkley. | Ed Huston presents Tyler Winkley with the SEAW Engineer of the Year Award at the Seattle Social in June. Photo by Sebina Kalawadwala. | |
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Tyler meets the requirements in all of the SEAW nomination categories.
Service to SEAW.
Tyler joined SEAW in 2014. He served as Vice President, President, and Past President of the Younger Member Group, helping to redefine the YMG’s goals and mission to better support the SEAW community. Tyler was elected to the Seattle Chapter Board of Directors in 2019. During his presidential tenure on the Seattle Chapter Board, Tyler helped reinvent how the board offers continuing education to its members by utilizing the virtual environment, exploring alternative venues, and reestablishing the Program Committee to enhance continuity between outgoing and incoming board members. As this year’s State President, Tyler spearheaded the updating of SEAW’s strategic plan to establish a clear path for SEAW’s future. Tyler will continue serving SEAW as this year’s Past President on the State Board, as well as a resource for the Seattle Chapter Board.
Technical Expertise.
Tyler has been a part of the Education Committee since joining SEAW, helping organize seminars and webinars for the SEAW community and keeping them up to date on the latest trends and innovations.
Capacity for Nurturing.
Tyler is a big advocate for our younger members. As Chapter President, he presented the President’s Award to the entire YMG for their outstanding work on their Happy Hour Series “Be a Part of the Conversation.” Tyler has empowered our young members to lead the new Membership Experience Ad Hoc Committee, aimed at enhancing our members’ experience and setting SEAW up for future success. This Ad Hoc committee is a direct result of the Strategic Planning that was undertaken by SEAW leadership.
Visibility.
Tyler increased SEAW’s reach by leveraging the power of the virtual environment. He successfully organized a webinar with almost 250 attendees, an SEAW record. Another webinar featured presenters from two different states simultaneously. Tyler also organized an in-person presentation featuring a panel with presenters throughout the AEC industry, increasing SEAW’s reach beyond the engineering community.
When you next see Tyler, thank him for all of his efforts.
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SEAW presents Three Lifetime Service Awards | |
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The SEAW State Board of Trustees has presented its Lifetime Service Award to Chun Lau, P.E., S.E., Jill Shuttleworth, P.E., S.E., and Ted Smith, P.E., S.E. Ed Huston presented the award to Jill Shuttleworth at the May 9th South Central Chapter meeting, while Tyler Winkley presented the award to Chun Lau and Ted Smith at the June 27th Seattle Chapter June Social. Each award includes a $500 cash gift and a $500 contribution to the SEAW Endowment Fund in the awardee’s name.
This award is the highest honor granted by SEAW. SEAW has now presented this award ten times. It is presented to those SEAW members who have exhibited sustained, long term, significant, and multiple contributions to the organization, provided service to committees, and have mentored other members.
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Three individuals were presented with Lifetime Service Awards from SEAW in the past few months: Ed Huston presented Jill Shuttleworth with an award in May, while Tyler Winkley presented Chun Lau and Ted Smith with awards in June. | |
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Each of these awardees has indeed provided many years of service to SEAW in multiple capacities. Among the many ways these three awardees have served SEAW:
- Chun chaired the 2019 and 2023 Northwest Conference Committees, chaired the 2015 Executive Search Committee, served on the 2012 and 2017 Strategic Planning Committee, served on the Wind Committee for five years and was a co-author of the SEAW Wind Commentary to the 1994 Uniform Building Code, was an instructor for the Lateral Section of the SEAW Structural Exam Refresher Course for five years, and served on the Seattle Chapter Board and State Board as an officer and president. Chun also represented SEAW as a delegate to NCSEA for 14 years, was the SEAW representative on the Washington State Building Code Council for three years, and was the SEAW representative to the King County Building Code Advisory and Appeals Board for six years.
- Jill was a co-founder of the South Central Chapter (along with John Tate who received the Lifetime Service Award in 2014). Since the chapter had few registered structural engineers, those few had to cycle through the Vice President, President, and Past President positions several times. Jill served in each of these positions nine times, and was state president twice. Jill chaired the 2005 Northwest Conference Committee, served on the SEAW Exam Committee for 10 years, and served on the Existing Buildings Committee, the Education Committee, and the Disaster Preparedness Response Committee.
