EERI
Northern California Chapter

Virtual EERI-NC Webinar:
Quick Quake Briefing:
Turkey M7.8 & M7.5 Earthquakes of 6 February 2023 – Insured Loss Aspects
September 28, 2023

Register here!

Date:
Thursday, September 28, 2023
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time

Description of event:
On 6 February 2023, a M7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. It was followed by a M7.5 earthquake later the same day. There was widespread damage and tens of thousands of fatalities.

The total cost of earthquake damage in Turkey was estimated by TÜRKONFED at $84 billion US dollars ($71B on rebuilding, $10B loss in national income, and an additional $3B loss in workforce). The Turkish government released a preliminary report estimating the total damage cost at $103.6 billion, corresponding to 9 percent of its GDP in 2023. About half of residential property in the affected area is thought to be covered by Turkish Compulsory Earthquake Insurance (source: Wikipedia).

Three speakers will be featured:

Dr. Ufuk Yazgan is a Professor at Istanbul Technical University and will provide an overview of the damage to the building stock.

Mr. Erdem Karabostan is the General Manager at the Turkish firm T-Rupt which advises on loss estimates for the Turkey Reinsurance Industry.  He will explain how the insurance industry operates and responded to the earthquakes.

Dr. Patxi Uriz is a Director at Risk Management Solutions (RMS) Corporation (USA) that deals with catastrophic loss estimations.  He will contrast the Turkish and US insurance practices. 

The webinar will include time for participants to ask questions of the speakers.

Save the date...!  Remember to register here.

It’s time again to vote for new EERI NC Board Members! Thank you in advance for casting your vote in this election.  The election period will be from January 11, 2023 - January 31, 2023.

Download the CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

Please complete the online ballot to cast your vote for the four (4) open positions on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of EERI. The open positions are for President and 3 Directors at-large, each for a term of two years.

The 2022 EERI NC Chapter election will only accept ballots submitted online. At the start of the election period, all current EERI NC Chapter members will receive an email with a link to the anonymous members-only online ballot. You must submit your online ballot by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

Election results will be announced by email.

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERSHIP STATUS

The following table summarizes the current and future Board positions.

CANDIDATES

The Board would like to thank the Nominating Committee for proposing an excellent slate of Candidates for the Chapter’s consideration.

For the Office of President:

• Richard McCarthy

For the Position of Director at-large:

• Sarah Atkinson 
• Tracy Becker
• Tal Feinstein

Download the  CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact your Chapter Board at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Chapter members elected two new board members Manny Hakhamaneshi and Emel Seyhan.

Congratulations to all elected board members, and thank you to outgoing Directors Anne Wein and Anne Hulsey for your service to the Chapter.

The board also thanks Sharyl Rabinovici for her assistance with nominating new board members, and all voting Chapter members!

See your complete 2021 Board of Directors here.

It’s time again to vote for new EERI NC Board Members! Thank you in advance for casting your vote in this election .

Download the CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

Please complete the online ballot to cast your vote for the two (2) open positions on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of EERI. The open positions are for 2 Directors at-large.

The 2021 EERI NC Chapter election will only accept ballots submitted online. At the start of the election period, all current EERI NC Chapter members will receive an email with a link to the anonymous members-only online ballot. You must submit your online ballot by 5:00 PM on Monday, March 1, 2021.

Election results will be announced by email.

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERSHIP STATUS

The following table summarizes the current and future Board positions.

CANDIDATES

The Board would like to thank Sharyl Rabinovici for proposing an excellent slate of Candidates for the Chapter’s consideration.

For the Office of Director at-large:

• Manny Hakhamaneshi
• Emel Seyhan

Download the  CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact your Chapter Board at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Chapter members elected Volkan Sevilgen to the office of President-Elect, Bruce Maison to the position of Secretary/Treasurer, and new board members Debra Murphy, Donald Wells, and Mehmet Unal.

Congratulations to all elected board members, and thank you to outgoing Directors Chiara McKenney, Mike Mieler, and Past-President Sharyl Rabinovici for your service to the Chapter.

The board also thanks the nominating committee of Maggie Ortiz, Thalia Agnos, and Kevin Moore, and all voting Chapter members!

See your complete 2020 Board of Directors here.

It’s time again to vote for new EERI NC Board Members! Thank you in advance for casting your vote in this election.

Download the CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

Please complete the online ballot to cast your vote for the five (5) open positions on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of EERI. The open positions are for 3 Directors at-large, 1 Secretary/Treasurer, and 1 President-Elect.

