Board
Forum - Registration approval must be requested through forum@ymf-oc.org
Nestor Godinez, PE
President
SLR International Corporation
Nestor received his B.S. from UC Irvine and his M.S. from CSU Fullerton. He currently works for SLR International in Irvine.
Nestor joined OC YMF to further develop his professional network of his peers. OC YMF is an opportunity to learn new topics in the field of civil engineering. Nestor has improved his communication, organizational, leadership, and project management skills. Most importantly OC YMF is a platform to make new friends with a wide spectrum of individuals.
E-mail: ngodinez@slrconsulting.com
Chuck Karunathilake
Vice President
Shimmick Construction
Chuck is a Project Engineer at Shimmick Construction. He is currently working on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project in Long Beach. He has two years of experience in construction and presently helps manage the Concrete Roadway Construction and Project Control aspects at the bridge project.
Chuck’s participation with OC YMF has exposed him to new leadership opportunities and professional growth throughout the years. One of chucks reasons to be part of OC YMF is to give back to the community he lives in through K-12 and other professional opportunities. Chuck is grateful to work with OC YMF which is comprised of outstanding and energetic individuals of similar interests who will become future leaders in the Civil Engineering industry.
E-mail: ckarunat@gmail.com
Roxanne Follis, PE
Past President
HDR
Roxanne works in the water group at HDR in Irvine. She has previously served as the historian, secretary, and vice president for OC YMF.
OC YMF has provided her with several opportunities for professional and personal growth. Through OC YMF, she has become more knowledgable of the civil engineering field, improved communication skills, and developed a professional network.
E-mail: Roxanne.Follis@hdrinc.com
Gyssela Quinabo
Secretary
Jacobs Engineering
Jazzy is a project engineer for the Pipelines group at Jacobs. She is also in the process of getting her Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering at CSUF. She is involved in ASCE OC YMF to grow her network, give back to the community, and collaborate with some of Orange County's most dedicated and accomplished young engineers.
E-mail: gyssela.quinabo@gmail.com
David Ramirez
Treasurer
City of Santa Ana Public Works Department
Mr. Ramirez works as a Design Engineer for the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency for a variety civil engineering projects ranging from storm drain(s), rehabilitation, bicycle/active transportation, parks, building, and other facility projects.
He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from CSU Fullerton. Mr. Ramirez has served on ASCE’s Orange County Programs Committee to organize technical tours and workshops for the Chapter. He joined ASCE’s OC Younger Member Forum (YMF) to assist with programing to help provide professional development opportunities for other professionals and to work with other members in diverse Civil Engineering fields.
Mr. Ramirez is also involved in the American Public Works Association (APWA) where he received his Public Works Leadership Institute Certification and assisted with their website for an annual meeting event.
E-mail: Treasurer@ymf-oc.org
Melissa Hilsabeck
Mentorship Chair / COPRI Liaison
KPFF
Melissa is a design engineer at KPFF in Long Beach, CA and works on civil engineering projects throughout Long Beach, Orange County and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. She received her B.S. from Cal Poly Pomona.
Melissa joined OC YMF to continually improve herself to become a well rounded engineer and advocate for civil engineering within the community. OC YMF has provided her with diversity in events, a professional network, and leadership opportunities which shape future leaders in various fields of civil engineering.
E-mail: melissa.hilsabeck@kpff.com
Michael Pierce
Mentorship Committee
Mark Thomas & Company
Michael is part of the Transportation Design group at Mark Thomas & Company in Irvine. Before becoming an active member of ASCE OC YMF, he was a dynamic member of Cal Poly, Pomona's ASCE Concrete Canoe team and helped lead the team to nationals in 2013. He is currently a co-chair for the ASCE OC Mentorship program and is a part of the committee responsible for organizing the 2015 YMF Speaker Series.
Michael became involved with YMF in order to network with other young professionals from various fields of civil engineering. He sees YMF as an amazing opportunity to improve himself both professionally and personally in the various leadership roles that YMF offers.
E-mail: Michael.pierce7@yahoo.com
Roohi Fakhart
Mentorship Committee / Internal Events
E-mail: rfakhart@uci.edu
Gabreelle Gonzalez
University Outreach Chair
Fuscoe Engineering
OC YMF has provided Gabreelle with the opportunity to broaden her professional network while increasing her exposure to the field of civil engineering. She values the organization’s role in inspiring the next generation of engineers; as well as, its contribution to its member’s personal and professional growth.
E-mail: gonzalez.gabreelle@gmail.com
John Thurlo
CSUF Liaison
CalLand Engineering
John received his B.S. and M.S. From Cal State Fullerton and currently works at CalLand Engineering in Brea in the Geotechnical department. Joining OC YMF has helped John to meet with people within the local industry and gain a greater understanding of the industry. ASCE is a great organization, and John looks forward to helping keep the local students in contact with this group.
E-mail: JHT10123@gmail.com
Jenny Sheng
CSULB Liaison
Jenny graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2016. Previously serving as the student chapter's webmaster and concrete canoe project manager, she found passion working with ASCE. She hopes to stay involved to learn opportunities to grow in her career and how to give back to the community that brings us all together.