- Ted has served on the Seattle Chapter Board and State Board as an officer and president. He served as Treasurer of both boards from 1995 through 2014. He chaired the Seattle Chapter Membership Committee for ten years, and the Strategic Plan Update Committee. Ted served on the SEAW Exam Committee for thirty years, the Northwest Conference Committee three times, the Executive Search Committee, and the Strategic Planning Committee. Ted also represented SEAW at the First National Summit on Separate Structural Engineer Licensing.
When you see these three SEAW members next, please thank them for their generous and outstanding services.
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SEFW Funds SEAW Scholarships | |
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The Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington is excited to report the funding of the SEAW Scholarship Committee’s two scholarship awards for a total of $7,500 for structural engineering university students.
Both students were recognized at the Seattle Chapter’s Spring Social in June and received their awards. Kevin Solberg, of the SEAW Scholarship Committee, was in attendance to present the SEAW awards. With this year’s students receiving $7,500, the SEAW Scholarship Program has awarded $243,000 to 88 students since 1985. SEFW has been pleased to fund the program since 2012. Funds come from corporate donations, individual donations, and an SEAW contribution from dues.
Congratulations to the two recipients of this year’s awards!
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Kevin Solberg of the SEAW Scholarship committee recognizes Joshua Shin with an SEAW scholarship in June.
Photo by Sebina Kalawadwala.
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Joshua Shin received a $5,000 SEAW scholarship. Joshua received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington in 2019 and recently his Master of Science for Structural Engineering, also at UW. Upon receiving his undergraduate degree, Joshua worked at various structural engineering firms in Seattle while staying involved in SEAW, ASCE, and the ACE Mentor Program. Joshua served as President of the SEAW student chapter as an undergrad. Growing up in the greater Seattle area, Joshua has a love of backpacking and bouldering. | | |
William Case received a $2,500 SEAW scholarship. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from WSU in 2022 and recently completed a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, also at WSU. Will has interned at KLB Construction, Pacific Engineering & Design, Leslie Engineering, and Swenson Say Faget. William will begin his structural engineering career at Coughlin Porter Lundeen in Seattle this August. Outside of structural engineering, William enjoys fishing, hiking, reading, and spending time with friends and family. | | |
Don’t Miss the WEC session at the SEAOC/SEA NW Conference | |
The Wind Engineering Committee submits the following report for the Summer 2024 Equilibrium: | |
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SEAW WEC Presentation at the September SEAOC/SEA NW Conference – The SEAW WEC will give a presentation in conjunction with the SEAO and SEAOC Wind Engineering Committees at the upcoming SEAOC/SEA NW Conference this September. Each SEA MO (Member Organization) will present their State’s Special Wind Region efforts and achievements. The SEAW WEC Committee will then present an accepted method for site specific wind exposure classification in lieu of the simplified definition criteria of ASCE 7 Section 26.7.3. This approach was used by the SEAW Wind Engineering Committee for the City of Seattle’s Puget Sound and Lake Washington shoreline areas. Visit Home | 2024 SEAOC Convention (pheedloop.com) for Conference information and registration.
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State of Washington Special Wind Regions (SWR) – The recommendations in White Paper WEC #3-2023 Structural Engineers Association of Washington (squarespace.com) has been submitted to the Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) for adoption as an amendment to the Washington State Building Code. The progress of this amendment is being monitored by SEAW member Roger Heeringa, a member of the SBCC’s Building Code Technical Advisory Committee. It is expected these recommendations will be adopted as an amendment to the Washington State Building Code the second quarter of 2025. These recommendations for Washington State are also being submitted to the ASCE 7-28 Subcommittee on Wind Loads for balloting after their next meeting this October.
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City of Bellevue Kzt Map – Work continues on the Kzt Wind Load Factor map for the City of Bellevue’s consideration. It will replicate the existing City of Seattle Wind Load Factor Map found at Wind Load Factors - SDCI | seattle.gov. If adopted the map will facilitate an alternate conservative method for rapid determination of Kzt factors and justify use of a Shoreline Exposure C classification in the City of Bellevue.
