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 - Jon Sfura
President-Elect - Jennifer Traut-Todaro
Treasurer - James Pawlikowski
Secretary - Michelle Ryland
Directors to 2024
Brian Boysen
Cathleen Jacinto
Sam Mittal
Directors to 2025
Enji Paul Papazisi
Adam Theiss
Brian Umbright
Directors to 2026
Maen Farhat
David Nauheimer
Franklin Lombardo
Past Presidents
Derek Boeldt, 2021-2022
Jan I. Blok, 2022-2023
Joe Porada Young Engineers Committee Co-Chair - Liaisons to the Board
Peter Busch Young Engineers Committee Co-Chair - Liaisons to the Board
Jon Sfura (President)
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 (President-Elect)
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 (Treasurer)
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
Michelle Ryland (Secretary)
Position: Senior Associate I, Klein & Hoffman
Education: The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Architectural Studies, M. Architecture (Structures Option)
Licensure: SE, Illinois; RA, Illinois
Societies: SEAOI, 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
Education: University of Washington, M.S. Civil Engineering; Lund University, Valle Foundation Research Fellowship; Washington University in St. Louis, B.S. Civil Engineering; Lawrence University, B.A. Physics
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE, California
Societies: SEAOI, Aff. AIA Chicago
Brian Umbright
Position: Vice President, Transportation, EXP
Education: MSCE, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, BSCE, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Licensure: SE, IL; PE, IL, FL, GA, IA, IN, MO, WI
Societies: SEAOI, ACI, ASCE, ACEC-IL, IRTBA
Maen Farhat
Position: Chief Structural Engineer/ Accurate Group, Inc.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Lebanese University, Beirut, Ph.D. in Civil and Material Engineering University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE, Wisconsin, Michigan
Societies: SEAOI, AAAEA
David Nauheimer
Position: Senior Associate II, Sargent and Lundy, LLC
Education: BS Civil Engineering, MS Structural Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Societies: SEAOI, NCSEA, AISC
Frank Lombardo
Position: Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Education: BS Civil Engineering, Trine University, PhD Wind Engineering, Texas Tech University
Societies: ASCE, SEAOI, AAWE
Derek Boeldt (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
Jan Blok (Immediate Past 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
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