Kurt S. Yoshii

Status:

Awarded

Awarded:

Outstanding Civil Engineer in the Private Sector

Nominated Categories

Outstanding Civil Engineer in the Private Sector

Other Categories

Awards:

American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County Branch, 2022 Outstanding Civil Engineer in the Private Sector Award, April 2022
American Council of Engineering Companies, Orange County Chapter
Member of the Year, June 2022
President’s Award, June 2017
Society of Marketing Professional Services
Fellow, Class of 2022
Orange County Chapter, Keystone Member Award, August 2019

Additional Files

ACEC-CA endorsement letter
AAa/e endorsement letter

Additional Information

Many of the projects Mr. Yoshii has contributed to over his career have gone on to win awards for the prime civil design firm; however, the “foundations of the project” cannot be done without the geotechnical engineer.  In 2022, ACEC California and ACEC National awarded Ninyo & Moore Engineering Excellence awards for the geotechnical engineering performed for LAX Terminal 1.5, which Mr. Yoshii was the Principal-In-Charge.

 

Candidate Information

Name:

Kurt S. Yoshii

ASCE Member?:

Yes

Company:

Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants
475 Goddard, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92618

Supervisor:

Education:

University of California at Berkeley, Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering

Experience:

Mr. Yoshii has had the opportunity to work on both public and private projects over his 30-year career in geotechnical engineering.  The first years of his career were spent in Northern California working primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area performing geotechnical evaluations for residential and commercial structures as well as landslide investigations.  He then moved to Southern California where he has worked for the past 27 years.  During this time, he has worked on projects in most areas of public infrastructure, including roadways, bridges, highways; rail roads and stations; airports; port facilities; water and waste water facilities and pipelines; public and private schools, K-12, community colleges, and universities; hospitals; and courthouses.  Mr. Yoshii has also served as an expert witness for many insurance and litiga-tion cases and has provided testimony during mediation and arbitration hearings.  In 2022, Ninyo & Moore was awarded an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies both for the State of California and at the National level for the geotechnical engineering work performed on the LAX Terminal 1.5 Project.  Mr. Yoshii was the Principal-In-Charge of this project.  Below is a sampling of projects that Mr. Yoshii has worked on during his ca-reer at Ninyo & Moore.

