Dear SEAOI Members,
Mid-August always invokes a sense of newness – a fresh start. A new school year, new classes, new teachers, new school supplies, new clothes and shoes, a new hairstyle, maybe a new apartment. Fifteen years ago, I was just beginning my new career, but it was the first time since I was 5 years old that I wouldn’t be returning to school after the summer. When that realization hit me, I was sad. No, let’s be honest – I was devasted. I LOVED school. I always have, and just three months earlier, I graduated from UIUC after spending the previous six years with the same group of students and professors in the same two buildings on the South Quad. I cherished the community that I had made, and it was going to be hard to start over.
Or so I thought. Rebuilding that community with my colleagues and with SEAOI was actually really easy. And so, I invite you to be part of that community too. Come join SEAOI at our annual summer happy hour “Committees & Cocktails” on Tuesday, August 25th at South Branch on the river. Thanks to the generous support of AISC, the event is free for members and non-members. While we’ll be celebrating SEAOI’s upcoming program year, representatives for all SEAOI committees will be on hand throughout the evening. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to serve on a committee, or which one might be the right fit for you, this is your chance to ask questions, hear firsthand experience, and meet the people already doing the work. Whether you're drawn to mentorship and networking with the Young Engineers Committee (YEC), passionate about advancing women in the field through WiSE, invested in equity and inclusion with our EDI Committee, interested in shaping policy through Government Affairs/SEPAC, or curious about Building Codes, Continuing Education, Sponsorship, Symposiums, or Dinner Meetings – there's a seat at the table for you.
Just a week later, we kick off our annual dinner meetings program with the September Dinner Meeting at the famed Cliff Dwellers Club on Tuesday, September 1st. David Odeh, a Senior VP and National Director of Building Structures at WSP will be presenting on “Future Ready Structures – A Call to Action” where he’ll discuss the need for new tools to create economical and adaptable designs for an unpredictable future world. The deadline for in-person registration is August 28th.
Finally, the best way to strengthen your community is by getting to know the people in it. The SEAOI Member Spotlight is intended to highlight some of the fun and interesting things that aren’t included in your professional bio, like when did you know you wanted to be an SE, and what advice would you give to your younger self, and what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment. A different SEAOI member will be highlighted each week in our Tuesday Update email. I can’t wait to learn more about each of you!
With purpose,
Michelle Ryland, SE, RA
SEAOI President
