2020 SEAONC SE3 / AIASF Winter Panel Discussion
A/E/C ROUNDTABLE: Inclusive Practices in Recruiting and Management
Date: Tuesday, February 25th, 2020.
Time: 5:45 pm to 8:30 pm | See below for detailed schedule
Location: AIA San Francisco, 130 Sutter St #600, San Francisco, CA 94104
Panelists:
- Lori Burbridge, Associate Principal, Business Manager | Buehler
- Denny Kwan, Principal, Residential Studio Lead | Holmes Structures
- Kelli Quinn, Project Executive | Rudolph & Sletten
- Gabrielle Bullock, Director of Global Diversity | Perkins & Will
- Saskia Dennis-Van Dijl, Principal Consultant | Cameron MacAllister Group
Registration will be open from February 1st thru February 24th or until seats are sold out. To register NOW, go to the SEAONC Website
Description
This roundtable discussion will focus on recruitment and management strategies that help attract and support a diverse staff. The panel will consist of firm leaders, HR/recruiting managers, and professionals from structural engineering, architecture, and general contracting firms, who will share their experiences implementing strategies or programs to diversify their staff and improve their workplace culture and retention metrics.
The event will conclude with networking happy hour, during which attendees will have an opportunity to share their reflections or experiences, ask questions, or solicit advice from the panelists. Appetizers and refreshments will be served during the happy hour.
Registration
Registration for this event will be open from January 31st through February 24th.
Since seating is limited, pre-registration is strongly recommended: SEAONC Event Page.
Schedule
5:40 pm Registration & Reception
6:10 pm Introductions & Opening Remarks
6:20 pm Moderated Discussion with Audience Participation
7:35 pm Closing Remarks
7:40 pm Networking
8:30 pm End of Program (Close & Clean up)
This roundtable discussion will focus on recruitment and management strategies that help attract and support a diverse staff. The panel will consist of firm leaders, HR/recruiting managers, and professionals from structural engineering, architecture, and general contracting firms, who will share their experiences implementing strategies or programs to diversify their staff and improve their workplace culture and retention metrics.
The event will conclude with networking happy hour, during which attendees will have an opportunity to share their reflections or experiences, ask questions, or solicit advice from the panelists. Appetizers and refreshments will be served during the happy hour.
Registration
Registration for this event will be open from January 31st through February 24th.
Since seating is limited, pre-registration is strongly recommended: SEAONC Event Page.
Schedule
5:40 pm Registration & Reception
6:10 pm Introductions & Opening Remarks
6:20 pm Moderated Discussion with Audience Participation
7:35 pm Closing Remarks
7:40 pm Networking
8:30 pm End of Program (Close & Clean up)
Panelist & Moderator Biographies
Lori Burbridge, CPSM, Panelist
Associate Principal/Business Manager at Buehler (Pronouns: she/her/hers) A graduate of UC Davis, Lori is an experienced business professional in the architecture and engineering industry. As part of theExecutive Group, Lori is an integral part of strategic planning decisions and tactical implementation at the highest level of Buehler. Lori brings an unparalleled combination of big picture vision, institutional knowledge and industry awareness. Her natural leadership abilities give her a powerful voice. Adding to this, her strong organizational skills along with a unique combination of passion and patience makes her a true force of nature. She brings these dynamic talents to the complete realm of the business including executive leadership, marketing, human resources, accounting and operations. In addition, Lori is committed to mentoring others. Through programs such as CREATE, SMPS Mentoring Pathways, and the development of an internal mentoring program, Lori encourages others to find their voice and embrace the power in bringing a different perspective to any conversation. She regularly participates in discussions within SEAOC, AIA and SMPS on diversity, equity and inclusion topics, and advocates for the industry to redefine what an engineer, architect and tradesperson looks like. |
Denny Kwan, S.E., Panelist
Principal, Residential Studio Lead, Holmes Structures (Pronouns: he/him/his) Denny Kwan is Principal at Holmes Structures, a structural engineering firm committed to improving diversity and equity among its staff. As part of the firm’s management group, Denny leads strategic growth initiatives—regarding both scaling up and enriching company culture. To this end, he recruits and hires exceptional people across a wide spectrum of identifiers. For over two decades, he has impacted the company through his exceptional work ethic and mentorship of up-and-coming leaders. Denny brings integrity and respect to each of the relationships and projects that he builds. Denny also founded Holmes Structures’ residential studio, specializing in high-end single-family residences along the West Coast. Denny and his team collaborate with design and construction professionals to realize design-driven homes. He strives to engineer value into solutions that maximize volume and light while enabling gravity-defying architecture. Holmes Structures is part of the international Holmes Group, with employees around the Pacific Rim. We believe projects become great by what you put into them. With inspired practicality, we reconcile the complex, competing interests and constraints, providing not just engineering but optimal solutions. In this way, we create more meaningful, integrated designs as a collaborative process in the vital pursuit of building great things. |