Airports
Los Angeles International Airport
• Terminal 1.5 (ACEC EEA Award Winning Project for Geotechnical Design)
• Delta Maintenance Hanger
• Taxiway C Widening
John Wayne Airport
• Terminal C
• Cogeneration Plant
• Terminal A & B Security Improvements
• South Remain Overnight Apron
• Seismic Remediation of Elevated Roadways
Long Beach Airport
• Terminal Improvements
• Baggage Claim Inspection System
Hollywood Burbank Airport
• Regional Intermodal Transportation Center
• Terminal Replacement Preliminary Evaluation
Palms Spring Airport
• Terminal
Oakland Airport
• North Field Runway Safety Area
Highways/Roadways/Transit/Rail
Orange County Transportation Authority
• I-405/SR-55 Interchange
• SR-91/SR-55 Interchange
• Santa Ana Bus Base
• Irvine Bus Base
• Garden Grove Bus Base
• Laguna Hills Transportation Center
• Golden West Transportation Center
Orange County Public Works
• La Plata Gap Closure
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor
• Regional Connector
• Purple Line Phases 1, 2, and 3
• Division 16 Southwestern Yard
• Division 20 Portal Widening
San Bernardino County Transportation Agency
• SR-71
• I-10 HOV Widening
• 5th Street Bridge Replacement
• I-15 Widening
Riverside County Transportation Commission
• West Corona Metrolink Station
• Corona North Main Metrolink Station
• La Sierra Metrolink Station
• Downtown Riverside Metrolink Station
• Perris Downtown Metrolink Station
Caltrans
• District 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12 (multiple highway maintenance and new construction projects)
Ports
Port of Long Beach
• Pier B (multiple projects)
• Pier E (multiple projects)
• Pier G (multiple projects)
• Fireboat Station
Port of Los Angeles
• Pier 300 LAXT
• Red Car Museum
•
Water/Waste Water
Orange County Sanitation District
• On-Call/Geotechnical & Materials Testing Services
• Project 272-B
• Plant No. 1/Trickling Filters
• Primary Clarifiers
South Coast Water District
• Tunnel Stockpile at San Juan Creek
• San Juan Creek
• Lift Station No.6 at Dana Point
• Water Operations Victoria Warehouse Project
Santa Margarita Water District
• Chiquita Reservoir
Public Schools K-12 and Community College
Los Angeles Unified School District
• Central Region Elementary School No. 17
• Southern Region Elementary School No. 6
• Southern Region Elementary School No. 11
• Valley Region Elementary School No. 12
• Valley Region High School No. 9
• Ascot Elementary School Comprehensive Modernization
• Grant High School Comprehensive Modernization
• North Hollywood High School Comprehensive Modernization
• Venice High School Comprehensive Modernization
• Venice High School Gymnasium
• Crenshaw High School Performing Arts
Santa Ana Unified School District
• Godinez High School
• Carver E. S. Classroom Building
• John Muir Elementary School Classroom Building
• Mendez Intermediate (Space Saver)
• Wilson Elementary School. New Classroom Building
• Edison Elementary School Classroom Additions
• Wilson Elementary School Modernization
Long Beach Unified School District
• GTE Site New Middle School
• Newcomb K-8 School
• New High School No. 2
• Jordan H.S. Major Renovation Ph 1B
• Roosevelt Elementary School
Long Beach Community College District
• Pacific Coast Campus
• Math Tech New Construction, Project No. 5714.08
• Central Quad and Pavilion
• Liberal Arts Campus, Infrastructure Phase 2
• Liberal Arts Campus, Building “A” Student Center Renovation
• Building Gg Student Services Center
Rancho Santiago Community College
• Orange Education Center Building
• Santa Ana College Planetarium Upgrade
• Santa Ana College Parking Lot 11 Expansion
• Santa Ana College Dunlap Hall Addition and Alteration
South Orange County Community College District
• Fine Arts Building
• Health Center & Concessions Building
• First Building Project at the Advanced Technology and Education Park
• Student Services Center
North Orange County Community College District
• Anaheim Tower
• Cypress College Fine Arts Renovation
Higher Education
University of California at Irvine
• Anteater Leaning Pavilion
• Anteater Recreation Center
• Gavin Eye Institute
• Verano Student Housing
• Middle Earth Housing Expansion
• North Irvine Staff Housing Area
• Health Sciences Campus Project
• North Campus Project
• Alumni Center
• Step-4 Electrical Substation
• Institute & Museum of California Art
• Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Building
University of California at Riverside
• Campus Greenhouse Replacement
Hospitals
LAC+USC Medical Center
• LAC+USC Medical Center Earthquake Recovery Program
• LAC+USC Medical Center Replacement Project – Phase 1
Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Medical Center
• Hospital Tower Replacement
• Enhanced Regional Kitchen Study
• GLA Kitchen
• SD-2 New Tower
• North Campus
• Research Building Enhanced Study
• Steam Boiler Plant
Veterans Affairs Long Beach Medical Center
• Building 8 Demo and Renovation
• Gas and Oxygen EMS
Courthouses
Judicial Council of California
• New Riverside Mid-County Courthouse
• New Los Angeles Federal Courthouse
• Santa Ana Courthouse
• Hollywood Courthouse
• New Mammoth Lakes Courthouse
• Hollywood Courthouse
• Plumas Courthouse Project
• Santa Barbara Superior Court
County of Los Angeles
• Compton Courthouse
• Eastlake Juvenile Courthouse
Forensic
Forensic/Expert Witness consultant for various residential, commercial, and industrial projects

Comments:

Please see endorsement letters attached.

Contribution to the Profession:

Mr. Yoshii has spent his entire career in the private sector and has actively given back to the profession.  He is a California licensed Civil and Geotechnical Engineer, as well as a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.  In addition to his full-time job with a consulting engineering firm, he has also served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the State of California Board of Professional Engineer, Land Surveyors, and Geologist for over 20 years.  As an SME, he has been an active member of the Geotechnical Engineering Ex-am Development every year since 2001. My Yoshii has also been a very active participant in professional in-dustry organizations that promote Civil Engineering and the business of engineering.  He has held multiple lead-ership roles in many professional organizations, serving as President for many, including the American Council of Engineering Companies California (ACEC) Orange County Chapter, as well as, President of ACEC Califor-nia; Asian American Architects/Engineers Association of Southern California, and the Society of Marketing Pro-fessional Services (SMPS), Orange County Chapter. 
Mr. Yoshii is a member of SMPS 2022 Class of Fellows, a national recognition for the contributions to the Soci-ety during the member’s career.  At the National level of ACEC, Mr. Yoshii currently services as the National Director for California and is one of the founding Executive Committee Members of the Geoprofessional Coali-tion.  The following is a list of leadership positions that Mr. Yoshii has held in professional organizations.
Note:  (L) in parenthesis indicates an elected or appointed leadership position

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

National
Geoprofessional Coalition, Executive Committee Member:  2018 – Present (L)
2021-2022 – Secretary/Treasurer (L)
2020-21 – Director (L)
2019-20 – Director (L)
2018-19 – Director (L)

Nominations Committee
2022-23 – Voting member (L)

State
California Executive Committee:  2017 to Present (L)
2022-24 – National Director (L)
2021-22 – National Director, Immediate Past-President, Nominations Commit-tee Chair (L)
2020-21 – President (L)
2019-20 – President-Elect (L)
2018-19 – Vice-President (L)
2017-18 – Secretary-Treasurer (L)

