Tom Kinsman - Honorary Member 2004, SEAW Seattle President 1993, Engineer of the Year 1991

Thomas A. Kinsman grew up in Laconia, New Hampshire and received his Bachelors (1968) and Masters degrees (1969, structural engineering focus) in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

He worked for Seattle's Engineering Department in the Bridge and Arterial Design Division, as structural design engineer on new bridge and bridge repair projects, as project engineer for a Pioneer Square Areaway study and a pedestrian bridge, and also designing retaining walls. In 1976 he joined Seattle's Department of Construction and Land Use, the regulatory agency responsible for construction and land use permitting. Tom rose through the ranks at DCLU, and in 1990 became the City's Principal Engineer, a position established in the City Charter as the highest technical position in the Department with the intent to have an identified structural engineer available for consultation on technical matters. Tom held this position until retirement from the City in 2000, when he began service as Principal in the T.A. Kinsman Consulting Company, serving client architects, developers, attorneys, owners, and others in need of help with construction regulation. In addition, for 8 years he taught a UW course in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning (more recently known as the College of Built Environments), "Architectural Design and the Building Code." In 2007, Governor Christine Gregoire appointed Tom to a three-year term on the Washington State Building Code Council.

Tom served on the SEAW Seattle Board 1987-89. He served on the 1987 USGS Puget Sound Building Instrumentation Committee and the 1985-86 SEAW Responsibility Guideline Committee. He co-chaired the Structures Subcommittee on the Seismic Safety Advisory Committee created under legislative mandate through the Washington State Department of Community Development. He represented the City of Seattle in ICBO's code development process for 14 years, including 4 years on the General Design Committee. He served on the State Emergency Management Council representing the Washington Association of Building Officials 1998-2000. Tom directed the development of the City's Project Impact Earthquake Home Retrofit Handbook.

In 2000, Puget Sound Engineering Council named Tom Kinsman Government Engineer of the Year, the same year that WABO recognized him with Honorary Membership. AIA Seattle recognized Tom as an Honorary Member in 2001, noting that "As a code official with the Seattle Department of Design, Construction and Land Use, Tom Kinsman developed a legacy of fair-minded, creative, and ethical administration of standards. Design professionals have appreciated his understanding of the risks and rewards of design innovation, and relied on his logical and rational approach to the codes application process. His recent retirement reminds us of the value of knowledgeable allies in public positions."

Posted March 2012, Updated April 2012

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