Elected Region 9 Director

Portrait of Yazdan Emrani - a man with a goatee wearing a suit smiles at the camera

Vision statement

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has always been a pioneering organization, not only in championing the interests of civil engineers, but also in advocating for relevant and urgent issues facing our country and the world. I became a Civil Engineer to make a difference and positive contribution to our society, and will continue my efforts by working with our membership to further ASCE’s goals.
A well-designed and maintained infrastructure anchors our economy and lifestyles and secures the public health and well-being. Communities with efficient road systems, good schools and water and sewer can better attract residents and businesses. When traffic flows, goods and services move to market faster and more efficiently, lowering the cost to consumers. One of our tasks, as civil engineers, is to educate our public on the importance of infrastructure renewal, encourage our colleagues in the public sector to continue the fight for infrastructure funding and to actively communicate to our elected officials the important role that infrastructure maintenance plays in our everyday lives.

We also need to look internally and prepare the next generation of civil engineer leaders, to continue the good work that ASCE has done, and to take the Society to the next level by providing opportunities and incentives for new or existing civil engineers to join ASCE. One way to do this is through mentoring and networking programs. Our technical education is extremely important, however, to become a leader, we also need to develop “people skills”, to communicate effectively. ASCE places a great deal of emphasis on mentoring and networking and encourages the development of these programs, as they are essential tools in retaining existing members and attracting new ones.

Equally important is development of systematic infrastructure champions or advocates. Advocacy doesn’t have to be glamorous, but it does need to be systematic and persistent. This is where a lot of our members, especially our younger members, excel and would be willing to get involved and pick up this challenge and push this cause forward. I have done this throughout my career by having been involved with various ASCE Infrastructure Report Card efforts development, as well as publicizing these report cards and ensuring they become “must have“ documents for our legislators.

Lastly, ASCE’s goal of sustainable development is a crucial keystone which needs to be integrated into everyday civil engineering design. As an Envision Sustainability Professional, I have worked to promote the standards and protocols of sustainable development within my professional work, including advocating for this to become our standard operating procedure. I will continue this advocacy with the Region 9 board.

In summary, my vision is to:

  • Work with Branches, Sections and Student Chapters in Region 9 to establish or encourage the furtherance of mentoring and networking programs;
  • Work with the Region 9 Board, as well as with Branches, and Sections in Region 9 to promote the use and standardization of Envision for sustainable project development and to encourage more of our membership to become Envision Sustainability Professionals;
  • Keep ASCE members within Region 9 informed on ASCE Societal news and issues;
  • Work with the Region Governors to pursue and implement ASCE’s goals and objectives;
  • Actively engage our Younger Members by providing opportunities and platforms that help shape the future of our profession;
  • Solicit input, ideas, and suggestions from Branches, Sections and Student Chapters;
  • Implement ASCE’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion policy within Region 9; and
  • Represent Region 9 on the ASCE Board of Direction.
I respectfully seek your support for the position of Region 9 Director. Thank you!

 

Biographical statement

Education

  • B.S. in Civil Engineering, Syracuse University, 1984
  • M.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, 2000

Certification and licenses

  • Licensed Civil Engineer in California
  • Prior to California, licensed Civil Engineer in Maryland, Virginia, Louisiana, and Texas

Work experience

  • Public Works Director at City of Glendale, CA, 2019-present
  • Public Works Director/City Engineer at City of San Fernando, CA, 2017-2019
  • Vice President, Carollo Engineers, CA, 2015-2017
  • Senior Vice President/Principal, Hall & Foreman (later David Evans & Associates), CA, 2011-2015
  • Public Works Director, County of Monterey, CA, 2008-2011
  • President & CEO, Advanced Infrastructure Management, Inc., CA, 2002-2008
  • Vice President and Senior Vice President, respectively, at Berryman & Henigar and Huitt-Zollars, CA, 1999-2002
  • Manager of Public Works Department, Carter & Burgess, TX,1998-1999
  • Regional Vice President/Principal, RJN Group, MD, LA, and TX, 1986-1998
  • Design Engineer, KCI Technologies, MD, 1985-1986

ASCE involvement

Society level

  • ASCE Member since 1984
  • Key Contact
  • Attended Washington, DC Fly-ins

Local level

  • Region 9 Vice-Chair, Board of Governors, 2018-2019
  • Region 9 Governor, Los Angeles Section, 2017-2020
  • Region 9 Chair, Infrastructure Policy Committee, 2018-present
  • Region 9 Chair, Nominating Committee, 2018-present
  • Los Angeles Section President 2013-2014; member of the Board, 2012-2015
  • Orange County Branch President 2007-2008; member of the Board, 2004-2009
  • Co-Chair, California Infrastructure Report Card, 2006 and 2012
  • Co-Chair, Orange County Infrastructure Report Card, 2002, 2005, and 2016
  • Attended Sacramento Legislative Fly-ins
  • State Advocacy Captain
  • Los Angeles Section Chair of the Annual Awards Event, 2013

Other volunteer activities

  • Past Member, Board of Directors, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
  • Member, Safe, Clean Water Program for Upper Los Angeles River Watershed Area Steering Committee (WASC)
  • Past President, University of California Irvine, Civil and Environmental Engineering Affiliates
  • Adjunct Professor, University of California Irvine, GIS Certificate Program
  • Member, Dean of College of Engineering Advisory Board, University of California Irvine
  • Member, American Public Works Association
  • Member, County Engineers Association of California

Awards

  • ASCE Orange County Branch, Excellence in Promotion of Infrastructure, 2017
  • ASCE Region 9, Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year, Private Sector, 2015
  • ASCE Los Angeles Section, Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year, Private Sector, 2015
  • ASCE Orange County Branch, Civil Engineer of the Year, 2014
  • ASCE Region 9, Appreciation of Service, 2012
  • Orange County Engineering Council, Outstanding Engineering Service Award, 2013
  • APWA President’s Award, 2006
  • Orange County Engineering Council, Special Project Achievement Award, 2005

Publications

  • Public Speaking, Presentation and Communication Skills Needed for Success!, APWA Convention PWX, Seattle, WA, 2019
  • Public Speaking, Presentation and Communication Skills Needed for Success!, ASCE Convention, Denver, CO, 2018
  • WDRs: Developing an Effective Sanitary Sewer Management Plan Utilizing Innovative GIS Solutions
  • Innovative Master Planning and Maintenance In Orange County, CA Utilizing Unique GIS Applications
  • Waste Discharge Regulations Compliance: Developing an Effective SSMP Using Innovative GIS Solutions
  • Hydraulic Modeling of New Orleans Central Business District Sanitary Sewer System, A Case Study
  • Multiple-Level Database Security Measures for GIS Facilities Management and Map Maintenance
  • An Innovative Geographic Information Management System for City of Houston DPW&E
  • Contributing Author, “GIS Implementation for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities”, McGraw-Hill Books