Kelli Quinn, LEED BD+C, Panelist
Project Executive, Rudolph & Sletten (Pronouns: she/her/hers) Kelli lives in San Jose and has been in the construction industry for 27 years. She has been with Rudolph and Sletten (R&S), a leading general contractor working in the Bay Area, for 26+ of those 27 years. Kelli currently is the Project Executive responsible for a $500M+ project in Mountain View for a confidential Silicon Valley client. Kelli shares the responsibility for hiring Bay Area operations staffing for R&S. R&S focuses on hiring high performing, dynamic individuals who can continue to adapt to the ever changing construction industry. Kelli is focused on mentoring up and attracting more women to R&S. She is also one of the key members on R&S’ Committee for Diversity & Inclusion. Kelli has been very active and supportive of WiOPS (Women in Construction Operations) Northern California Chapter since their beginning days 3+ years ago. Kelli enjoys construction because “every day is different and each day brings new challenges. But it is our people that build these fantastic projects, and I have a great passion for coaching and mentoring our team members. I also have the perspective of being a part of our executive team, while also onsite leading a project team of 65 people. This gives me daily direct contact with our team members to have that all-important pulse with our employees.” |
Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA, NOMA, IIDA, LEED AP, Panelist
Director of Global Diversity, Principal at Perkins and Will (Pronouns: she/her/hers) Gabrielle oversees Perkins and Will’s Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement program, which works to support and strengthen a firmwide culture that embraces a diversity of people, colors, creeds, credos, talents, thoughts, and ideas. Her unique role as an award-winning principal and the firm’s Director of Global Diversity enables her to combine her passion for architecture and social justice to effect positive change at a micro and macro level. Gabrielle has been a key player in Perkins and Will’s success for three decades. She has led numerous complex and high-profile projects, including Destination Crenshaw, an outdoor street museum in Los Angeles and the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. In 2014, she was elected by her peers as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and served on the AIA’s Equity in Architecture Commission. She is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), served as the 2018-2019 President of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). |
Saskia Dennis-Van Dijl, Moderator
Principal Consultant at Cameron MacAllister Group, Executive Director for the Global Design Alliance (Pronouns: she/her/hers) Saskia Dennis-van Dijl advises Cameron MacAllister clients in the areas of marketing, practice management, leadership development, and strategic planning. Guiding clients through the development and implementation of strategic and tactical marketing plans and budgets, Saskia provides counsel to in-house marketing principals and senior marketing staff on best practices, marketing trends, and prospective clients. She also leads training workshops for architects, engineers, and related professionals throughout the United States on topics including: Presenting for Success, Client Care and Business Development, Effective Communications, and Basics of Marketing. In recent years, Saskia has focused extensively on leadership development in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry including a deep commitment to concerns related to diversity equity and inclusion. She was a founding member of the 2014 Equity by Design research project sponsored by AIA San Francisco and now works with companies around the nation on culture and policy development to achieve goals of diversity and inclusion in all aspects. Saskia has spoken widely on the topic including presenting to the AIA, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and several other national and regional groups. In 2018, Saskia was named a Women of Vision award winner by the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce. She was one of 50 women honored for their roles in shaping the industry in Oregon and southwest Washington. Saskia also serves as Executive Director of the Global Design Alliance, an international network of 19 design, planning and construction firms who are committed to fostering dynamic growth and change. Saskia joined Cameron MacAllister Group in 1999 after 11 years as Director of Business Development for Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis (EHDD), an architectural firm based in San Francisco. |
Event Coordination Team
Brenna Marcoux, P.E.
