Mentors and mentees converged on a beautiful glass-enclosed rooftop to learn, improve, and mentor.  After sharing findings from the NCSEA SE3 Survey on performance feedback, job satisfaction, and career aspirations, the presenters, from the SEA-MW SE3 Committee, focused on effective strategies for delivering and receiving feedback.  Interspersed throughout, live polling from the attendees provided a local connection and reflection with the information shared.  Finally, to every structural engineer’s relief at being able to socialize again after being captivated and silent for the presentation, the speed mentoring session began – and it was loud.  Attendees participated in five rounds of 10 minutes each with different suggested topics and question for each round. Based on the enthusiasm of those that participated, we hope to replicate this type of event in the future.

Slides from the event: SE3 Meeting in the Middle_Slides

Thank you to all of the mentors for having great advice, mentees for being eager to ask questions, and SEA-MW SE3 Committee members for organizing and making the event possible! And thank you to Walter P Moore for sponsoring the event.

Is recruitment & retention a challenge for your firm? SEA-MW's SE3 (Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity) Committee has created a document to highlight national SE3 survey data on work flexibility and recruitment/retention, and present key findings in the context of the Metropolitan Washington region, with local policy examples. We hope this document facilitates dialogue and helps to improve recruitment and retention locally as well as elevate the structural engineering profession. You can access the document here:

Work Flexibility Strategies in Metropolitan Washington.pdf

We are also seeking new committee members! The SEA-MW SE3 Committee is open to all, and we would love to have representation from all SEA-MW firms. Feel free to contact JGreenawalt@ThorntonTomasetti.com to join our next virtual meeting!

Thanks to everyone who attended our first SEA-MW SE3 Book Club on “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” by Richard Rothstein. The book club was held virtually over three sessions in February, March, and April. We had interesting discussions learning about the history of segregation laws in our country, as well as the aspects of those laws that still have a significant impact on our current residential housing market. Please see the links below for a list of discussion questions from each session and a list of additional resources (podcasts, movies, documentaries, etc) near the end of each document.

Session #1: Chapters 1-4

Session #2: Chapters 5-8 

Session #3: Chapters 9-12 

Thanks to everyone who attended our kickoff event on September 30! Our first presentation was titled Workplace Flexibility and the Structural Engineer: How We Fit into "The Great Resignation 2021" moderated by Stephanie Slocum. Please see the link below for a copy of the presentation.

SEAMW SE3 Sept 2021 Final.pdf