ISM Announces New ISM Leadership

Eighty Four PA:

The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) announces new leadership. Allan Herse of PCA Ground Engineering Australia has been named chair of ISM, succeeding Dan MacLean of Keller.

Natalia Maca, M.Sc. Eng., of Titan Polska, has been named vice chair, a new position at ISM.

“We are excited to welcome our new leadership,” says Mary Ellen Large, executive director and treasurer of ISM. “Allan and Natalia are enthusiastic champions of ISM, our international workshops and micropiles! Their energy and optimism will be an asset in continuing the excellent work and vision of immediate past chair, Dan MacLean.” 

Allan Herse is an Australian Chartered and Registered Professional Engineer who graduated from The Queensland University of Technology in the early 1990s. Much of his career has been in the field of reinforced soil structures and deep foundations both within Australia and through extensive overseas engagements. In 2009, Herse and two colleagues started PCA Ground Engineering to specifically focus on introducing micropiles into the mainstream Australian construction industry. Herse attended his first ISM workshop in Washington, D.C., in 2010 and has since attended and presented at every workshop. In 2017, PCA was crowned the winner of the ISM World Cup of Micropiles competition. In 2019, PCA was the host company for the 14th International Workshop for Micropiles in Australia, where Herse chaired the local organizing committee. 

Natalia Maca is a geotechnical designer and project manager for Titan Polska, where she focuses on efficient planning and effective delivery of projects of varying scales. Her main areas of interest include landslide stabilization, excavation protection, special foundations and the use of numerical analyses to optimize solutions. As an expert of PKN and CEN technical committees, she actively works on geotechnical standards (including Eurocode 7 and execution standards) and the development of industry guidelines. She graduated in civil engineering from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. An active member of ISM, she was an organizing lead for the 12th International Workshop on Micropiles in Krakow in 2014. Her company won the ISM World Cup of Micropiles competition in 2019, and Maca delivered the winning presentation.

About ISM

The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) is a consortium of international representatives involved in the design, construction, research/development and instruction/promotion of micropile technology. ISM provides an international forum for debate, advice, problem-solving and support to micropile specialists and nonspecialists throughout the world. Members of the Society can actively seek advice and experience from other members within this international group. ISM aims to be respected internationally as the preeminent center of knowledge for the development, advancement and promotion of micropile technology.