President’s Message
Welcome to our Website!
October 1st marked the beginning of a new year for the ASCE Orange County Branch and the start of my term as President. If we have not yet had a chance to meet in person, Hi! I’m Jen, and I am honored to be taking the helm of such a successful branch with an extensive history serving the civil engineering community of Orange County.
I feel certainly honored to be serving as President this year and add my small contribution to an organization that already carries an outstanding legacy.
For those who are new to our organization, our mission is to provide essential value to our Orange County members and partners, advance civil engineering, and serve our local community.
Even during the pandemic, our Branch has been planning and hosting over 100 events a year. Our events cater to different audiences, including social gatherings, soft skills development, technical presentation and/or seminars, student outreach, community service, etc.
About Our ASCE Orange County Branch Leaders
These events would not be possible without the support from a stellar team. I am joined on the Executive Board by: Past President Remi Candaele of Q3 Consulting, President-Elect Roger Chung of BKF Engineers, Treasurer Nestor Godinez of SLR Consulting, and Secretary Regina Hu of City of Yorba Linda.
We are joined on the Board by the Chairs of our six technical institute chapters (the Construction Institute, the Environmental & Water Resources Institute, the aforementioned Geo-Institute, the Structural Engineering Institute, the Transportation and Development Institute, and the Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute) and our Younger Member Forum President, Gabreelle Gonzalez of City of Anaheim. Our Board is supported by more than 15 active, impactful, and award-winning committees whose efforts I invite you to peruse under the Committees & Groups heading at the top of this page.
Our Goals for Fiscal Year 2022-2023
Despite coming out of a couple of very challenging years, the Orange County Branch has continued to provide quality programs and opportunities for technical growth and business development. We look forward to hosting in-person events year-round, and came out strong with our first big event, History and Heritage Student Scholarship Night, already in the books!
One of the main reasons I joined ASCE several years ago was my desire to be involved in an organization. I am never one to let my hands be idle and am always looking for ways to help and keep myself busy, so it worked out perfectly when the EWRI board welcomed me into the fold. From there, I was encouraged to participate at the branch level, help organize events, and hold various roles. And each of these opportunities allowed me to build relationships that have blossomed into friendships with some truly amazing people. Because of my story, one of my key initiatives this year is to expand our volunteer base so that everyone who has an interest can have the same opportunities that I have benefitted from.
I am also focused on offering more joint activities where our younger members can build relationships with our more experienced members whether it be through sitting at the same table during a monthly lunch event, interacting on the golf course during our annual Golf Tournament, or chatting it up at a happy hour!
I know this year will fly by, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to leave my small mark in the history books of the ASCE Orange County Branch!
Jennifer Marks
ASCE Orange County Branch President
President@ASCEOC.org