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Update to the 2004 SEAW commentary on wind code provisions (ATC 60) – Work continues on this effort by the NCSEA CAC Wind Engineering Subcommittee. There is a December 31, 2024, deadline for submittal to the NCSEA Publication Committee. Several SEAW WEC Members are involved in this Commentary revision.
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Participation - All SEAW members, whatever their experience, are encouraged to participate in WEC meetings. Please contact the WEC chair, Scott Douglas sdouglasscott@gmail.com, to join the SEAW WEC and receive additional information and announcements on Committee activities and actions.
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Next Meeting – Friday August 23 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm.
Meeting will be virtual via the following Zoom link
Meeting ID: 818 6397 9557 | Passcode: 377343
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Save the Date: SEFW 2024 Fall Forum | |
The Structural Engineers Foundation of Washington is pleased to announce details for its 14th Annual Fall Forum: | |
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Seattle Waterfront Transformation: A Collaborative Approach
November 14, 2024
Benaroya Hall
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This Forum will take place November 14, 2024 at Benaroya Hall. The program will feature the transformation of the Seattle Waterfront after demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Check out the September Equilibrium for more details and information. In the meantime be sure to save the date!
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The SEFW Fall Forum will showcase the design progress made on the waterfront, from the time of the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct (pictured here). Image courtesy Wikipedia/public domain. | |
SEAW Public Information Committee Meeting | |
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The SEAW Public Information Committee will meet via Teams on
Wednesday, August 14 from 12-1 PM
We will be discussing improvements to Equilibrium.
Contact Darrell Staaleson at dstaal@staaleng.com for a Teams invitation.
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August 14, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Public Information Committee Meeting, (@Via Teams)
August 23, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Wind Engineering Committee Meeting, (@Via ZOOM)
September 3-6, 2024
SEA Northwest Conference (@Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center)
November 5-8, 2024
NCSEA Summit (@MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV)
November 14, 2024, 6:00 PM
SEFW Fall Forum (@Benaroya Hall)
September 25-26, 2025
SEA Northwest Conference (@Spokane)
Please see the SEAW website for other event dates and information: https://www.seaw.org/calendar
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Ayumi Manawadu
Washington State University
Associate Member - Spokane Chapter
Evan Reschreiter
Tetra Tech, Inc.
PE Member - Seattle Chapter
Ryan Pegels
MKA
Associate Member - Seattle Chapter
Alex Mejia
DLR Group
PE Member - Seattle Chapter
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Jared Motley
MKA
Associate Member - Seattle Chapter
Amy Inhofer
Degenkolb Engineers
SE Member - Seattle Chapter
MD Aalam
Student - Seattle Chapter
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Are you currently seeking employment as a structural engineer, senior manager, or a senior engineer technician? Check out our job board for current employment opportunities. | |
Managing-level Waterfront Structural Engineer
Location: Seattle, WA (Hybrid)
Job Type: Full-time
What’s the Opportunity?
With a backlog of design projects and a growing sector nationally, Anchor QEA is seeking a managing-level waterfront structural engineer with 10 to 15 years of experience with a strong background leading the technical design and construction of waterfront development projects. The candidate will design piers, wharves, floating docks, boat launch ramps, seawalls, breakwaters, and other related civil/structural features for marinas, ports, and harbors. The candidate should have experience in project management related to these skills and be comfortable managing and mentoring design engineers and CAD while also providing QA/QC to others.
This position will support offices throughout the United States on projects throughout North America and will require occasional travel for meetings and site visits.
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Applying or Renewing your Membership in SEAW | |
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SEAW is organized into the membership categories and their corresponding dues structures
listed below. Select the membership category that best fits your status.
Your contact information is shared with our foundation, SEFW.
In order to “opt-out” please contact the association office. Click here for our privacy policy.
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Please consider making a line-item donation to SEFW as part of your dues renewal. Special designation can be placed on the donation, so it can be applied to scholarships, disaster preparedness or research opportunities. SEFW fulfills its mission with the assistance of donations from individuals and corporations. More information on SEFW and its mission to promote structural engineering can be found at www.sefw.org. Thank you for your support! | | | | |