The 2019 EERI NC Chapter election will only accept ballots submitted online. At the start of the election period, all current EERI NC Chapter members will receive an email with a link to the anonymous members-only online ballot. You must submit your online ballot by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 31, 2019.

Election results will be announced by email

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERSHIP STATUS

The following table summarizes the current and future Board positions.

CANDIDATES

The Board would like to thank the Nominating Committee consisting of Maggie Ortiz, Thalia Agnos, and Kevin Moore for proposing an excellent slate of Candidates for the Chapter’s consideration.

For the Office of President-Elect:

• Volkan Sevilgen

For the Office of Secretary/Treasurer:

• Bruce Maison

For the Office of Director at-large:

• Debra Murphy
• Mehmet Unal
• Donald Wells

Download the  CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact your Chapter Board at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Support your local student chapters to participate in the 2019 Seismic Design Competition in Vancouver

It is time to repeat our annual successful initiative to connect the local EERI student chapters that are participating in the annual Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition with potential sponsors to help support students for this year’s EERI Annual Meeting in Vancouver. Last year, EERI members donated nearly $500, and the chapter board matched the donations to provide $1,000 to support the teams.

The objective of the Seismic Design Competition (SDC) is to design, model and construct a cost-effective 16-29-story tall scaled balsa wood model building that can resist shake table testing with three ground motions of increasing intensity. Each year approximately 40 teams compete, representing universities across the globe. In addition to the performance of the model under ground shaking, the teams will be scored based on various other criteria, including the prediction of peak roof drift and acceleration based on computer modeling, the quality of their presentation and poster, and the building architecture. If you have ever attended an EERI Annual Meeting, you’ll remember the excitement the SDC adds to the event, and what a great experience this if for the students.

Three of the Northern California EERI student chapters, San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University, are planning to participate in the 2019 Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition. Please read on to learn more about the teams, and we encourage you to contact the team contacts listed to make a (tax deductible!) donation. Donations large and small will support the teams that have worked so hard on designing and building the models.

To donate online, go here. Be sure to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to specify that your donation should go to the Northern California Chapter Seismic Design Competition.

We look forward to growing these and other initiatives over the next few years, and make this one more way for the local EERI Student Chapters to get funding for participation in the seismic design competition.

San Francisco State Univerisity

Team contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The SFSU Seismic Design team is proud to compete in the 2019 EERI SDC. Our Seismic Design team is a small, close-knit team all majoring in Civil Engineering. Our team is very close, and we have learned how to delegate work according to individual strengths. We capitalize on our strengths and designated leaders to help complete tasks such as computer modeling,
construction, and material testing. We have worked together this year to build two towers, and run ground motions on each to ensure we have the best model for the competition. We pride ourselves on the structural integrity of the tower as well as the ingenuity of the design itself. We are looking forward to being a strong contender in this year’s competition and to expand our knowledge by attending EERI workshops and functions at the event.

Our team consists of 5 undergraduate students who are looking to raise $2000 of our $8000 budget, as we are traveling and transporting our tower to Vancouver this year.

University of California, Berkeley

Team contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This year, the Cal Seismic Design Team welcomed the new challenges posed in the 2019 SDC Rules with innovative ideas. Our team’s 40 undergraduates dedicated to learning about structural design, analysis, and construction are all intrigued by the challenges earthquakes pose on structures. The team with students from a variety of majors acts as a resource for anyone interested in learning more technical material about earthquake engineering outside of the standard courses. Last year, the UC Berkeley team won the competition with the lightest building in competition history (.305 lbs), and also won the award for Best Seismic Performance.

Our team has dedicated an immense amount of time and energy in designing, testing, and improving our entry for the competition, as we prepare to travel to Vancouver, B.C. Our design proposal was in the top nine out of all submissions, and we are very excited to travel to Canada next week, present our design, and see how our building performs! We are looking to raise an additional $1000 to help cover the cost of sending 16 students internationally this year.

Stanford

Team contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Stanford Seismic Design Team is a small but determined and close-knit group. Members represent many diverse interests and academic studies ranging from civil engineering, architecture, and art practice. Everyone on the team works together in a concerted effort and has a voice in all aspects of our process from design through construction. Although everyone is somewhat a ‘jack of all trades,’ each member still specializes in certain tasks that best suit their skills and match their interests. This year’s design brief has certainly presented our team with unique challenges and pushed us to think more creatively. We are confident, however, that our dedicated time and effort has resulted in a final tower that will perform well at competition. We look forward to competing with other teams and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of a larger international community of students.