E-mail: jenny.jsheng@gmail.com
Mia Prieto
UCI Liaison
Tuchscher Engineering Group
Mia is an alumni from UCI. She has previously served as the UCI Conference Chair. She joined OC YMF to expand her professional network and to meet other individuals that share the same excitement for civil engineering. Through OC YMF, she plans to give back to the community and to promote civil engineering to the younger people.
E-mail: miacprieto@gmail.com
Elizabeth Ruedas
Legislative Committee
CNC Engineering
Elizabeth received her B.S. in civil engineering from UC Irvine and is currently working as a design engineer for CNC Engineering.
Being a part of OC YMF has given her the opportunity to meet and network with others who share similar interests.
E-mail: eruedas@cc-eng.com
Per Tvedt
Legislative Committee
AKM Consulting Engineers
Per graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2012. He previously served as chair for ASCE MLAB YMF Student Night & Job Fair from 2012-2013.
He wants to promote the profession of civil engineering and build a network.
E-mail: pertvedt@hotmail.com
Isamar Escobar
K-12 Outreach Chair / Legislative Committee
Michael Baker International
Isamar Escobar is a Civil Associate at Michael Baker International, and an alumni of the University of California, Irvine. Isamar’s involvement with ASCE began at UCI with her participation in Concrete Canoe. From then on Isamar continued to move through ASCE and served as Conference Chair, Concrete Canoe Mix-Design Captain, and Internal Vice President. After graduating from UCI, Isamar served as the UCI Liaison for ASCE Orange County’s Younger Member Group. Within the Younger Member Group, Isamar has become involved in K-12 Outreach. She has helped at classroom visits, career fairs, and special events. She has served on numerous STEM panels, worked with various teachers and schools in Orange County and Los Angeles County, and has partnered with many other non-profit organization such as Stepping Up, the Achievement Institute of Scientific Studies, Project Tomorrow, and many others. By being involved with ASCE OC YMF, Isamar hopes to inspire past, current and future generations to Dream Big.
E-mail: Isamar.Escobar@mbakerintl.com
Samantha Nguyen
K-12 Committee
Kimley Horn
Samantha joined OC YMF in order to expand her professional network, improve leadership and communication skills, and learn career tips from other younger members.
E-mail: samantha.nguyen@kimley-horn.com
Steven Taylor
K-12 Committee
Michael Baker International
Steven decided to join OC YMF to keep growing his network of young professionals with a wide variety of backgrounds in civil engineering. OC YMF is a great organization where he is able to challenge himself while growing professionally and personally from the various opportunites OC YMF offers.
E-mail: steven.a.taylor@mbakerintl.com
Eric Walker
PSBC Chair
Stantec
Eric works in the Community Development Department on projects for Southern California Edison and residential developers. On the side, Eric likes playing cello and building sandcastles.
He is involved in ASCE to give back to the community, make friends, grow professionally and personally, and have fun.
E-mail: eric.walker@stantec.com
Remi Candaele, PE
EWRI Liaison
Being involved with OC YMF contributes to expanding his knowledge of how-to make our local communities a sustainable place to live. It also teaches him how to proficiently communicate and interact on a daily basis, in gatherings or using information technology, with individuals of different backgrounds and personalities. Above all, Remi loves the opportunity to work with both outstanding and enthusiastic individuals, who may become the future leaders in civil engineering.
E-mail: remi.candaele@gmail.com
Taki Chrysovergis, PE
Geotechnical Institute Liaison
SPC Geotechnical, Inc
Taki is a staff engineer at SPC Geotechnical, Inc. in Anaheim, CA where he performs a variety of civil engineering work. He received his BS and MS from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
He has been a member of ASCE since 2006 and would like to promote civil and geotechnical engineering.
E-mail: taki@spcgeo.com
Crystal Mena
Communications Chair
Crystal graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and is an instructor at Cal Poly Pomona. In addition, she is in the process of getting her M.S. in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona.
Crystal joined OC YMF to grow her network, learning about the various fields within civil engineering, and be an advocate of education in STEM. OC YMF has provided Crystal with the opportunity for professional growth and to be involved with her community.
E-mail: crystal.mena01@gmail.com
Jennica Smith
Webmaster
Iteris, Inc.
Jennica graduated from UC Irvine in 2014. She works as a transportation engineer at Iteris, Inc.
She became involved with OC YMF to develop professional networking and skills, as well as share her passion for civil engineering and other interests with other young professionals.
E-mail: jmsmith@urbanengineers.com
Joel Lagade Jr.
Webmaster
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Joel Lagade graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and is currently working as an assistant environmental engineer at Tetra Tech. His work has taken him near and far in the remediation industry. Outside of engineering, Joel enjoys long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners by the ocean, and traveling.
OC YMF has become a new cohort for Joel and he hopes to extend these candid relationship through the rest of his life.
E-mail: Joel.Lagade@tetratech.com
Nick Weis
Webmaster / Co-Photographer
Willdan Engineering
Nick graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and currently works at Willdan Engineering in Anaheim. He joined YMF to network with other professionals and continuing learning about the diverse field of Civil Engineering after college.
