HISTORY OF THE
AMERICAN RIVER CHAPTER

The chapter is unique among all ASPE chapters in that it was started and sponsored by another chapter, the San Francisco Chapter. On December 27, 1981, Alan Neel, then Legislative Vice President of the San Francisco Chapter, introduced a resolution to the San Francisco Chapter Board of Directors regarding formation of a committee to investigate the feasibility of forming a new chapter in Sacramento. He was appointed Chairman of the Sacramento Chapter Committee. There were 20 members at that time who ultimately transferred membership from the San Francisco Chapter to the newly formed American River Chapter. The first meeting held in Sacramento was called on January 20, 1982, with Alan Neel, Harold Yackey, Paul Roman, Harry Moos, Phil Higley and Leonard Rea in attendance. It was agreed to hold meetings monthly and to begin membership recruitment, with a goal of meeting Charter requirements within approximately one year.

Membership growth was steady. At the first Charter petition, it was discovered that two of the signing members were ineligible because they had not paid their dues. It had been planned to have the Charter issued in December 1982. At the December 1982 meeting of the Interim Board, it was decided to wait until April 1983 to resubmit the petition, as many new members would be eligible to sign it, making the required 20 full or associate member signatures easy to meet. It was then decided that the Charter would be finalized in May or June 1983.

By April 1983, the Chapter had 36 members and the petition was resubmitted on April 2, 1983. The ASPE National Board of Directors approved the Charter petition the following week. The American River Chapter Board of Directors decided in March 1983 to have the Charter Night on May 17, 1983. The elections were held the same night and the official Board was installed on June 18, 1983 by the National Society President Calvin A. Laws.

In 1993 the chapter membership voted to change the name from American River Chapter to the Northern California Chapter. The impetus for the change was to give the Chapter more identity regionally and nationally.

Past Chapter Presidents

Alan Neel, P.E. 1982-1985

Harold Yackey, P.E. 1985-1987

Bill Wong, P.E. 1987-1988

Terry Koelzer, P.E. 1988-1990

Larry Oliver, CPD 1990-1992

Paul Roman, CPD 1992-1993

Larry Oliver, CPD 1993-1995

Alex Harp, P.E., CPD 1995-1997

Jeff Waring, P.E. 1997-1999

Chris Lehner 1999-2001

Reinhold Gerber, P.E. 2001-2002

Jim Powell, CPD 2002-2004

Michael Rodgers 2004-2008

Angela Bowman 2008-Present