This year’s Chapter Awards for Innovation and Exemplary Practice in Earthquake Risk Reduction go to Dr. Jack Boatwright and the EERI Public Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Dr. John (Jack) Boatwright tirelessly served to improve seismic safety in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Throughout his career at the USGS in Menlo Park, Jack worked hard to bridge the gap from scientific discovery to risk reduction, forming productive partnerships with scientists, engineers and public officials at the local, regional and national levels who work to improve public safety and societal resilience. He was Northern California Coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. He ran the annual two-day Northern California earthquake workshop that shared the latest scientific understanding with community leaders, and dedicated the second day to practitioner-oriented topics. As Chief of the Earthquake Effects Project, he supported SPUR and ABAG in their efforts to translate scientific information and apply it to make San Francisco and the Bay Area more resilient.

Scientifically, Dr. Boatwright contributed understanding of shaking during largeearthquakes in the Bay Area. He extensively analyzed shaking intensity from the 1868 M6.8 earthquake on the Hayward Fault and the 1906 M7.9 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault. In 1989, Jack published the first map of shaking amplification for the City of San Francisco. He is known for recapturing the past events by investigating percentages of toppled tombstones in cemeteries in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Mendocino, Sonoma and Santa Cruz Counties.

As a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, his service went beyond his job toaid the city to develop policies to reduce seismic risk. He was concerned about northern California buildings and infrastructure. He was an active member of the City and County of San Francisco’s Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety committee that led to a groundbreaking 30-year Earthquake Safety Improvement Plan for San Francisco. After the Napa earthquake he maintained that we can’t stop the shaking, but we can build better.

Upon his passing, he will be missed for his support of the USGS HayWired scenario. As a member of the review panel, he brought his scientific and earthquake experience to bear, and he challenged new analyses of societal impacts because he cared. His presence will be missed whenever earthquake matters are being discussed in the Bay Area, and always as a treasured colleague and friend. We specifically want to acknowledge his peers, Stephen Hickman and Andrew Michael, who contributed to our appreciation and this description of Jack’s accomplishments.

One of the special missions and functions of EERI—something that distinguishes it from many other professional organizations—is the goal of bringing experts of different fields together to bridge the science-policy divide. That is no easy thing to do. Taking up that challenge, the EERI Public Policy and Advocacy Committee (PPAC) is at the core of EERI’s advocacy strategy.

The PPAC is a volunteer-led group that helps EERI members be more informed and involved in the regulatory and political aspects of earthquake risk reduction. Each month, ten to twenty EERI members convene by phone to discuss timely issues in earthquake and resilience policy. Participants bring news of policy developments in their own regions, or elevate policy-
relevant findings from their own professional vantage points that may be important to bring to the attention of civic leaders and the public. A majority—though importantly not all—are California-based. The agenda is dynamic, as is the group’s membership over time. Notably, the past four years have marked a renaissance of effort and achievement for the PPAC. In the opinion of the Northern California Chapter Board, the group’s efforts have surged and solidified, resulting in an impressive list of accomplishments and enhancements that deserve special recognition.

A pivotal moment was the convening of the EERI Policy & Advocacy Workshop in December 2015. Committee Chair Laura Samant and others wrote and were awarded an EERI Special Projects Grant to bring the committee together from across the country to Oakland for a day-long summit. Committee members wrote and debated nearly twenty potential policy positions, to address the following: What are the most important policy issues that need to be tackled to increase earthquake resilience? What should the position of EERI be on these issues and why?

The legacy of the workshop is a formal process through which the committee elevates policy topics of importance and makes recommendations to the EERI Board about the stance it should take and why. Each position statement is accompanied by a white paper that summarizes the evidence base behind the ideas; both documents are vetted in a multi-step, rigorous review and voting process. To date, PPAC members have produced six consensus policy position statements that the EERI Board has adopted. These address vital topics such as promoting confined masonry construction internationally, the need to eliminate URMs and nonstructural hazards in schools, and the importance of reliable lifeline structure systems, creating earthquake resilient communities, and reinvigorating the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. More position statements, about Earthquake Early Warning, housing, and other topics are forthcoming. The process of evaluating position statements has become an anchor for the group’s progress.