Project Engineer at FTF Engineering, Inc.
2019-2020 SEAONC SE3 CO-CHAIR
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Brenna is a design engineer at FTF Engineering in San Francisco. She is a licensed civil engineer in California, and earned her Bachelor’s from The George Washington University and her Master’s from UC Davis. She joined FTF in 2017, and has worked on a range of new construction and retrofit projects in high-end residential, multi-family, commercial, and aviation. Brenna joined SE3 in 2017 and worked on writing the SE3 Pay Report with data from the 2016 Survey. She was co-lead of the SE3 Mentorship sub-committee and helped start the SE3 Long-Term Mentorship program. Brenna is also involved in San Francisco’s ASCE YMF where she was on the board for the last two years. She is also a key contact with ASCE and participates in legislative advocacy for state and federal legislation. She was the 2019 Outstanding Engineer in Legislative Activities for ASCE San Francisco Section.
Project Engineer at FTF Engineering, Inc.
2019-2020 SEAONC SE3 CO-CHAIR
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Brenna is a design engineer at FTF Engineering in San Francisco. She is a licensed civil engineer in California, and earned her Bachelor’s from The George Washington University and her Master’s from UC Davis. She joined FTF in 2017, and has worked on a range of new construction and retrofit projects in high-end residential, multi-family, commercial, and aviation. Brenna joined SE3 in 2017 and worked on writing the SE3 Pay Report with data from the 2016 Survey. She was co-lead of the SE3 Mentorship sub-committee and helped start the SE3 Long-Term Mentorship program. Brenna is also involved in San Francisco’s ASCE YMF where she was on the board for the last two years. She is also a key contact with ASCE and participates in legislative advocacy for state and federal legislation. She was the 2019 Outstanding Engineer in Legislative Activities for ASCE San Francisco Section.
Rachel Cohen, P.E.
Engineer at Forell/Elsesser Engineers
2019-2020 SEAONC SE3 CO-CHAIR
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Rachel Cohen is an engineer at Forell/Elsesser Engineers. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Brown University and her Master’s degree from UC Berkeley, and is now a licensed civil engineer in California. Since joining F/E in 2017, Rachel has worked on a range of new design and retrofit projects within the higher education, healthcare, and civic sectors, and has gained experience in bringing projects from schematic design through construction. Rachel joined SE3 in early 2018. She co-led the Outreach & Communications subcomittee for the 2018-2019 year, helping to launch SE3’s quarterly newsletter and “Leadership in Action” blog. Outside of engineering, Rachel is an avid dancer, and enjoys cooking, running, and attending live music events.
Engineer at Forell/Elsesser Engineers
2019-2020 SEAONC SE3 CO-CHAIR
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Rachel Cohen is an engineer at Forell/Elsesser Engineers. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Brown University and her Master’s degree from UC Berkeley, and is now a licensed civil engineer in California. Since joining F/E in 2017, Rachel has worked on a range of new design and retrofit projects within the higher education, healthcare, and civic sectors, and has gained experience in bringing projects from schematic design through construction. Rachel joined SE3 in early 2018. She co-led the Outreach & Communications subcomittee for the 2018-2019 year, helping to launch SE3’s quarterly newsletter and “Leadership in Action” blog. Outside of engineering, Rachel is an avid dancer, and enjoys cooking, running, and attending live music events.
Maito Okamoto , E.I.T.
Engineer-in-Training, Martin/Martin, Inc
SEAONC SE3 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CO-LEAD
(Pronouns: he/him/his)
Maito Okamoto is one of the co-leads of the SEAONC SE3 Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee. He is working as an Engineer in Training at Martin/Martin in the Bay Area office. He is a graduate from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, and a Master's Degree in Structural Engineering. He has been active in a number of committees, board members and societies, including Associate General Contractors (AGS), and Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), and the Colorado School of Mines Chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Maito facilitated an engaging interactive breakout session at the SEAONC Symposium in May 2019 on Diversity Inclusion.
Engineer-in-Training, Martin/Martin, Inc
SEAONC SE3 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CO-LEAD
(Pronouns: he/him/his)
Maito Okamoto is one of the co-leads of the SEAONC SE3 Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee. He is working as an Engineer in Training at Martin/Martin in the Bay Area office. He is a graduate from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, and a Master's Degree in Structural Engineering. He has been active in a number of committees, board members and societies, including Associate General Contractors (AGS), and Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), and the Colorado School of Mines Chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Maito facilitated an engaging interactive breakout session at the SEAONC Symposium in May 2019 on Diversity Inclusion.
Hayley Proctor, P.E.
Engineering Associate at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
SEAONC SE3 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CO-LEAD
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Hayley is an engineering associate at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates in the San Francisco Bay Area office. She is a licensed civil engineer in California, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a Master’s degree in structural engineering from UC Berkeley. She joined WJE in 2018, where she mainly works on forensics, evaluations, analyses, repairs, and retrofits of existing structures. Hayley joined the SEAONC SE3 Committee in 2019 and is exciting to be co-chairing the Diversity & Inclusion subcommittee.
Engineering Associate at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
SEAONC SE3 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CO-LEAD
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Hayley is an engineering associate at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates in the San Francisco Bay Area office. She is a licensed civil engineer in California, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a Master’s degree in structural engineering from UC Berkeley. She joined WJE in 2018, where she mainly works on forensics, evaluations, analyses, repairs, and retrofits of existing structures. Hayley joined the SEAONC SE3 Committee in 2019 and is exciting to be co-chairing the Diversity & Inclusion subcommittee.
Tiffany Hwang, P.E.
Bridge Engineer, COWI North America
SEAONC SE3 COMMITTEE CORE CONTRIBUTOR
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Tiffany is a bridge engineer based in the Oakland office of COWI North America. She has been a project engineer on several innovative bridge projects, including the Nærheden cable-stayed bridge in Denmark; the world’s next longest suspension bridge, the Çanakkale 1915 Bridge in Turkey; the Abraham Lincoln cable-stayed bridge (Ohio River Bridge Downtown Crossing); and the Governor Mario M. Cuomo cable-stayed bridge (New NY Bridge Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement). She has worked in the Lyngby, Denmark, headquarters of COWI A/S, as well as the New York and Oakland offices of COWI North America, since joining the company in 2013. Tiffany earned her undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Princeton University and her masters degree at Columbia University.
Tiffany first joined the SEAONC SE3 Committee in 2017 and contributed to the 2016 Pay Report based on the pay data received through the SE3 nationwide survey of structural engineers in 2016. She is excited to lead the Beta Testing efforts for the 2020 Survey currently under development for the NCSEA SE3 committee. She also currently volunteers as a high school mathematics tutor with Girls Inc of Alameda County and has volunteered with Bridges to Prosperity to construct the superstructure of a suspended bridge in Rwanda in 2019.