E-mail: nick.weis.eng@gmail.com
Andy Nguyen
Co-Photographer
R.A. Smith National
Andy Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and is currently working as a civil analyst in the land development division at Kimley Horn and Associates in Orange, CA. Beyond civil engineering, he is also a freelance photographer who specializes in event and portrait photography.
He decided to join ASCE YMF to give back to the community that has given him so many wonderful memories, friends, and mentors while he was in ASCE in college.
E-mail: andy.nguyen@rasmithnational.com
Alex Maher
Historian / Jogathon Chair
Michael Baker International
Alex first joined ASCE to expand his professional network and knowledge of civil engineering. Late in 2014 he volunteered to help the 2015 Speaker Series Committee secure one of its speakers and book the venue for the four main speaker events. He also volunteered to organize the 2016 ASCE Ragnar Relay team and 2016 Jog-A-Thon. He now holds the position of Historian and is excited to see how ASCE will change and grow.
E-mail: Alexander.Maher@mbakerintl.com
Jessica Leyva
Fundraising Chair
Michael Baker International
Jessica graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and currently works at Michael Baker International in the land development department. She joined YMF to become more involved in the industry and build a professional network.
E-mail: jessica.leyva@mbakerintl.com
Gibson Phan
Community Outreach Chair
Michael Baker International
Gibson is involved with OC YMF due to numerous opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
He looks forward to meeting and networking with other young professionals who share similar interests in the filed of civil engineering.
E-mail: Gibson.Phan@mbakerintl.com
Oscar Rivera
Membership
David Evans and Associates
Oscar received his B.S. from the University of Southern California and is currently working at David Evans and Associates in the Land Development Business Unit. This is currently his second year as Treasurer and before that he served as Fundraising Chair for OC YMF.
Being a part of OC YMF has given him the opportunity for professional and personal growth, as well as a platform to promote the profession of civil engineering.
E-mail: orivera@deainc.com
Andrew Lam
Membership
Joining the OC YMF has allowed Andrew to discover better networking opportunities with young professionals, and to grow in the civil engineering career. Involved with various events, Andrew learns to work, inspire, and communicate with students and professionals in fields other than civil engineering.
E-mail: andrewl953@yahoo.com
Ryan Hankes
Internal Events
Husman Associates, Inc.
Ryan completed his B.S degree in Civil Engineering from California State University Fullerton and is currently working at Husman Associates, Inc.. Before his career and college studies, Ryan enlisted in the US Navy and worked on helicopters out of San Diego. He is still an active member of the Navy Reserves out of Seal Beach.
Being a part of the OC YMF has helped Ryan network, find friends with similar interests, and help his younger college friends in their civil engineering career.
E-mail: ryan@haieng.com
Rachelle Habchi
Internal Events
UC Irvine Graduate Student
Rachelle is a second-year Master's student at UC Irvine. She is currently in the Structures department and is conducting research on the validation of computer-programmed bridge simulations.
OC YMF has given her a refreshing opportunity to find a like-minded community outside of academia, which incorporates entertaining activities with professional-building experiences. This is her first year on the board as a member of the Internal Activities Committee and has so far been having a blast.
E-mail: rghabchi@gmail.com
Dominic Stone
External Events Chair
Michael Baker International
Dominic became involved with OC YMF to further his involvement within ASCE and expand his network with professionals outside of his own office. He is excited to see what the year will bring and learn from this amazing organization.
E-mail: Dominic.Stone@mbakerintl.com
Adrian Cortez
Programs Co-Chair
Jacobs Engineering
Adrian works at Jacobs Engineering in the civil roadway design group that focuses on grade separation design. He is currently a first year Master’s student at Cal Poly Pomona studying civil engineering with an emphasis on transportation/traffic engineering.
His goal of being a part of OC YMF is to build a network of like-minded individuals, learn from mentors, and most importantly give back to the community.
E-mail: adrian.cortez@jacobs.com
Josue Candelario
Programs Co-Chair
Jacobs
Josue graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.S. in Environmental Resources Engineering with an emphasis in Water Resources. He currently works at Jacobs Engineering in the drainage group and focuses on rail related projects.
Josue has been involved in ASCE since his college years and sees the benefits of being surrounded by like-minded individuals. His goal for joining the OC YMF is to continue his professional growth and practice his leadership skills.
E-mail: Josue.Candelario@jacobs.com
Guillaume Iradukunda
Speaker Series Chair
Truxaw and Associates
Guillaume was born and raised in Rwanda, where he completed all of his pre-college education. He was accepted by California Baptist University in 2010, and four years later received his Bachelor of Sciences in Civil Engineering. Since 2016, Guillaume has been enjoying working as a Design Engineer with great professionals at Truxaw and Associates, Inc.; a Civil Engineering and Surveying company in Orange, CA.
Throughout his life and career, Guillaume has learned that great things are achieved when people work together in harmony. The pursuit for those achievements became his motivation to join ASCE YMF OC in 2016. He is certain that a positive improvement to personalities, lives and careers will come through serving and learning with others on board.
E-mail: guillad101@hotmail.com
