Ron Klemencic is Chairman and CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), an award-winning structural and civil engineering firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington. An industry innovator and preeminent practicing structural engineer, he is recognized for his creativity, “big picture” approach, and ability to produce cost-effective designs. Ron has been involved in the design of tall buildings around the globe, including San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower; Chicago’s St. Regis, 150 North Riverside, and Aqua; and Seattle’s Rainier Square. In addition, he has led the research and development of industry-advancing innovations, including SpeedCore and Performance-Based Seismic Design. He is also a Director of the Charles Pankow Foundation and the MKA Foundation.

Emily Guglielmo, is a Principal at Martin/Martin, Inc. and leader of the San Francisco Bay Area office.

James R. (Jim) Harris received his undergraduate education in civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1968. After working in consulting in Denver for five years, he earned his MSCE and Ph. D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1975 and 1980, respectively. From 1975-1981 he was a research structural engineer at the National Bureau of Standards after which he returned to professional practice. He established J.R. Harris & Company in 1984. 

Kate Stillwell is a structural engineer and entrepreneur working at the intersection of physical and financial resilience. As a structural engineer, Kate has worked with Greg Luth & Associates, Degenkolb Engineers, and Holmes Consulting. In catastrophe modeling, she has worked at EQECAT (now CoreLogic) as the Product Manager of earthquake models worldwide, and she was the founding Executive Director of the Global Earthquake Model Foundation at the ROSE School in Pavia, Italy.

Dr. S. K. Ghosh is known internationally for his work in earthquake engineering. He specializes in analyzing and designing reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, including wind- and earthquake-resistant designs. He has influenced seismic design provisions in the United States for many years by serving on or chairing numerous committees and advisory panels. Dr. Ghosh is active on many national technical committees; he is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), and an Honorary Member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI). He is a member of ACI Committee 318 and an Emeritus member of the ASCE 7 Standard Committee.

A step toward saving the profession.

Dr. H. Kit Miyamoto, Global CEO of Miyamoto International, built a five-person engineering practice into a worldwide engineering firm that has 30 locations on four continents with one humanitarian purpose: to make the world a better, safer place from a local, five-person engineering practice. Miyamoto International is known for its innovative engineering and disaster response and reconstruction. Its purpose-driven mission and strength-focused culture drive the company’s growth and attract equally passionate and teamwork-focused team members.

Bill Baker is one of the world’s leading structural engineers. He has designed innovative structures that range in scale from single-family homes and small pedestrian bridges to the world’s tallest manmade structure, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. His cutting-edge designs include the unique Broadgate Exchange House in London—which is both a building and a bridge that spans over Liverpool Street Station—and the cable structure entry pavilion for the General Motors Headquarters in Detroit. Additionally, Bill is widely recognized for his collaborations with renowned artists, such as James Carpenter, Janet Echelman, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, James Turrell, and Jaume Plensa.