Bridge Engineer, COWI North America
SEAONC SE3 COMMITTEE CORE CONTRIBUTOR
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
Tiffany is a bridge engineer based in the Oakland office of COWI North America. She has been a project engineer on several innovative bridge projects, including the Nærheden cable-stayed bridge in Denmark; the world’s next longest suspension bridge, the Çanakkale 1915 Bridge in Turkey; the Abraham Lincoln cable-stayed bridge (Ohio River Bridge Downtown Crossing); and the Governor Mario M. Cuomo cable-stayed bridge (New NY Bridge Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement). She has worked in the Lyngby, Denmark, headquarters of COWI A/S, as well as the New York and Oakland offices of COWI North America, since joining the company in 2013. Tiffany earned her undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Princeton University and her masters degree at Columbia University.
Tiffany first joined the SEAONC SE3 Committee in 2017 and contributed to the 2016 Pay Report based on the pay data received through the SE3 nationwide survey of structural engineers in 2016. She is excited to lead the Beta Testing efforts for the 2020 Survey currently under development for the NCSEA SE3 committee. She also currently volunteers as a high school mathematics tutor with Girls Inc of Alameda County and has volunteered with Bridges to Prosperity to construct the superstructure of a suspended bridge in Rwanda in 2019.
Testimonials of recent SE3 events
This year’s symposium clarified the importance of diversifying our workforce in creating work environments that foster creativity. Diversity and inclusion fuels imaginative solutions to challenging problems through an architectural and systematic approach that benefits more than one segment of population with long-term impact. SE3’s research and the 2019 program content helped us better understand the landscape of our field and the opportunities, providing a road map to better support, mentor, champion and progress our staff. Thanks for building the foundation of knowledge for us!”
- George Theo, Human Resources and Business Management | Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Company culture and diversity are of upmost importance to ensure engagement in our profession, and the SE3 committee displayed an incredible, concerted effort to demonstrate exactly why that is so. The symposium served as a great resource for identifying factors that lead to being unengaged / withdrawing from the profession, and ways to alleviate them. It was successful in alluding to what drives retention and satisfaction, and ways we can achieve that as staff, management, and companies as a whole. More importantly, the breakout speakers and panelists emphasized that although our presence serves to validate the desire for impacting & securing the future of our profession, initiative and action are essential for promoting and creating positive change.
The networking event following the symposium provided an outlet for structural engineers of all levels of experience to socialize informally, allowing opportunity for the interconnection of perspectives, which are invaluable when put together. Moreover, it allowed individuals from numerous firms to meet a variety of amazing, proactive professionals in our industry.
- Stefanie Rae Arizabal, P.E., Project Engineer | Holmes Structures
This year’s symposium clarified the importance of diversifying our workforce in creating work environments that foster creativity. Diversity and inclusion fuels imaginative solutions to challenging problems through an architectural and systematic approach that benefits more than one segment of population with long-term impact. SE3’s research and the 2019 program content helped us better understand the landscape of our field and the opportunities, providing a road map to better support, mentor, champion and progress our staff. Thanks for building the foundation of knowledge for us!”
- George Theo, Human Resources and Business Management | Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Company culture and diversity are of upmost importance to ensure engagement in our profession, and the SE3 committee displayed an incredible, concerted effort to demonstrate exactly why that is so. The symposium served as a great resource for identifying factors that lead to being unengaged / withdrawing from the profession, and ways to alleviate them. It was successful in alluding to what drives retention and satisfaction, and ways we can achieve that as staff, management, and companies as a whole. More importantly, the breakout speakers and panelists emphasized that although our presence serves to validate the desire for impacting & securing the future of our profession, initiative and action are essential for promoting and creating positive change.
The networking event following the symposium provided an outlet for structural engineers of all levels of experience to socialize informally, allowing opportunity for the interconnection of perspectives, which are invaluable when put together. Moreover, it allowed individuals from numerous firms to meet a variety of amazing, proactive professionals in our industry.
- Stefanie Rae Arizabal, P.E., Project Engineer | Holmes Structures