THE NEXT STEP

Company Registration

This annual, free event held in Washington, DC is a great opportunity for engineering students and graduate engineers to learn more about the opportunities in the structural engineering profession, connect with other local structural engineering students, meet with local professionals, participate in the career fair, and get exposure to future potential employers. The program will include presentations by local engineers and a keynote speech. Presentations will touch on a variety of introductory and in-depth topics within the field of Structural Engineering. There will also be a career fair attended by many of the premier local and global structural engineering firms; and an evening mocktail reception hosted by Younger Members Group.

Please note that there will be a 100 attendees limit for Next Step 2025, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

Date

September 19, 2025

Time

9:00AM - 4:00PM

Location

20 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20001

Registration Deadline

September 12, 2025

Special Thanks to our Sponsors!

Breakfast Sponsor

Keynote Speaker

Gary R. Strand, P.E.

Gary has over 40 years experience designing, consulting, investigating, and managing a wide range of structural engineering projects in the local industry. While employed as a key staff member at several long-time SEA-MW member firms, including Cagley & Associates (1982-1993), Rathgeber/Goss Associates (1993-2005), and currently Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (2005-present), Gary’s design experience includes the rigging designs for many U.S. Capitol statue renovation projects, as well as wood, concrete, masonry, and steel structures.

Gary earned his Bachelors of Architectural Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, and he is a licensed Professional Engineer in over a dozen states. He is currently a principal in SGH’s structural engineering group. He also served as Division Head for the structural engineering group of SGH’s DC office for many years before handing over that role in 2023 to the next generation of leadership, whom he helped develop and prepare. He leads structural design teams from the conceptual stage through construction administration, paying close attention to economy, constructability, details, and overall project coordination. As a leader, he focuses on mentoring and developing young technical staff to help them reach their full potential.

Companies at Career Fair:

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