
<p>Chris Petteys serves as the fourth CEO in &nbsp;Forell | Elsesser’s six decades but drives the firm in collaboration with the rest of the executive management team. With a collective focus on building upon the firm’s strong reputation for technical leadership in seismic design, growing talent from within, and creating new opportunities and career paths for staff; Chris leads a firm rooted in engineering fundamentals, client service, performance-based design, and sustainable/resilient structures. From his experience leading large, complex structural projects, Chris has proven the effectiveness of his hands-on management style and enjoys interaction with clients and partners.</p>



<p>In his twenty years practicing as a structural engineer, Chris has navigated complex issues with a level head and taken unexpected approaches to successfully solving problems. He has a broad knowledge of all major construction materials for commercial, multi-family housing, and institutional structures; and is recognized for his efficient buildings and constructability of his designs for unique structures in high seismic regions. His more notable projects include the UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium seismic upgrade and LinkedIn Middlefield Campus. Chris has both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from UCLA.</p>



<p>When Chris is not working through creative solutions or managing the firm, he enjoys golfing, skiing, and spending time with his family.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) Seismology Committee, Former Chair</li>
</ul>


San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Biosolids Digester Facilities Project

Longfellow, Life Science Development, Parking Structures, San Diego, CA

SteelWave, The Lab Parking Structure, 4th Street, Berkeley, CA

Kilroy, Oyster Point, Parking Structure

BioMed Realty, Emery Yards, Parking Structure, Building 14

BioMed Realty, Emery Yards, Life Science Development

Masonic Homes-Skilled Nursing Facility, Covina

Jewish Home of San Francisco, Goodman Building

San Francisco Mint, Seismic Evaluation & Seismic Upgrade

Presidio Quartermaster Reach Culvert

Confidential Precast Parking Structure

East Palo Alto Youth Arts and Music Center

UC Merced Downtown Campus

Sacred Heart Academic Arts Building

Peninsula Healthcare District Residential Care Facility for the Elderly

Jewish Home of San Francisco, Frank Residences, and Byer Square

LinkedIn, Middlefield Campus

345 Brannan, Office Complex

LLNL, Building 453 Terascale Simulation Facility

UC Berkeley Jacobs Institute of Design Innovation

UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium Seismic Upgrade

LLNL, Building 855 High Explosive Ban Saw

LLNL, Building 805 Renovation

LLNL, Building 581 National Ignition Facility Master Plan

LLNL, Building 217 Renovation

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Building 191, HEAF Atrium Addition

Dropbox TI at Brannan Street

Wareham Development, Parking Structure

President and CEO

Christopher Petteys


<p>With the firm since 1984, Mason is a Senior Principal at Forell | Elsesser. One of Mason’s most effective roles at the firm is orchestrating teams of engineers to leverage their varied areas of expertise, and quickly develop solutions to even the most complex problems. He constantly explores solution concepts and ideas that are outside the norm, leading to unexpectedly elegant and efficient solutions–a practice he encourages with those he mentors. Mason has also had success in crossing lines between engineering disciplines and construction processes to improve existing structural engineering methods to the benefit of F/E’s clients.</p>



<p>As a well-known industry leader, Mason is a resource for in-house staff and colleagues. His engineering expertise includes such diverse areas as sustainable concrete mix design, seismic isolation of new and historic buildings, long-span bridge design, and performance-based seismic design of steel structures. He excels at the analysis, testing, and design for unusual projects that fall outside the scope of traditional building codes. In the early 1990’s, he developed specifications and testing requirements that were used for the U.S. Court of Appeals seismic retrofit in San Francisco, the first federally funded seismic isolation project.&nbsp;Mason is&nbsp;a licensed Structural Engineer in California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, and licensed Professional Engineer in D.C. Mason earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master of Engineering degree in Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics from UC Berkeley.</p>



<p>Mason’s recreational interests include hiking, fly fishing, cinema, metalworking, and carpentry.  He sometimes integrates the latter two interests into his structural engineering practice by building physical models of structures and structural hardware to quickly enhance the clients’ and colleagues’ grasp of complex structural concepts.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>University of California Office of the President Seismic Advisory Board (Charter Member, Chair 2017-2022)</li>



<li>Caltrans Seismic Advisory Board</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), Solar Photovoltaic Systems Seismic Committee, Voting Member</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Director (2003-2005); Convention Technical Committee, Former Co-Chair;&nbsp;Program Committee, Former Chair; Subcommittee on Protective Systems;&nbsp;Subcommittee on Non-Building Structures</li>



<li>American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)</li>



<li>International Association for Bridge &amp; Structural Engineering (IABSE)</li>
</ul>


University of California, Berkeley, Archeology Building

University of California, Berkeley, Hildebrand Hall

University of California, Berkeley, Latimer Hall

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City Main Temple, Seismic Retrofit

GSA, James R. Browning, U.S. Court of Appeals Building

Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center

PG&E HQ, 245 Market Street Complex

Meta, MPK 20

Utah State Capitol Seismic Retrofit

San Francisco City Hall, Seismic Retrofit

San Francisco 911 Emergency Communications Center

Oakland City Hall Seismic Rehabilitation

Hiram W. Johnson State Office Building + Earl Warren Supreme Court Building

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Mokelumne Aqueduct Seismic Upgrade

JCC, Mono County Courthouse, Mammoth Lakes, CA

San Francisco International Airport Concourse H BART Station

West Cargo Facility

UCSF Mission Bay Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Hall

UC Berkeley, Sutardja Dai Hall, CITRIS HQ

University of California, Berkeley, Simpson Training Center

UC Berkeley, Blum Center for Developing Economies

UC Berkeley Barker Hall Seismic Upgrade

Stanford University, McMurtry Art & Art History Building

Stanford University, Bass Biology Research Building

Lick-Wilmerding High School, Expansion & Renovation

University of California, Berkeley, Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