In the past two years, Co-Chairs Zahraa Saiyed and Chris Poland have sustained and even grown this momentum, and continued to lead the PPAC towards deeper and more impactful direct relationships with legislators. One notable example is the extensive back and forth effort with Senator Feinstein’s office to craft specific language for a NEHRP renewal authorization bill. Another is the convening of a weekly California legislative task group that engaged with state Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian to support several major pieces of earthquake legislation in 2018 (AB 2927, 2681, and 1857). These efforts not only forged important relationships and made an impact on the policy trajectory, but also raised EERI member capacity to be of assistance and the prominence of the organization. We also recognize the foundational work and increasing importance of EERI staff support, from Beki McKelvin and Zoe Yin in 2017 and 2018, that contributes to the PPAC’s accomplishments.

Ultimately, EERI Executive Director Heidi Tremayne puts it best: “The PPA committee epitomizes much of what I love about EERI—a large group of passionate, active members willing to speak up, pitch in, and use their expertise to achieve earthquake risk reduction. They are strategic thinkers, generous with their time, and boldly striving to be impactful in the policy arena. Their knowledge and dedication are invaluable to me, as a new executive director, and they elevate the entire Institute.”

The 2018 election came to an end December 15, 2018. Chapter members elected three new Directors at-large and a Secretary/Treasurer.

We are happy to welcome Anne McLeod-Husley, Bruce Maison, Rob Olshansky, and Volkan Sevilgen to the Board. Anne, Bruce, and Rob were elected to the position of Director-at-large to serve a two-year term. Volkan was elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer to serve a two-year term.  Outgoing President Sharyl Rabinovici will transition to the position of Past-President, which is a one-year term.

Congratulations to all elected board members and thank you to outgoing Directors Curt Haselton, Zahraa Saiyed, and John Egan for your tenure of service to the Chapter.

The board also thanks the nominating committee ofJeff Bond, David Bonowitz, Janiele Maffei (Chair), and all voting Chapter members!

See your complete 2019 Board of Directors here.

It's time again to vote for new EERI NC Board Members! Thank you in advance for casting your vote in this election.

Download the CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

VOTING INSTRUCTIONS

Please complete the online ballot to cast your vote for the four (4) open positions on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Chapter of EERI. The open positions are for 3 Directors at-large and 1 Secretary/Treasurer.

The 2018 EERI NC Chapter election will only accept ballots submitted online. At the start of the election period, all current EERI NC Chapter members will receive an email with a link to the anonymous members-only online ballot. You must submit your online ballot by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

Election results will be announced by email and in person at the Annual Holiday Party to the membership by Thursday, December 20, 2018.

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERSHIP STATUS

The following table summarizes the current and future Board positions.

CANDIDATES

The Board would like to thank the Nominating Committee consisting of Jeff Bond, David Bonowitz, and Janiele Maffei (Chair) for proposing an excellent slate of Candidates for the Chapter’s consideration.

For the Office of Secretary/Treasurer:

• Volkan Sevilgen

For the Office of Director at-large:

• Anne McLeod-Husley
• Bruce Maison
• Rob Olshansky

Download the  CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES & STATEMENTS (pdf file)

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact your Chapter Board at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

EERI Northern California Chapter presents:

 Personal Preparedness for Earthquake Professionals:

Stories and Insights from Experts at the Front Line

Wednesday, March 28 2018

ARUP San Francisco

560 Mission St # 700, San Francisco, CA 94105

 6:30pm Refreshments & Mingling

7:00-8:30pm Program

NEW: Spouses, business partners, and adult children are especially

welcomed and encouraged to attend!

Please RSVP by: March 23, 2018

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The 2018 Chapter Theme: Raising Our Readiness

This year, the EERI NorCal Chapter is tying Chapter events to the theme of Raising Our Readiness for the next Bay Area big one. The goal is to help our members and the broader Bay Area resilience community in becoming more personally and professionally prepared to safely and confidently ride out, respond, aid, and learn during what will surely be a defining moment in our lives and careers.

 Personal Preparedness for Earthquake Professionals: Event Description

The first event in this series aims to open our eyes and open a dialog about what it means to “be ready” as an earthquake professional. A distinguished panel representing multiple perspectives will share thoughts about the role that personal preparedness played in their experiences with Bay Area disasters from Loma Prieta to the Oakland Firestorm to the recent Sonoma Fires.

