SEAOI BOARD
The SEAOI Board of Directors is the backbone of the organization. Members are expected to attend the monthly meeting and to spend an additional minimum of 4 hours per month on the activities of the Board and other committees. The term for a new Board member is 3 years.
Check out David Nickell, SEAOI President 2018-2019, talking about the importance of our Leadership Board in the video above!
Click on a Board member's name below to see their affiliations and credentials. To contact the SEAOI Board, please email Stephanie Crain, Executive Director.
Board Officers
President - Jan I. Blok
President-Elect - Jon Sfura
Treasurer - Jennifer Traut-Todaro
Secretary - James Pawlikowski
Directors to 2023
Rachel Jackson
Mary Lou Kutska
Matthew L. Wagner
Directors to 2024
Brian Boysen
Cathleen Jacinto
Sam Mittal
Directors to 2025
Enji Paul Papazisi
Adam Theiss
Brian Umbright
Past Presidents
Soliman Khudeira, 2020-2021
Derek Boeldt, 2021-2022
Joe Porada Young Engineers Committee Co-Chair - Liaisons to the Board
Peter Busch Young Engineers Committee Co-Chair - Liaisons to the Board
Jan Blok (President)
Position: President, The Structural Group, Ltd.
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S, M.S., Structural Engineering
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE., CT, IN, MI, MN, MS, MO, NY, OH, WI
Societies: SEAOI, SEPAC, AISC, M.ASCE, AWC, CFSEI, PCI
Jon Sfura (President-Elect)
Position: Senior Associate, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Education: Purdue University, B.S.C.E.; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.S.C.E., Ph.D. in Civil Engineering
Licensure: SE, Illinois; CE, CA; PE, FL, KS, MI
Societies: SEAOI, ACI, AISC, BSSC, EERI
Jennifer Traut-Todaro (Treasurer)
Position: Director of Workforce Development, American Institute of Steel Construction
Education: University of Illinois, M.S., Architecture, Structures Option; B.S., Architectural Studies
Licensure: SE., Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, AISC
James Pawlikowski (Secretary)
Position: Principal, Datum Engineers
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign; B.A, and M. Architecture with Structural; Engineering Concentration
Licensure: SE, Illinois; LEED, AP
Societies: SEAOI, CCHRB, ACI, ASCE, AISC
Rachel Jackson
Position: Senior Associate, Structural Engineering, Thornton Tomasetti
Education: The University of Texas at Austin, B.S. Architectural Engineering
Licensure: SE, Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, AISC
Mary Lou Kutska
Position: Bridge Technical Manager, Michael Baker International
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S.; University of California at Berkeley, M.S.
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan
Societies: SEAOI, WTS, PTI
Matthew L. Wagner
Position: Senior Structural Engineer, Halliwell Engineering Associates
Education: University of Cincinnati, BSCE; Georgia Institute of Technology, MSCE
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE, California, Colorado, Georgia, Texas
Societies: SEAOI, ACI, AISC
Brian Boysen
Position: Structural Section Manager, Burns & McDonnell
Education: The University of Illinois, B.S. General Engineering; Illinois Institute of Technology, MAS Structural Engineering
Licensure: SE, Illinois, Hawaii; PE, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin
Societies: SEAOI, ASCE, ACI, AISC
Cathleen Jacinto
Position: Structural Engineer, FORSE Consulting, LLC
Education: Illinois Institute of Technology, MS Structural Engineering; University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, BS Civil Engineering
Licensure: SE, PE, Illinois
Associations: SEAOI, AISC, STI, TMS
Sam Mittal
Position: Project Manager, STV, Inc.
Education: The University of Chicago, M.B.A. Finance, Entrepreneurship; University of Cincinnati, M.S. Civil Engineering; National Institute of Technology, B.Tech. Civil Engineering
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE, California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio
Societies: SEAOI, ASCE
Enji Paul Papazisi
Brian Umbright
Soliman Khudeira (Past President)
Position: Section Chief of Major Projects, Chicago Department of Transportation - Division of Engineering; Adjunct Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology
Education: Illinois Institute of Technology, Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. - Civil Engineering - Structures
Licensure: SE, PE, Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, ASCE
Derek Boeldt (Immediate Past President)

Position: Senior Structural Engineer (Principal), Jacobs
Education: Michigan Technological University, B.S., Civil Engineering
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE, Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, ASCE, AISC, AREMA
YEC Liasons
Joseph Porada (YEC Liason)
Position: Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., YEC Co-Chair
Education: University of Notre Dame, B.S. Civil Engineering; Lehigh University, M.Eng. Structural Engineering
Licensure: E.I.T., Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, AISC, ASCE
Peter Busch (YEC Liason)
Position: Bridge Engineer II, HNTB Corporation, YEC Co-Chair
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, M.S., Civil Engineering
Licensure: PE, Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, ASCE, AISC