SEAOSC President’s Message November 2026: Bringing Meaning and Giving Thanks
I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween weekend! Personally, I had a blast serving as the trick-or-treat team manager for Cristiano Ronaldo and a cheerleader (aka my 9- and 7-year-old kids).
As we now head into November, it's a time of year when we naturally start thinking about the things we're most thankful for and reflecting on what matters most. For me, that comes down to: family, friends, health, and… this incredible structural engineering community. I am thankful for the opportunities this community has given me to make a positive impact on those that matter most. It also got me thinking about meaning, and this quote from last week's NCSEA Summit keynote speaker, Justin Jones-Fosu: “It's not about finding meaning in your work; it's about bringing meaning to your work.”
At SEAOSC, we’re bringing meaning in the form of external outreach. First, our Existing Buildings Committee helped shape the city of West Hollywood’s design guidelines for externally bonded FRP used in seismic retrofit and is now crafting worked FRP design examples. The guidelines clarify what needs to be included in construction documents, how to classify FRP behavior in the context of ASCE 41, and how to design FRP strengthening for concrete walls, diaphragms, and columns. The committee is also working closely with the City of Los Angeles, providing recommendations on its published adaptive reuse bulletin. Additionally, our Safer Cities Committee is collaborating with the City of Long Beach to help refine its soft, weak, open front building retrofit ordinance.
I am thankful to be part of a community that is bringing meaning by helping our local cities improve public safety and I encourage you to bring your own meaning, get involved, and join us in making a difference.
As we head into Thanksgiving later this month, I hope you are able to slow down, take a break from the demands of work, and spend some quality time with family and friends.
And I hope to see you at our upcoming events:
- November 13th: Structured Connections, San Luis Obispo. Join us for a fun night of networking with our community ahead of the Cal Poly Structural Forum!
- November 18th: OC Breakfast & Winter Technical Meeting. Get a preview of the upcoming SEAOC Seismic Isolation and Energy Dissipation Design Guide and learn the fundamentals of designing with energy-dissipating systems.
- December 5th: Gingerbread Challenge. Last call! Partner with your colleagues, clients, friends, or mentees and gather your Gingerbread team now.
With thanks,
Daniel Fox
2026-2027 SEAOSC President