UCSF Parnassus Ray & Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine

San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge Seismic Retrofit

SFJAZZ Center

Congregation Beth Sholom

Tulare County (Porterville) Courthouse

SFMTA, Central Subway Chinatown – Rose Pak Station

San Francisco International Airport Rental Car Parking Garage

San Francisco International Airport North & South Public Parking Garages

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)

UCSF Parnassus Clinical Sciences Building

Senior Principal

Mason Walters


<p>Simin Naaseh is a Senior Principal, and serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Forell | Elsesser. She previously served as the firm’s CEO until August 2020. Simin is a recognized leader in the A/E/C industry and has devoted much time serving in leadership positions in many professional organizations. She thrives on building strong relationships with clients and colleagues and applies this strength internally to foster a collaborative working environment. She enjoys design-build projects and is a Designated Design-Build Professional (DBIA). Simin has an interest in large-scale and complex projects particularly because of their intrinsically collaborative nature. With a history of managing both large and small projects since 1983, Simin also recognizes that the key to a project’s success is working closely with clients to create a customized solution to suit each client’s goals, whether that means attention to seismic performance, cost-effectiveness, or a fast schedule.</p>



<p>Under her leadership as former CEO and president, Simin deepened the firm’s traditions of technical excellence and exceptional service and reinvigorated its long-standing tradition of investing in research and development. Simin’s special interest in advancing the firm as one of the most innovative structural engineering firms in the nation is shared by the new generation of firm leaders who continue to advance this goal. Simin is invested in mentoring the firm’s young staff, with an emphasis on supporting women and minorities to develop as leaders in the firm. Simin received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Azar Abadegan in Tabriz, Iran, and a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.</p>



<p>When she is not busy with contributing to Forell | Elsesser’s success, Simin can be found hiking, cooking with her family, or indulging in her passion for music.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Fellow, Past-President</li>



<li>Design-Build Institute of America, Western Pacific Region (DBIA WPR), Board Member</li>



<li>OSHPD Hospital Building Safety Board Member (HBSB), Former Member 2008-2016</li>



<li>American Institute of Architects, San Francisco&nbsp;(AIASF), Former Public Board Member</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Member</li>



<li>San Francisco Planning + Urban Research (SPUR), Member</li>



<li>California Preservation Foundation (CPF), Past Trustee</li>
</ul>


University of California, Berkeley, Weill Life Sciences Building Addition

University of California, Berkeley, Heathcock Hall, College of Chemistry

BioMed Realty, Lincoln Center, Life Science Development

San Bernardino County, Valley Communications Center

Gregory Bateson Office Building, Seismic Retrofit

Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center, Berkeley, CA

San Francisco State University, George and Judy Marcus Hall for the Liberal and Creative Arts

Pixar Animation Studios’ Film Production Facility

201 Post Street Seismic Rehabilitation

USF, John Lo Schiavo Center for Science and Innovation

UCSF, Wayne & Gladys Valley Center for Vision

UC Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Building

Santa Clara University Leavey Events Center

Santa Clara University Harrington Learning Center, Sobrato Technology Center, & Orradre Library

San Francisco State University, Mashouf Wellness Center

California State University, Sacramento, The WELL Center

Genentech Manufacturing Facility CCP2

Genentech Building 50

Simin Naaseh


<p>Mei is a California licensed Structural Engineer with over 20 years of experience in the UK, Norway, Hong Kong, and throughout the US. Her international understanding of structural design enables her to approach engineering challenges from different perspectives to discover the optimal customized solution.</p>



<p>Mei has extensive experience with hospitality, casino, commercial, cultural facilities, and transportation projects. Since joining Forell | Elsesser, Mei has been involved in the SFMTA Central Subway Chinatown and Union Square Stations. Mei received both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Cornell University.</p>



<p>When she’s not working on San Francisco infrastructure, she enjoys pursuing her interests in photography, scuba diving, and backpacking.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Member</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Member</li>
</ul>


Natural History Museum Los Angeles County, Jezet Seating Structure

Kenneth Hahn, Hall of Administration, Seismic Retrofit

University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry

College of Marin, Miwok Center

LBNL, Building 62, Room 201 Retrofit

California State University, East Bay, CORE Building

Senior Associate

Mei Kuen Liu


<p>As an Senior Engineer at Forell | Elsesser, Lindsey brings a technical and analytical portfolio with a diverse range of projects varying in material, type of construction, and geographic location.  She has aided both in design collaboration, as well as construction administration phases and enjoys working with clients to achieve a desirable structure that is both simplistic and creative, as well as cost-effective. Additionally, Lindsey has aided in the forensic analysis and remedial efforts of existing structures and values the educational aspects of restoring and preserving historical structures.</p>



<p>Lindsey’s expansive knowledge in modeling three-dimensional structures both in Revit, as well as structural analysis software, has utilized the advanced capabilities of sharing real-time building information models for cross-discipline collaboration efforts.&nbsp; She is also a gifted writer and looks to further business development aspects with the firm.</p>



<p>Lindsey received her Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&amp;M University, College Station, and her Master’s degree from Stanford University.</p>



<p>Apart from Engineering, Lindsey enjoys fashion design, contemporary dance, swimming, and yoga.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Professional Associations</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)</li>
</ul>


Senior Engineer

Lindsey Koenig

Science & Technology

Civic

Projects

Team

Categories