SEA has a history of being a grassroots organization.  It is made up of excited individuals and firms that want to make a difference in the community of practicing structural engineers.

• To have a voice in the state laws for SE licensing.
• To provide a forum for structural engineers to exchange ideas and experiences.
• To provide guidance towards the development of professional standards and design guidelines.
• To provide a resource for technical matters concerning codes and specifications.
• To develop a unified voice for all structural engineers in matters of minimum design requirements and safety for the public.

The difference between SEA and other organizations is that there aren’t ties to academia, and generally events are not held at universities.  In a national sense, it is SEA that fights to makes the codes simpler and more user-friendly to practicing engineers.  Other organizations would lobby to make things more correct and accurate from laboratory testing results, but the consequence is that many times things become more complex.