PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Welcome to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Orange County Younger Member Forum (OC YMF)! My name is Nathaniel Kapongo, and I am thrilled to be your ASCE Orange County Younger Member Forum President for the 2025-2026 year.

It’s truly an honor to collaborate with a team of passionate individuals who embody the spirit of OC YMF—driven by a shared belief in the power of collaboration, camaraderie, and lifelong learning to grow and sustain our organization’s legacy. I am joined on the Executive Board with: Past President Marionne Lapitan with Jacobs, President-Elect Jacob Perea with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Treasurer Michelle Sabers with Zephyr Rail, and Karen Luong with Kimley-Horn.

As we kick off the year, we would like to highlight some key goals and aspirations for the year ahead. This year, we aim to provide more opportunities for skill development and technical growth through workshops, seminars, and networking events. Teamwork and collaboration have been essential to our organization, which is why we are implementing new ideas and updating our communication methods to provide our board members with resources to make this happen. We are continuing our engagement with local university chapters through outreach and mentorship, as well as hosting various community service events and K-12 outreach events.

Whether you are a returning member or new to OC YMF, you are welcome to attend the events and expand your network. We hope to see you at our various events as well as our monthly board meetings, which are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:00 pm. If you’d like to get involved or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! We look forward to meeting you!