Emergency preparedness for the earthquake professional goes way beyond Drop, Cover, and Hold On drills. In order to be able to perform essential services such as building inspections for private clients or the public, advise local first responders and elected officials, engage with the media, conduct research, or record ephemeral data, earthquake professionals must take many of the same preparedness steps as other members of the community. In doing so, we can better help the community understand the impacts of the disaster, prevent further damage where possible, communicate accurate information to the public, and serve as a steady presence in the face of such events.

Attendees will learn about appropriate steps to prepare themselves and their families in advance of a disaster, so they can perform at their best when a disaster strikes instead of being focused on personal and family safety. A half-day follow-up workshop (late spring) will allow Chapter members a hands-on, expert led opportunity to go deeper in their personal preparedness practice through activities such as assembling supplies and drafting a family emergency plan.

About the panelists:

• Susan Piper, Former Assistant to Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, United Policyholders Board and Oakland Firesafe Council member

Sue Piper retired 5 years ago after an almost 50 year career in public relations and marketing—the last 8 years she served as a policy analyst to Council Member Jean Quan in the City of Oakland, and then as Mayor Quan’s Communications Manager. A survivor of the 1991 Oakland/Berkeley Hills Firestorm, she and her husband have dedicated the last 26 years to wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness. They created the Oakland Firestorm Memorial Garden and the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center under the Oakland Landscape Committee, and both served on the now sunset Oakland Wildfire Prevention Assessment District. Sue currently serves as the chair of the nonprofit Oakland Firesafe Council and as chair of United Policyholders, a national nonprofit consumer advocacy organization for disaster survivors dealing with their insurance before, during and after fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters.

• Jennifer Lazo, Emergency Manager for City of Berkeley

Jennifer Lazo is an Emergency Services Coordinator in the City of Berkeley, and is responsible for emergency management planning and preparedness, focusing on people with disabilities and seniors.  Her work includes providing inclusive emergency planning and shelter training to City staff and the formation and management of BEACON, a network of organizations that work with people with disabilities and engage in disaster preparedness and planning.  She manages the Community Resilience Center program, which gives community organizations in the City of Berkeley the tools, resources, and training needed to serve as hubs for assistance and information during and following disasters.

She serves as the Vice Chair of the IAEM Emerging Technology Caucus, a Digital Volunteer Lead for the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region, an Earthquake Country Alliance Bay Area Coordinating Committee Chair, and the Co-President of the Alameda County Emergency Managers Association. Jennifer’s Master’s thesis at the University of Delaware was titled “Framing Disaster Planning for People with Disabilities: Analyzing the CALIF V. City of Los Angeles Lawsuit.”  As a graduate research assistant at the Disaster Research Center she worked on projects including studying nursing home disaster preparedness in Delaware, assisting in the development of the Community Resilience Index with Johns Hopkins University, and performing quick response research following Superstorm Sandy. ​

• James Malley, S.E. Group Director and Senior Principal, Degenkolb Engineers

James O. Malley, S.E., is a Senior Principal with Degenkolb Engineers. He received both his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Malley has over 30 years of experience in the seismic design, evaluation and rehabilitation of building structures, and is involved in the peer review of numerous tall building projects.  He was responsible for the analytical and testing investigations performed as part of the SAC Steel Project in response to the Northridge earthquake damage. Mr. Malley is Chair of the AISC Specifications Committee and the Past-Chair of the AISC Seismic Subcommittee. Jim has served as a member of the SEAONC and SEAOC Board of Directors, and was President of SEAONC in 2000-2001 and SEAOC in 2003-2004. He was named a SEAOC Fellow in 2007 and an Honorary Member of SEAONC in 2014. He also was a member of the Board of Directors of NCSEA, serving as President in 2010-1011. Mr. Malley was also a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of EERI and is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Applied Technology Council.

The 2017 election came to an end December 8, 2017. Chapter members elected three new Directors at-large and a President-Elect.

We are happy to welcome Mike Mieler, Chiara McKenney, and Curt Haselton to the Board. Mike, Chiara, and Curt were elected to the position of Director at-large to serve a two-year term. Current Secretary-Treasurer Dana Brechwald was elected to the position of President-Elect. This is a one-year term, followed by a two-year term as President and one-year term as Past-President

Congratulations to all elected board members and thank you to outgoing Past-President Betsy Matheison and Directors Jeff Bond, Ibbi Amulfti, and Gerry Brady for your tenure of service to the Chapter.

The board also thanks the nominating committee of Laurie Johnson, Laurence Kornfield, Ayse Hortascu, and all voting Chapter members!

See your complete 2018 Board of Directors here.