Local
Orange County Chapter Board Member: 2010 to Present
2017-Present – Board Member (L)
2016-17 – Immediate Past-President, State Director (L), ACEC-CA Scholar-ship Foundation Trustee (L)
2014-16 – President, State Director (L), State Committees: Caltrans Liaison; BPELSG Liaison; ACEC-CA Scholarship Foundation Trustee (L)
2013-14 – Vice-President (L); Scholarship Committee; Golf Committee; State Committees: Annual Conference Program, BPELSG Liaison
2012-13 – Treasurer (L), Program Committee, Banquet; Scholarship
2011-12 – Secretary (L), Program Committee, Banquet; Scholarship
2010-11 – Programs Committee
Asian American Architects/Engineers Association (AAa/e)
Post-Board Positions:  2017 - Present
2022 – Past-President’s Council Chair, Orange County Planning Committee Chair (L)
2021 – Past-President’s Council Chair, Orange County Planning Committee Chair (L)
2020 – Past-President’s Council Chair, Orange County Planning Committee Chair (L)
2019 – Past-President’s Council Chair, Orange County Planning Committee Chair (L)
2018 – Past-President’s Council Chair, Professional Development Committee, Banquet Committee
2017 – Past-President’s Council Chair (L), Professional Development Committee, Banquet Com-mittee

Board Member:  2005 to 2016
2016 – Special Task Force Committee Chair (L), Professional Development Committee, Banquet Committee
2015 – Special Task Force Committee Chair (L), Professional Development Committee, Banquet Committee
2014 – Strategic Planning Committee, Banquet Committee, Master Series Committee
2013 – Banquet Committee Co-Chair (L), Strategic Planning Committee, Master Series Committee
2012 – Master Series Chair (L), Banquet Committee
2011 – Banquet Committee
2010 – By-Laws, Policy, Procedures Chair (L), Banquet Committee
2009 – Programs Chair (L), Banquet Committee
2008 – Immediate Past-President/Annual Awards Banquet Chair (L)
2007 – President (L)
2006 – By-Laws, Policy, Procedures Chair (L)
2005 – Board Member

Society of Marketing Professional Services, Orange County Chapter
2021-22 – Past-Presidents Advisory Committee, Chair (L)
2020-21 – Nominations Committee Member
2015-16 – Board Member, Mentor
2014-15 – Immediate Past-President (L), PRC Sponsorship Committee
2013-14 – President, Sponsorship Chair (L); PRC Sponsorship Committee
2012-13 – Vice-President (L)
2011-12 – CPSM Study Group, Golf Committee
2009-10 – Mentor, Mentorship Committee

Women’s Transportation Seminar, Orange County Chapter
2013 – Banquet Committee, Programs Committee
2012 – Banquet Co-Chair (L), Programs Committee
2011 – Programs Committee, Banquet Committee
2010 – Programs Committee

Civic:

Mr. Yoshii has a long history of volunteering and giving back to the community.  While in college, he volunteered for vari-ous charity organizations helping distribute food and Christmas gifts during the holidays. For over 10 consecutive years during the early 2000’s, Mr. Yoshii and his family would travel every Christmas break to the Rancho Santa Marta Or-phanage outside of San Vicente, Baja California, Mexico.  He would spend a week each year helping with various con-struction projects, including helping to survey out areas of the orphanage as someone had donated a transit level to the orphanage, but no one there knew how to use it.  He also volunteered as a cook and timer at many swimming and diving competitions in southern California for well over 10 years starting in the early 2000’s through mid-2010’s.

Suggested Award Summary:

Kurt S. Yoshii, PE, GE, FSMPS, CPSM, ENV SP, is a Principal Engineer at Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical and Environ-mental Sciences Consultants in Irvine, California.  His career in Civil Engineering began the summer he graduated from high school where he interned for a Civil and Mechanical Engineering firm in Berkeley, California.  He worked at that firm during his summer and winter breaks, as well as part-time while attending college.  After graduating from the College of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, Mr. Yoshii started his career in geotechnical engineer with a small engineering firm in Berkeley that provided geotechnical consulting services for hillside residential and commercial clients. Mr. Yoshii moved to southern California in order to expand his experience and work on larger infrastructure pro-jects.  Soon after moving to Southern California he became a licensed Civil Engineer and five years later a licensed Ge-otechnical Engineer in California. In subsequent years, he also obtained licenses as a Professional Engineer in the state of Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. 

Throughout his 30-year+ career, he has made significant contributions to infrastructure projects throughout California, both new and renovation/replacement of aging infrastructure, including roadways, bridges, highways; rail roads and sta-tions; airports; port facilities; water and waste water facilities and pipelines; public and private schools, K-12, community colleges, and universities; hospitals; and courthouses.  Mr. Yoshii has also been active in professional organizations dur-ing his career, servicing as President of the Asian/American Architects/Engineers Association of Southern California; the American Council of Engineering Companies, for both the Orange County Chapter and the State; and the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Orange County Chapter.  Mr. Yoshii is also a Class of 2022 Fellow for SMPS (FSMPS).