Orange County Branch Newsletter

October 2015

President's Message

President’s Article October 2015

By Steven King, P.E.



I thank you for the opportunity to serve the Orange County Branch of ASCE as the President for 2015-16. The Branch is one of the largest and most active branches of society with over 2500 members and it is an honor to have been selected for this role. I begin the term with excitement because of all the amazing activities the Branch is doing, but also with anxiety due to the tremendous shoes left to fill by our former President, Gary Gilbert, P.E., G.E. He has been an inspiration to me for all the time and effort he has dedicated to ASCE. Last year, Gary lead an update to the Branch website and grew our organization in many ways such as increasing member participation, expanding involvement in the K-12 and student programs, and engaging the Branch in joint activities with YMF, Institutes, and Technical Groups. This year I hope to continue down the path of successfully advancing the profession and serving the public.

I welcome the newest Board member, Ramesh Gupta, P.E., and look forward to working with him returning officers Josue Vaglienty, P.E. and Greg Henk, P.E. this year. We are currently planning the annual History & Heritage / Student Night which will be held on November 19th at the Heritage Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana. The new venue will allow us to accommodate more of our members and gives us an opportunity to view the home of one of Orange County’s early Civil Engineers. The event will kick off with a career fair for students, followed by a cocktail hour and the program. I am excited to see each of the student chapters’ presentations and to recognize their achievements with the presentation of scholarships and to also recognize each of our Past Presidents.

I’d like to also mention a few of the major events the Board will be focused on making successful this year. The OC Branch Awards Dinner that will be on February 18th at Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach. This event is typically sold out, and with the bigger venue we look forward to seeing an even greater crowd this year! As usual, we’ll be recognizing both individuals and projects of merit so get ready to submit your 2015 nominations before the end of the year.

On February 20th, ASCE OC Younger Members Forum will be hosting the 22nd annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition (PSBC) at Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). This year’s event is a great opportunity to bring the entire family out and visit the 2014 Project of The Year award winner. ARTIC is an iconic structure, is the first LEED Platinum Certified transit center, and features several innovative engineering technologies. Last year, PSBC brought out nearly 200 high school students from Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties to compete at Union Station in Los Angeles.

March 31st – April 2nd, CSU Long Beach will be hosting the Pacific Southwest Conference.  Each of these events are important and will showcase Orange County as one of the largest and most active branches of ASCE.

With all the planned events and upcoming activities, the Branch is in need of support from the membership.  We currently have several chair positions open on the following committees: Public Relations, Community Service, History & Heritage, Life Member Forum, and Social. Beyond these openings, each of our committees welcomes another helping hand and would appreciate your support.  If you are seeking a new challenge and interested in serving the Civil Engineering profession in Orange County, I’d love to hear from you!

This month I will be attending ASCE’s Annual Convention in New York and I’m excited to finally experience “the city that never sleeps.” I look forward to the many sessions, courses, and technical tours and will be reporting back to you on the latest from our profession and the focus of Society over the upcoming year.