Jim Duncan, of Sparling, advanced to become a Fellow of the American Consulting Engineers Council in 1999, the same year AIA Seattle recognized him as an Honorary Member.

In 1999, the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington (later known as The American Council of Engineering companies of Washington). He served as President of the Seattle Architectural Foundation.

His AIA Seattle Honorary Membership citation notes: "Jim Duncan has proven a valuable ally in several important directions. In practice with Sparling, he has collaborated in the design of excellent projects; as a member of the Seattle Architectural Foundation Board of Trustees, he has partnered in key public awareness programs; as President of Consulting Engineers Council of Washington, he has spearheaded participation of key professional allies in Architecture Week. Most recently, he became AIA Seattle's first Corporate Allied Member, stepping up to support architectural practice in yet additional ways."