Technical Tours & Presentations

MLAB-YMF hosts various technical tours and presentations throughout the year. Below is a list of just a few events we have recently hosted. Our goal is to meet the needs and interests of our members, therefore feel free to contact us if you have an idea for our next tour and/or presentation. Make sure to visit our calendar periodically for announcements of upcoming presentations and tours.

Technical Presentations:

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 – “Financial Planning: How Money Works and Retirement”

Linda Strack from Primerica Financial Services was the guest speaker and discussed financial literacy and educated us on how to achieve debt freedom and financial independence. Through analysis of money cycles, she explained how money works and how retirement planning is a critical motivator for young professionals.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - “Successful Leadership and Management”

Sean P. Vargas, P.E. and Vice President/Principal Psomas was the guest speaker and presented on Leadership and Management to an attentive audience. Mr. Vargas emphasized the distinction between leadership and management, and how effective leaders and managers play critical roles in team building and project delivery. An informative discussion ensued as the inquisitive audience posed questions

Wednesday, January 16, 2007 – “P.E. License Exam – Upcoming Changes”

The presentation was on the upcoming changes to the Professional Engineer (P.E.) license exam in the State of California. The meeting took place on January 16, 2007 and featured Cindi Christenson, P.E., Executive Officer of the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and Dr. Gregg Brandow, S.E., Structural Engineer Member of the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Technical Tours:

Saturday, February 9, 2008 – Various Tours during the 2007-2008 WYMC Conference

This year’s conference was held in Las Vegas, NV and although the entire conference was filled with technical presentations and workshops, we can’t forget the great tours that were offered. Our MLAB YMF group split up and had the opportunity of going to a behind the scenes construction tour of the new Palms Place, located in the Palms Hotel and Casino Property or of what is to be the new addition of the Wynn Hotel among other tours. Each tour was fun and exciting and we are definitely looking forward to the tours that will be offered at the next WYMC.

Monday, February 18, 2008 - Police Administration Building Tour

MLAB YMF hosted local engineers and students to a tour of the construction site in downtown L.A. of the 10-story, LEED Certified, Police Administration Building which will replace the existing LAPD headquarter facility at Parker Center. The project was designed by DMJM Design Roth + Sheppard Joint Venture, and is being constructed by Tutor Saliva, Corporation. The City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering and Vanir Construction are the PM/CM team.
The project consists of a 500,000 sq. ft. building to house LAPD administration, auditorium, cafeteria, public plaza, 2nd street green space, and below-grade parking. The construction cost is approximately $230 million and construction is over 50 % complete. A follow up tour is planned mid next year to see the finish project

Friday, July 28, 2006 – Pasadena City Hall Upgrade and Seismic Retrofit Restoration Tour

Mr. Bob Troutman, the project manager for Clark Construction, led a group of 20 MLAB YMF members on a behind the scenes tour of this historical building. Bob is extremely knowledgeable in the field of seismic engineering and has worked on numerous seismic retrofit projects. His team provided an excellent tour of the construction which was spearheaded by Clark Construction. Mr. Troutman’s knowledgeable team of engineers described the details and technical fundamentals that this project included. We learned how the 3.5 sq. ft. and 25.5 ton base isolator will allow the entire 45,000-ton building to move like a pendulum during a major earthquake. During a seismic activity, the building will go back to its original position. MLAB YMF wants to thank the Clark Construction team and all of the members who attended this successful event.