For Michelle Kam-Biron, success is measured by creating opportunities for others. Whether empowering women, advocating for the under-represented, or mentoring students and young professionals, she views the long-term strength of the industry as directly tied to inclusion and access. Her approach is a simple principle: everyone matters. Through leadership and sustained commitment to giving back to our communities, Michelle advances a more resilient, connected and capable profession where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and succeed.
Michelle’s commitment to giving back began through her involvement with the Structural Engineer Association of Southern California (SEAOSC). In 2015, she became the first woman to serve as president of an organization that has shaped the profession since the 1920s. During her tenure, she helped establish the Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE) Committee, creating a platform for women engineers’ professional development, networking and leadership advancement.
Through WiSE, Michelle and her colleagues launched a mentorship program that paired emerging engineers with experienced professionals, fostering relationships that supported career growth and success. The committee also led leadership symposia focused on professional development, strengthening collaboration and empowering engineers to take on leadership roles within the professions.
Recognizing that many organizations were operating independently, Michelle worked to bridge gaps between women-led groups across disciplines. Through collaboration with the Los Angeles– based National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), American Institute of Architects — Women in Architecture (AIA WiA), and Women in Construction Operations (WiOPS), she helped form Women Working Together (WWT), an initiative focused on breaking down the barriers between professional silos and strengthening connections across engineering, construction, architecture and ownership communities. WWT continues to thrive and grow with the addition of Women Construction Owners & Executives (WCOE).
Michelle’s work with students reflects a parallel commitment to developing the next generation of industry leaders. As an active member of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Dean’s Leadership Council, for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, she helped establish the College’s first structured mentorship program, connecting third- and fourth-year students with industry professionals prior to graduation. The program reflects Cal Poly’s “learn by doing” philosophy and Michelle’s focus on experiential learning.
In addition, as an American Wood Council VP of Education, she created the Timber-Strong Design BuildSM (TSDB) Competition in partnership with Simpson Strong-Tie and the Binational Softwood Lumber Council — the first university-level student competition to integrate structural design, material sourcing and hands-on construction of a wood structure. By requiring students to move beyond theoretical design into real-world execution, the competition exposes participants to constructability, supply chain considerations and field realities that are often absent from traditional curricula. It also creates direct industry engagement, providing students with mentorship, technical guidance and early professional connections. Since the TSDB first launched in 2018, the organizers have partnered with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to expand the competition from 18 universities in the Pacific Southwest to 98 universities throughout the US.
Across all of these efforts — mentorship, cross-industry collaboration and hands-on education — Michelle maintains a long-range perspective. Her work is not limited to individual programs but focuses on building systems that support sustained participation, leadership development and industry continuity. “The career I chose has shown me that leadership is not defined by personal advancement alone,” says Michelle, “but rather by the ability to expand opportunity, transfer knowledge and enable others to succeed.”
