Judith Malamut, Principal in LSA’s Berkeley office, will join Chris Calfee, Senior Counsel with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, for a discussion of SB 1241: Fire Hazard Requirements for General Plans and the CEQA checklist. SB 1241, passed in 2012, requires city and county general plan safety elements to be updated to incorporate wildfire hazard considerations for State Responsibility Areas and lands within very high fire hazard severity zones. OPR is charged with updating the CEQA Initial Study checklist to include questions related to fire hazard impacts in SRAs and affected zones. The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals is sponsoring the event on April 17. For more information and on-line registration, click here.
During paleontological monitoring for the State Route 133 (SR-133)/Laguna Canyon Road widening project, LSA Associates, Inc. (LSA) performed the excavation of four newly discovered, archaic species of toothed baleen whales in Orange County currently mentioned in the California State University, Fullerton, News. LSA’s excavation provided paleontologists with fossil bones that are estimated to date back 17 to 19 million years. One of the whales, nicknamed “Free Willy” or just “Willy,” was the main focus of the research, and it has been suggested that he was 30 feet in length. These findings have allowed researchers to understand how whales have evolved over millions of years. LSA is pleased to be part of this project. Click here to read the full article.
photo left: Morawanocetinae (Archaic toothed baleen whale). Two upper left molars, lingual view
photo right: Squalodontidae (Shark Toothed Dolphin), rostrum and mandible
For WTS Orange County to be successful, it relies on the support of its members and the firms for which they work. Each year WTS-OC recognizes a firm’s contributions with an “Employer of the Year” award. The award goes to a firm that:
- Enhances the transportation industry through its commitment to excellence and quality in the services it provides;
- Exhibits an outstanding record of affirmative action in hiring and promoting at all levels;
- Supports continuing education of its employees through professional education, professional organizations such as WTS, and professional development opportunities;
- Encourages women students to enter the transportation field through internships and other opportunities; and
- Supports WTS Orange County.
LSA is proud to have been recognized as WTS-OC’s “Employer of the Year” at the annual WTS-OC Gala on December 6 at the Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim. Steve Huff of RBF, a Michael Baker Corporation, presented the award to Deborah Pracilio, Principal, Environmental Planning, in LSA's corporate office, Irvine. Thank you, WTS-OC!
Tony Petros, a Principal in the Irvine office, has been elected as Newport Beach District 2 City Councilman. Mr. Petros is responsible for the management and supervision of the transportation function of LSA. As Project Manager for one of the department’s most significant projects, Orange County Sustainable Communities Strategy, he has addressed the efforts on greenhouse gas emission reduction.
While Mr. Petros, who was unopposed in the November election, has never held elected public office, he has dipped a toe or two into the local political pool. When he lived in Costa Mesa years ago, he served as the Chamber of Commerce chairman, sat on the police and redevelopment committees, and was part of numerous nonprofit Boards of Directors.
In Newport Beach, where he and his wife, Kristen, live with their daughters, Erika and Emily, he counts his involvement within the community as president of the Environmental Nature Center, where he secured $1.2 million in grant funding for a new Lead in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-certified facility, as a particular accomplishment, along with progress in raising awareness for road safety as a member of the City’s Bicycle Safety Committee. He has also been a member of the West Newport Neighborhood Revitalization Committee and the West Newport Beach Association.
In his spare time, Mr. Petros is recognized as a local amateur athlete. He rides bicycles for Velo 605, a local Corona del Mar cycling team, and is a member of the Newport Coast Triathlon Team, the current medium-sized championship triathlon team in California. In addition, he has competed his way to the U.S. Nationals squad and represented the United States in the Age Group World Championship in Hawaii in 2005.
Teri De La Cruz, Director of Contracts Administration, has been with LSA Associates, Inc. for the past 18 years and has worked with federal, State, public, and private industries overseeing contracts administration and revenue accounting/billing. Ms. De La Cruz has been recognized for her effective leadership and her contributions to the firm through her stewardship and influence. In her spare time, Ms. De La Cruz helps her church and her community by donating to various charities, supporting missions around the world and local food drives, and helping underprivileged families. She stresses the importance of education and good decision-making to the youth, especially to the young women that are just entering the business world. Ms. De La Cruz is Cuban born and was brought to the United States at the age of 7 by her parents, who were looking for a better future for their children. She was raised in South Pasadena, where she soon learned that she could succeed at anything she put her mind to through hard work, commitment, and education. After raising three very independent and strong children, she went back to school and achieved her life-long dream of graduating with a B.S. in Business Accounting. She also received a Certificate of Completion in Leadership Management International, Inc. and is a Member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). Her vision is to “continue to be a role model for her family and her community.”
The Latino American Who’s Who is a New York-based biographical publication that selects and distinguishes leading Latino professionals throughout the world who have attained a recognizable degree of success in their field of endeavor and thereby contribute to the growth of their industry and culture.
Joe Urzua has been promoted to Senior Transportation Planner for LSA’s Riverside office. Over the past several years, Joe has managed a number of transportation planning projects and has proven his ability to work collaboratively with clients and agency staff and to meet demanding schedules. Joe has taken the initiative to learn TransCAD, thereby increasing our capacity for traffic modeling work. In addition, Joe earned his AICP certification in 2011. Joe has been with LSA since 2006 and is considered a resident expert in freeway analysis.
