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Board of Directors
Farzad Naeim, Director
 Biography
Farzad Naeim is the Vice President and General Counsel for John A. Martin & Associates, Inc., (JAMA) inLos Angeles, California, one of the largest structural and earthquake engineering consulting firms in the United States. He joined the firm as a seismic design analyst in 1982 afterobtaining his Ph.D. in structural engineering from the University of Southern California. In 1984 he formed JAMA’s Research and Development Department, which he has headed ever since. He is a licensed civil and structural engineer in California. In 2002 Naeim obtained his J.D. with highest honors from Concord Law School. He has been admitted to practice law in California and before several federal district courts. In addition, he is licensed as a patent attorney and can practice before the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office.
Naeim has served EERI in many ways. Currently he is the editor of Earthquake Spectra. He is also the current chair of the Endowment Committee and a member of the Information Technology Committeeand the Editorial Board of the EERI/ IAEE World Housing Encyclopedia. He has served as a past chair of the Nominating Committee. In 1993, Naeim was named as the FEMA/EERI NEHRP professional fellow, and in 1995 he wrote EERI’s first Electronic Information Management Plan, which paved EERI’s path into cyberspace. His group at JAMA has been responsible for development and maintenance of the World Housing Encyclopedia database and web site.
Besides his EERI activities, Naeim serves on the National Steering Committee of ANSS (Advanced National Seismic System), the Board ofDirectors of the Consortium of Organizations for StrongMotion Observation Systems (COSMOS), the Industrial Advisory Councils of UCLA and Cal State Northridge (CSUN), and the Advisory Council of SCEC (Southern California Earthquake Center).
Naeim has served as the technical director for a large number of landmark design and renovation projects, including UCLA’s Royce Hall and Knudsen Hall seismic upgrades, the new UCLA replacement hospital, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and numerous tall buildings in several cities. He is a past president of the Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council.
Naeim is the editor of The SeismicDesign Handbook, now in its second edition, and the coauthor with James Kelly of Design of Seismic Isolated Structures, published by John Wiley and Sons. Naeim has published more than 120 papers onvarious aspects of earthquake engineering and has developed more than 45 different software systems for earthquake engineering design and education. Two of his software systems, Earthquakes — Be Prepared! and Northridge Earthquake Information System, have been funded and distributed by public agencies.
Vision
George Housner was correct when he said EERI has outgrown its acronym. EERI is no longer only about earthquakes (E); it is not limited to engineering (E), or research (R), nor is it really an institute (I). We need to embrace and nurture this reality. To me, the multidisciplinary nature of EERI is its most valuable asset. It is what separates EERI from more common, traditional, narrowminded, and often boring professional organizations that all of us deal with regularly in one way or another.
Since 1983 when I joined, EERI’s membership has grown dramatically in both numbers and diversity of expertise. The EERI Roster is probably the document to look to when world class expertise in engineering, earth science, social science, risk management, or emergency response is desired. We need to develop a variety of programs and procedures that facilitate a more consistent, regular, and indepth discussion among these experts. Nothing makes us better in what we do and nothing makes EERI stronger than the active learning of these disciplines from each other.
EERI can also educate the policy makers and the public about the enormous value that EERI and its members can bring to the table in order to deal with other natural and manmade disasters. I am glad that under the leadership of Tom O’Rourke, EERI has started the process of documenting the collectivecontribution of disciplines that together form EERI. We need to do whatever we can to further advance this objective.
Every organization needs youth andnew blood to preserve its vitality. The formation and nurturing of a larger number of EERI student chapters in universities ensures the supply of this new blood. Over the past few years, EERI student chapters have become much more active in EERI’s affairs. We should make sure that this trend continues to grow.
Last but not least, a careful balance of national and international objectives and programs can further enhance the value of EERI to its current members and bring new members to the organization from all over the world.
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Board of Directors