AWC’s Education Manager Elected to SEAVa Board

LEESBURG, VA. – American Wood Council’s (AWC) Lori Koch has been elected as a board member of the Structural Engineer’s Association of Virginia (SEAVa), serving for no less than three years.

“Lori has been with AWC for seven years, and her hard work and dedication has resulted in the development of a soon-to-be-published Structural Wood Design Examples document based on several AWC standards,” said AWC Vice President of Technology Transfer John “Buddy” Showalter. “It’s no surprise that SEAVa recognized the value Lori adds to an organization, and we’re pleased to share her talents and skills with such a respected group.”

As AWC’s manager of educational outreach, Lori handles the helpdesk and works to expand continuing education resources regarding the use of wood in safe and sustainable buildings for building officials, engineers and designers. She is a licensed P.E. in Virginia.

Koch graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s in civil engineering, and from Clemson University with a master’s in civil engineering. She was a forensic structural engineer in suburban Washington, D.C. before attending Virginia Tech where she earned a Master’s of Forestry degree from the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products (now called the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials). Her research at Virginia Tech involved connections for fall-protection harnesses for residential roofers and construction workers.