The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the world’s largest engineering professional society, has announced its 2020 Class of Distinguished Members. Mr. Ron Klemencic, a member of our Academy of Distinguished Alumni, has been honored in this year's class. Of ASCE’s nearly 150,000 active members, only 223 hold the status of Distinguished Member, an honor reserved for those who have attained eminence within the realm of engineering.
Mr. Klemencic is the chairman and CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, and one of the world’s leading structural engineers of high-rise buildings. He has led award winning projects, including 150 North Riverside in Chicago, which was recognized with ASCE’s 2019 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) award. Another is Salesforce Tower, the tapering obelisk in San Francisco that recently garnered an OCEA Honor Award.
Mr. Klemencic is a leader in moving the structural profession to performance-based design (PBSD) for tall buildings, through research, lectures, and over 70 completed projects. He is now a catalyst for advancement of performance-based wind design (PBWD).
For his commitment to practical and design-focused research, Engineering News-Record named him the winner of their Award of Excellence for 2018. Other awards include ASCE’s 2019 OPAL award for design and 2016 Ernest E. Howard Award, ACI’s 2010 Alfred E. Lindau Award, and Engineer of the Year (2008) from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington.