Session Speakers

Mr. Anderson began his career working for a Bridge Contractor in the Midwest. For seventeen years he was employed by the Department of Transportation; holding various positions including fifteen years as a lead safety and employee development instructor. With 24 years of experience in construction, Mr. Anderson came on board with AGCMO as safety consultant. Soon after he was tasked to lead AGCMO’s Suicide Awareness & Prevention in Construction Program. His passion and personal experience with Mental Health and Suicide Awareness runs deep; with his leadership the program has spread nationwide. Having a background from working alongside and leading “boots on the ground” employees, to employee and leadership development; along with safety training. Mr. Anderson brings real world knowledge and experience to the industry.

Frank recently joined CRP as the Director of Loss Prevention and isprimarily responsible for leading the development of our loss prevention services.  In this role, he oversees a team of colleagues who specialize in helping owner, developer, and contractor clients identify, assess, and effectively manage the various risks associated with their construction operations.  In addition, Frank’s experience managing a team of EHS professionals on large complex construction projects throughout the Northeast will deliver direct results to our clients.

Frank previously spent over 7 years at Skanska USA Building Inc. where he was responsible for the execution of 1 million-to-350-million-dollar projects in sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, higher education, and retail. Frank was a key player with Skanska USA developing and delivering training programs for both the building and civil business units.  One in particular was focused on understanding OSHA’s recordability, reportability and electronic reporting requirements.

Frank is a 1994 graduate of Temple University, having earned a Bachelors’ Degree in Environmental Engineering Technology. In 2001 he received a Master of Science degree from Saint Joseph’s University in Environmental Health and Safety Management.  He earned his Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation in 2008.  Frank currently resides in North Wales, PA with his wife Susan. Frank has one daughter who is an emergency room nurse for the Jefferson Health System and a son-in-law who is a Philadelphia Firefighter.

Frank is also a volunteer firefighter and an EMT for the North Penn Volunteer Fire Company and is currently the Deputy Chief. Frank has won the highly coveted fire fighter of the year award for his efforts and is an adjunct professor at Temple University’s Civil Engineering Program.

Danette Beck is the Head of Industry Verticals and National Construction Practice Leader at USI Insurance Services. Danette is an experienced National Industry leader with a demonstrated history of working in the construction insurance industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Enterprise Risk Management, Analytical Skills, Team Building, and Construction, Danette provides guidance and direction on risk management and insurance issues for construction industry clients. Danette is a strong operations professional with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) focused in Risk Management and Insurance from University of Georgia – Terry College of Business.

Blaine Beckman received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Management from Texas A&M San Antonio with high honors and was inducted as an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Pi (The National Society of Leadership and Success). Blaine began his construction career as a framing carpenter before working his way through the construction ranks as lead carpenter, foreman, superintendent, project manager, Vice President and is currently the President for F.A. Nunnelly General Contractor, a commercial contractor in San Antonio that was established in 1922. Currently, he serves as a member of the National Business Development Forum Steering Committee and prior to his involvement with the BD Forum he had the pleasure of working through the chairs and serving as President of the AGC Board of Directors for the San Antonio Chapter.

Todd Bressler is a construction lawyer who has been in-house and general counsel for several privately held construction companies. Todd has provided counsel to the operations and corporate teams of his companies with responsibilities including the evaluation of proposed delivery methods and procurement procedures to assist in connection with potential projects, as well as the negotiation and preparation of project documentation including owner agreements, subcontracts, purchase orders, professional service agreements, joint venture agreements, construction guaranties, and required lender documents. In addition, Todd manages outside litigation counsel with respect to construction, real estate, regulatory and employment-related claims, as well as advising the team regarding terminations, leaves of absence, and coordinates and conducts internal investigations to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. One of Todd’s critical roles is providing consultation for corporate risk management evaluating contract language and insurance programs to appropriately manage the varying levels of uncertainty and risk for his company.

Tonya’s focus is on expanding relationships and partnerships to help build structures that build communities. She has worked in the construction industry since 2005. Tonya is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Atlanta Chapter and serves on the board of directors for the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, the Douglas County Education Foundation and University of West Georgia Foundation.

“Jamie” is the G.M. of Galusha and Sons. Galusha is a Civil and Heavy Highway construction firm that operates in Upstate New York. They provide preconstruction and design build construction services, including mass earthwork, land clearing/timber harvesting and infrastructure installation. Jamie has 30 years of ground up experience in the construction industry. In that time, He has embraced a “customer first” business model and takes great pride in working for each customer and completing all projects on time and on budget. He is also dedicated to serving his team with passion and purpose. Giving them information, tools, ongoing training, and support that empowers them to make decisions and control how they each deliver their best work. Jamie helps to foster leadership in others and creates a unified culture where people have an opportunity to grow within the business and succeed in LIFE. Jamie has been married to his wife, Jaclyn, for 22 years. They have 2 children: Landon, 16, races go-karts and Addilyn, 13, is a competitive Gymnast.

Laura works with construction-related firms of all sizes to evaluate business practices and assist with management challenges. Having worked in the construction industry for almost 25 years, Laura offers a depth of experience working with contractors to improve profitability and succeed in the changing marketplace. She excels at working with dynamic and demanding environments that require relationship building, versatility and challenge.

Jimmy Christianson leads the Associated General Contractors of America’s government relations efforts in Washington D.C., both on Capitol Hill and in the federal agencies. In this role, he is responsible for advancing the interests of more than 27,000 construction firms utilizing a network of 89 chapters on issues including but not limited to public and private construction investment, workforce development, tax, labor, safety and health, environmental and procurement.

Prior to joining AGC, Jimmy worked as an attorney for the international law firm of K&L Gates and as a government affairs specialist for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Jimmy received his Bachelor of Arts degree with magna cum laude honors from the University of Pennsylvania and Juris Doctorate degree with cum laude honors from the University of Maine School of Law.  He is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

Ron’s practice is focused on all aspects of the construction industry. He has substantial experience representing general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, prefabricators, modular builders, suppliers, and owners/developers in construction-related matters, including all aspects of construction law, contractual disputes, lien work, bond claims, construction and design defect claims, bid disputes, in litigation and dispute resolution. Ron has litigated cases/issues before all levels of courts in numerous jurisdictions throughout the country, arbitrated disputes nationally, and advocated on behalf of clients using various forms of dispute resolution. He also has broad experience in construction transactional work, drafting and negotiating contract documents for all types of project delivery including, integrated project delivery and other highly collaborative delivery methods, design-bid-build, design build, CM-at-Risk, and other more traditional methods for both public and private projects. Ron routinely counsels his clients on all business aspects of planning, initiating, and completing construction related projects.  Ron is a Member of the AGC of America’s Board of Governors, member of the Building Division Leadership Council, Chair of its Contract Documents Forum, and Chair of its Prefabrication Working Group.

As Safety Director for Alberici Constructors, Inc., Bo Cooper oversees safety performance and safety culture development across the company. He has been with Alberici 23 years and Safety Director since 2013. Bo led the drive for improved worker mental health and suicide prevention programs for the AGC of Missouri. In 2019, he approached the local chapter with an idea to put the suicide hotline number on a “poker chip”-type coin and physically give one to every tradesperson. He was instrumental in aligning the AGC of Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis, and local experts on suicide prevention programs. Their first campaign occurred in St. Louis, and many of the original, collaborative outreach ideas are being implemented across the country through the AGC of America.

Robins & Morton

Bay Tank & Boilderworks, dba BT Metals, Inc., is a family owned fully-certified and professional fabrication and metal sales business. Founded by J. Chris Lovfald after WWII to meet the structural needs of the lumber and fishing industries. BT Metals has provided quality service to the Humboldt County area for over sixty years. BT Metals recently expanded into the Metal Sales arena and serves as the only metal distributor in Eureka California. Bay Tank is now supplying metal to five separate markets, Energy, Construction, Defense, Transportation and Marine. Under the leadership of Lee Cunningham BT Metals has expanded to service the entire west coast and the nation. The goal of our metal sales division is to be the diversity supplier for all things metal. BT Metals is certified as a Small Business Enterprise, Woman Business Enterprise, HUBZone, CPUC Woman Owned Business, New York Port Authority and VTA. Ms. Cunningham has served in various leadership roles in the construction industry, including on the Cal Trans/SBA Committee, High Speed Rail Committee, and President of Women Construction Owners & Executives and is a proud supporter of diversity and inclusion in the construction industry.

With over a quarter century of experience in the construction industry, Shea De Lutis is responsible for Clark Construction Group’s Federal Affairs through building and maintaining relationships with federal stakeholders, partnering initiatives and regulatory awareness. She also supports regional offices in the strategic pursuit of the firm’s most complex federal projects.

Actively involved in the real estate and construction industry, Ms. De Lutis participates nationally with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) as the incoming National Treasurer (2023-2024) and immediate past Chair of the Federal and Heavy Division. She is proud to have also led two of the Division’s committees: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoChair, MILCON) and Federal Facilities. In this capacity, she championed the Division’s mission to develop and advance planning, procurement, and construction best practices through enriched channels of partnership and communication between industry and federal entities.

Ms. De Lutis is a past President of the AGC of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (AGC of DC) Chapter, founding member of the Design Build Institute of America’s Mid-Atlantic Chapter, and is active with the Society of American Military Engineers and Federal Real Property Association. Ms. De Lutis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Applied Science from the University of Virginia.

Eric Dean completed his apprenticeship in 1984 and became a journeyman ironworker in Local 63 (Chicago). As an accomplished ironworker, he worked for various contractors as a journeyman, foreman and project superintendent throughout the Chicago area. From 1989 until 1995, he served as an apprentice instructor and earned the status of certified welding inspector. He became very involved in his local union serving as conductor, trustee, vice president and business agent. Recognizing his leadership skills, General President Jake West appointed him general organizer for the International in 1999, assigning him to the Department of Ornamental, Architectural and Miscellaneous Metals (DOAMM). In 2005, he was elected as president of the Chicago and Vicinity District Council of Iron Workers. General President Joseph Hunt appointed Eric Dean as general vice president effective August 4, 2008. General President Walter Wise appointed Eric Dean as general secretary effective February 1, 2011. The general executive council unanimously elected Eric Dean as general president effective July 1, 2015.

Nora Degnan started in 2004 as a project estimator/project manager at Thorne Associates, Inc., a large drywall, acoustic ceiling, plaster, and carpentry specialty contractor in Chicago. Since then, she became a vice president and part owner alongside her dad, uncle, and cousin. In addition to her leadership roles in the office, Nora is involved on the board level in various local and national organizations including Chicagoland Associated General Contractors (CAGC), Chicago Building Congress (CBC), Midwest Wall and Ceilings Contractors (MWCC), and Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association (MARBA). She is also a proud member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Chicago Metro #325 Chapter and Professional Women in Construction (PWC) Chicago.

Mike serves the Members of American Contractors Insurance Group (ACIG) as a Safety Consultant, supporting their premier general building, heavy civil, and industrial / specialty contractors.  He is a Certified Safety Professional with 14 years of safety and health management experience.  He also holds a Masters in Safety Sciences from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  He is a proud member of ANSI/ASSP Z359 standards committee for Fall Protection and Fall Restraint, and is also a member of the Construction Safety Research Alliance at University of Colorado at Boulder.

Joe is responsible for improving the safety, production, and quality of field operations via Linbeck’s Lean Operating System. He has a unique passion for Lean implementation, continuous improvement, and a ruthless pursuit of waste elimination within Linbeck’s projects, teams, and overall organization. Joe is also the Co-Author to The Lean Builder, a business fable written for field leaders and last planners.

Michael Evans is a leader representing Milwaukee Tool Talent Training. Michael has spent the last 20 years learning and leading in multiple roles within Milwaukee. Michael is a servant leader focused on the education of Milwaukee teams to serve our partners and end users in the construction industry. Michael leads, designs, and delivers engaging hands-on training, taking user, application, and product knowledge to a best-in-class level of immersive experiential learning.

Matt Ferguson leads Haskell’s Federal Market and is responsible for overall day-to-day operations as well as growing the market. He oversees all federal pursuits and ongoing projects to ensure delivery of high-quality facilities safe, on time and within budget. Matt joined Haskell in 2019 bringing extensive federal design build experience on various project types including educational, recreational, operational, industrial, administrative and headquarter facilities.

Matt received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from California State University, Chico. He is a DBIA Design-Build Professional holding numerous certifications including OSHA 30 Hour and EM 385-101 40 Hour. Matt previously chaired the AGC San Diego / NAVFAC Committee and is currently the AGC/NAVFAC National Committee Chair. Matt regularly participates in Society of American Military Engineers and Design Build Institute of America events.

With over 29 years of experience, Matt has worked on multiple national award-winning projects receiving outstanding owner evaluations. He has a proven track record working with clients and end-users to deliver efficient, maintainable and reliable facilities.

After graduating from MS State University in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering Technology, Dan went on active duty with the US Army in the 10th Engineer Bn. in Kitzingen, Germany. While in the 10th Engineers he served as Demolition Platoon Leader, various battalion and brigade staff positions and Company Executive Officer. In 1987 Dan decided to leave active military service and return to his hometown to work in the family construction business. He also joined the MS National Guard with the 2/20 Special Forces Bn. Here he served as Team Commander, various battalion staff positions and Company Commander. He resigned his commission with the rank of Captain in 1994.

Dan is currently Vice President of Fordice Construction Co. in Vicksburg, MS, which is now a fourth-generation family business since his son Nathan joined the firm in August 2018. Dan and his brother Hunter operate Fordice Construction Co. which is mainly a Heavy and Civil Federal Construction firm that also builds bridges and has a building division with offices in Vicksburg and St. Francisville, LA.

Dan has been very active in the Associated General Contractors of America, both at the local and national level. He has served on almost every committee of the local MS Valley AGC Chapter and was Chapter President in 2001. On the national level he has served on many committees and task forces. He has served as the Federal and Heavy Division Chairman, is a life member of the Board of Governors and served as the National PAC Co-Chairman and on the Executive Board and the Education and Research Foundation Board. Through the AGC, Dan was instrumental in helping to restart the AGC Student Chapter while attending MSU and he was president of the AGC Student Chapter in 1982.

Dan is a pilot, an avid aviator and flies every chance he gets. He flies a variety of airplanes for business, pleasure and in air shows around the country. He prefers the older vintage airplanes and especially WWII trainers and fighters.

Dan has started and helps operate two not for profit foundations located in Vicksburg. The Southern Heritage Air Foundation collects memorabilia of WWII veterans and is preserving five historically significant aircraft. The Warrior Bonfire Project is helping post 9/11 Purple Heart Veterans deal with their lifelong journey of recovery.

Dan is married to the former Ann Claire Roesch, and they have three children. They are members of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Vicksburg where both are very active and have served on the parish council.

As the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts Vice President of Member Services, Lisa focuses on spearheading internal and external communications via a balance of online and offline channels, engaging members, driving awareness, and analyzing efforts through qualitative and quantitative methods.

Through-out her 7 plus years with AGC MA, Lisa has contributed to the advancement of the industry through her work as the President of the Society of Marketing Professional Services, Advisory Committee member for the Policy Group on Tradeswomen Issues, the AGC of America Business Development Steering committee and the Wentworth Institute of Technology Industry Advisory Board. Lisa is the staff liaison for the AGC Building Women in Construction committee, the AGC Sustainability and Communications Advisory committees.

Lisa holds a BS in Visual Communications/Business & Marketing from the University of Phoenix and an MS in International Marketing from Boston University.

Jason Haas is a Senior Vice President, dedicated to client management and new business development for both Horton Benefits Solutions and Horton Risk Advisory Solutions. He is part of a team of industry experts dedicated to delivering unique and industry-leading tools to clients. He is a licensed Life & Health and Property & Casualty Producer, arming him with the tools needed to serve clients in the single employer and multiemployer markets across the Midwest.

Jason brings 10+ years of industry experience to The Horton Group and has built a strong reputation in the benefits world. He is known for earning the trust of prospects and clients, developing deep relationships and strengthening those relationships by regularly providing new industry knowledge and solutions for his clients.

Before joining Horton, Jason worked at Segal, a leading benefits consulting actuarial firm. He consulted to multiple building trades in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, such as the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Plumbers and Pipefitters, Iron Workers and Electrical Workers, on self-funded and fully insured health and welfare plans, and defined benefit plans ranging from 500 to 50,000 lives. He advised health and welfare clients on self-funded risk, fully insured arrangements, asset and reserve targets, expense and trend management, budget projections, plan design, vendor management, RFP analysis (medical, pharmacy drug and ancillary benefits), wellness and population health. He also advised retirements plans on issues of investment return risk, plan design and funding projections.

Outside of the benefits industry, Jason was a former all-state high school basketball player in Pennsylvania and went on to lead his prep school team to the New Jersey state championship game. From there, he earned a full basketball scholarship to Stanford University, where he was a Pac-10 conference champion, played on the #1 nationally ranked team and earned All-Academic Pac-10 honors twice in his college career. Jason’s wife, Samantha, was an All-American volleyball player at Penn State University and Big Ten Conference Champion. Jason and Samantha currently reside in Wheaton, Illinois with their two children, Ford and Frankie.

Liz’s enthusiasm and passion aren’t easily matched. Her number one rule in life is to have fun. If it’s not fun, she’s not doing it. She is at her best in front of a group or working to solve a complex business challenge.

Liz joined Dale Carnegie St. Louis in 2015 and purchased the St. Louis location four years later. In 2021, she expanded the territory to Kansas City. She now consults with clients in a variety of industries and sizes from Fortune 500 companies to local family owned business. She brings a unique perspective to clients, always thinks out of the box, and doesn’t settle for average. Whether she is consulting on business needs, in front of a room facilitating an experience, or at home with her husband and two kids, you will find a big smile on her face and can feel the energy she brings to any room or organization.

Liz has worked with clients like T-Mobile, Nestle Purina, Bunge, Keeley Companies, McCown Gordon, Boeing, Hunter Engineering, Alberici Constructors, GFI Digital, and many more.

Rose provides innovation leadership via the implementation of business process ecosystems, technology, unique insurance solutions, and enhanced customer service initiatives. Rose is a thought-leader and ambassador for AXA XL, and co-founder of the AXA XL Ecosystem. She has 20+ years of experience in engineering, construction, project management, risk management, and expert witness work. Ms. Hall earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and M.S. in Civil Engineering: Construction Engineering and Management, from Stanford University. Rose was awarded Insurance Business America’s Elite Women in Insurance in 2017 and 2020, CLM Professional of the Year in 2019, and PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Innovator Award in 2021.

Jeff Harper, a San Diego native, is the President and Owner of Harper Construction Company. Harper Construction has performed over 4 billion dollars of work in 45 years and has completed over 100 projects using the Firm Fixed Priced, Design-Build delivery system.

Harper Construction has averaged nearly $200 million in revenue per year for the past 5 years. Harper’s national footprint has focused primarily in the states of California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia, and Hawaii. Harper Construction Company specializes in Design-Build construction of military, educational, commercial, and industrial buildings including condominiums, apartments, and student housing with a staff of approximately 100 employees.

The company has been involved in a wide variety of projects for both public and private sectors clients, including the US Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, General Services Administration, State of California, Universities, Community Colleges, local agencies, and private developers.

Graduating from UCLA in 1985, Jeff began full time at Harper Construction working through every aspect of the company family business that was started by his father, Ron Harper, in 1974.

Jeff is married to Michelle and has three married children and three grandchildren.

Jesse was born and raised on the Southside of San Antonio Texas. The landscape of his Career ranges from grading ditches to counseling Executives. His trek through the Org Charts has helped him appreciate that we are more alike than we are different. He leverages this insight and experience in supporting the clients of Depth Builder LLC in cultivating buy in.

As a lifelong San Antonian, SAISD alum and 2nd generation Plumber; Jesse is committed to Enhancing the Image of Careers in the Trades. His message is one of Contribution, Ownership, and Vulnerability. This message is visible in his podcast Learnings and Missteps, and the Live Stream experience known as No BS with Jen & Jess.

Joe Hernandez is an international authority on high-value negotiations skills and techniques.

As a professional negotiator and coach, Joe assists CEOs, senior executives, sales professionals, and buyers in preparing for their most important deals. In addition, he provides world-class negotiation training programs that change the way business people negotiate deals with immediate results. He has developed a unique methodology of negotiating that utilizes cutting-edge tools and processes. He shatters common beliefs about how to negotiate…unlocking exceptional results for his clients. Psychology and influence create a foundation for his approach, but more important are the tools he utilizes to ensure a successful outcome…every time.

He has proven that high level negotiating is about understanding human behavior, thorough preparation, and developing credible relationships across the table. Many negotiation coaches have insisted that all negotiations can be accomplished using only one proven methodology. Joe believes and has consistently proven over a 30-year career, that business negotiations are not the same as any other kind of negotiation. This is because business negotiations provide the opportunity to create more control, more options, and more reasons to reach an agreement.

Joe has negotiated contracts worth billions of dollars with Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and Motorola as well as numerous small and medium-sized businesses. He is an expert at high stakes business deals where maintaining relationships is critical, and where the outcome results in a material financial impact on the parties.

Joe has many years of experience in senior leadership positions where he ran large organizations to deliver next-generation technology solutions. Before founding Lionshare Negotiations, LLC, he held the position of Senior Vice President and Lead Negotiator for Intrado where he negotiated billions of dollars in high margin deals. He has worked for some of the most powerful corporations in the world including IBM and Xerox. In fact, at IBM, he was awarded their most prestigious sales honor as the number one ranked salesperson in the United States. In every position, he has consistently exceeded objectives by being an expert negotiator.

Joe is in demand as a lead consultant on high-value deals for clients worldwide, and his training programs and keynotes are intriguing, insightful, and eye-opening.

The thing Spencer is most proud of in his life is his family. He has been married for 36 years to the love of his life. She is partner and COO of Altium Leadership. Together they have 5 children and six grandchildren. He loves the outdoors. He usually mountain bikes or hikes several times a week or runs in the mountains by his home. He loves to learn! He has a M.S. in economics from the University of Utah; He is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) with the National Speakers Association, a designation which less than 17% of NSA speakers and 2% of all speakers worldwide achieve. He is a Certified Team Performance Coach (CTPC) and a licensed behavior analyst. He has worked with major organizations like National Geographic, Radio City Music Productions and more. He developed IMAX Theaters in partnership with several companies including National Geographic Television.

Spencer has been helping construction clients improve their team performance and bottom line since 2006. He has been speaking professionally for 14 years. His focus today is to help you think differently about taking greater responsibility for your personal growth and success, not just as an AGC Chapter professional, but also in life!

Dr. Irish Horsey has worked as an award-winning construction professional for nearly 20 years in the AEC industry and academia. She is an effective senior administrator and program director passionate about the construction industry and construction education. Currently, Dr. Horsey is the Director of Industry Advancement for Procore.org -the philanthropic arm of Procore Technologies, Inc. At Procore, she Provides management and oversight of a team of Social Impact Specialists for Procore.org. She is responsible for program evaluation, strategic planning, and scaling of business operations. Additionally, she expands the reach of Procore.org by advancing the construction industry through technology, education, and advocacy programs. An accomplished construction manager, she has worked for leading AEC organizations in the public and private sectors delivering successful projects and programs.

Dr. Horsey is also an educator of construction management. She is a Part-time Professor in the Department of Construction Management at Kennesaw State University (KSU) where she was the founder and advisor of the Kennesaw Women in Construction (KWIC) organization. She served the department as Interim Department Chair and Assistant Professor from 2017-2022. Her exceptional leadership contributed to the substantial growth and advancement of the department. Prior to joining KSU in 2017, Dr. Horsey was the program director for Commercial Construction Management at Gwinnett Technical College (GTC). The Commercial Construction Management program at GTC ranked one of the top ten programs in the nation under her leadership. She credits her success in the industry to making her a better professor and advisor to her students. She currently serves on the industry advisory boards of two local high school construction career academies and the Tuskegee University R. Taylor School of Architecture & Construction Science.

Dr. Horsey has received numerous awards and recognitions and is passionate about industry advancement. She is distinguished as the first African American female to earn a Ph.D. in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology in May of 2021, where she now serves on the industry advisory board as a Procore representative. She was also recently recognized by Engineering Georgia as one of the 50 Most Notable Women in Engineering. Dr. Horsey wants to contribute to the built environment by educating its future leaders and advancing the industry through creating a more diverse construction workforce.

Tim leads the supply chain program at DPR Construction.  Before DPR, he was the Global Head of Sourcing and Supply Chain for enterprise clients at WeWork.  Tim was also part of the original team at Katerra, a tech start-up/manufacturer that is transforming multifamily wood-frame construction and modular prefabrication.  He has over 30 years of experience in construction, having worked in commercial, multifamily, shared workspaces, and homebuilding, and has extensive experience in supply chain management, operations, sourcing and procurement, systems design and implementation, and sales.  Tim’s project experience includes management and procurement of $2 billion in private and government commercial projects in the Washington DC metropolitan area ranging in size from $40M to $460M per project.

Rick Khan is STO Building Group’s Chief Innovation Officer, responsible for helping the company continue to find new and smarter ways to advance the construction industry.

Rick has spent the past 27 years in the business of helping people through innovation, with the last 16 years dedicated to the construction industry. He is an internationally recognized AEC industry thought leader, keynote speaker, and self-proclaimed technology nerd whose leadership blends passion, integrity, and trust with a constant focus on safety.

Rick’s background includes innovation strategy, design thinking, architectural design, computer graphics, graphic design, talent development, and communications. He began his career working for his father in the trades as a pipefitter foreman, where the mindset of working safer and smarter, not harder, sparked his passion for innovation. After attaining his Bachelor of Architecture degree, he developed new ways of visualizing architectural design to key project stakeholders. He then moved into the world of computer graphic industry as a technical producer, serving the gaming and film markets. This experience led him back to construction to find new ways of improving the lives of frontline workers and to address the global challenges we face in the built environment.

Mandi is a Central Washington University alum of the safety and health management program and currently serves as the director of safety for AGC of Washington. She also has a bachelor’s degree in foreign language and teaches Spanish for supervisors in the construction industry. She recently earned her master’s degree in Safety & Health Management and published a thesis and employer best practice guide on mental health interventions in construction. Mandi has worked in AGC’s safety department for 20 years, helping members with safety programs, training, doing safety team inspections, working on legislative/regulatory issues pertaining to safety, and serving on various safety committees. Mandi currently serves as the co-chair of the AGC of America Chapter Safety Leadership committee. Mandi enjoys spending time camping and traveling with her family, including her 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old triplets. Mandi was the only safety professional selected by Construction Business Owner for the 2019 class of top 20 Outstanding women in construction from 200 nominees and was featured in their November 2019 issue.

Jennifer Lacy has been with Robins & Morton for 17 years and is responsible for the continued advancement of Robins & Morton’s Building Forward approach, based on Lean philosophies. She has spoken at multiple Lean Congress events as well as regional LCI Community of Practice Events and is active on Lean committees and organizations.

Paul Levin is currently the Vice President and Corporate Director of HS&E for Sundt Construction Inc. He has spent the last 34 years working in the construction field of environmental, health, safety, quality, and insurance. Paul is beginning his 27th year with Sundt Construction; throughout his tenure, Sundt has earned nine National AGC safety awards, including the AGC Grand Award twice. Paul has also served numerous positions with the National Construction Safety Executives, including Chair from 2017-2019, and is the current vice-chair of the CSRA.

He believes in the never-ending pursuit of improvement in health and safety through the philosophy that “every conversation is a job interview.” As a result, every day is a learning opportunity to help continue improving not only Sundt’s safety performance but the construction industry’s safety performance overall.

“Good is the enemy of great.” – Jim Collins

A four decade career in Labor Relations representing various contracting sectors of the Construction Industry: 1) Heavy-Highway (Bridges/Dams/Highways/Tunnels); 2) Large Commercial Buildings and High-Technology Chip Plants; 3) Aggregates/Ready-Mix/Precast/Site Development/Roads; as well as Leadership and Labor Relations roles as an employee in both General Contractor and Piping Industry Employer Associations.

Decades of experiences as an industry appointed Taft-Hartley Trustee with: 1) Carpenters; 2) Cement Masons, 3) Laborers; 4) Operating Engineers, and 5) Teamsters trust funds; in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Also served in a industry appointment to the National Laborers (LiUNA) Training & Education Trust Fund.

Corporate Secretary/Fund Administrator/CEO of largest LiUNA Taft-Hartley Trust Fund in United States; whose 32K+ participant Pension Fund was actuarially certified as 109.2% funded fours months prior to departure.

Jim Lynch is senior vice president and general manager of Autodesk Construction Solutions (ACS), where he leads Autodesk’s efforts to create and deliver products and services, which provide the foundation for digital construction workflows. In his 25-year tenure with Autodesk, Jim has held a variety of leadership roles and was a key player in the successful scaling of Revit and the establishment of BIM as an industry standard. ​As the leader of ACS, Jim oversees the vision and strategy of Autodesk’s construction portfolio Autodesk Construction Cloud, including product design and development, marketing, sales, and customer success. A respected voice within the construction industry, Jim has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, and construction industry-leading publications including ENR, Construction Dive, and Construction Business Owner.

Thomas joined CRP as the Sr. Loss Prevention Manager at the start of 2021.  He is primarily responsible for leading the safety, health and risk management strategies for the organization concentrated on servicing the CRP clientele in the NY Metro and New England regions.  In this role, Thomas works hand in hand with the senior leadership and safety staff of owners, developers, and contractors to help assess and improve their risk mitigation and safety programs.  This direct approach helps to improve the bottom line of their organization and further protect these entities’ most important assets, their employees.

Thomas is a strategic thinker and a natural leader in the safety field.  He has built an extraordinary reputation for being able to work with various types of contractors and deliver a best-in-class approach to assist clients in their journey to improve safety and claims management within their respective firms.

Thomas has dedicated his entire career to the construction safety field. He started out as a project safety manager for large, sophisticated general contractors prior to joining Construction Risk Partners.  Thomas gained experience on reputable projects such as Boston’s Central Artery project and the Pentagon Renovation project post 9/11.  Thomas then spent the next thirteen years as the regional service lead for risk control at one of the top insurance carriers, managing large contractors with significant retention programs.  From 2017 through 2020, Thomas was the Corporate Safety Director for a $300+ million dollar, top 400 ENR general contractor managing all aspects of field safety, claims management and insurance.

Thomas graduated from Keene State College with a B.S in Occupational Safety, in the safety honors society.  Thomas has continued his professional development over his career holding many industry certifications.  He also currently sits on the national safety committee for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) organization and is an active member in the NYC Chapter of the NYS Association of General Contractors (AGC).

Thomas currently resides in Connecticut with his wife, Karin, and their (2) sons.  In addition to being an avid sports fan, he enjoys golfing, boating, snowboarding and coaching youth sports.

Steve Malany first become interested in construction management while completing his architecture studies at the University of Idaho. From there, he went on to earn a degree in Construction Engineering Management from Oregon state University in 1990, and soon joined P&C construction. He was quickly impressed with just how accessible members of the previous ownership group were, along with the firm’s overall team approach. Since becoming part owner in 2005, Steve has done his share to maintain and enhance P&C’s inclusive nature in how we work together to manage and complete large-scale construction projects throughout the state.

Starting the company in 2008 and working from his own dining room table, Martin has grown Atlas Marketing to include two offices with key leadership in vital areas. Built on the company philosophy of listen, engage, connect he is hard at work developing and managing the culture at Atlas to be collaborative, exciting, and effective. Martin also encourages his team to experiment with latest ideas and challenge the status quo, which ensures the Atlas culture will thrive.

Matt K. McCaulley is the Director of Operations for Hensel Phelps Mid Atlantic District, which is based in Tysons, VA and spans the East Coast. Matt graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and joined Hensel Phelps in June 1998. In his 24-year career with Hensel Phelps, Matt has risen through the ranks of Field Engineer, Office Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Manager, and Operations Manager. He has directly managed over $1.5 billion in projects across a diverse range of project delivery methods and market sectors – from mission critical to high-rise, hospitality, aviation, healthcare, and federal design-build. Matt’s notable accomplishments include leading the procurement, design, construction and commissioning of the $625 million High Performance Computing Center at Fort George G. Meade as the full-time onsite Project Executive from 2013 to 2017.

In his current role as Director of Operations, Matt supports the leadership and vision of the Mid Atlantic District, managing strategic initiatives for the continued growth and development of Hensel Phelps employees, and coordinating procurement efforts. He is involved in the oversight and management of 22 active projects within the district, including four current and recently completed projects for USACE totaling over $1 billion. Matt has been involved with AGC throughout his career and has served for the past four years as co-chair of the AGC Corps of Engineers Committee representing Military Construction.

Matt and his wife Heather have a son, Brendan, 13 and daughter, Teagan, 11 in middle school and live near Leesburg, VA.

Scott McKenna is the President of Catamount Consulting. He is a certified instructor with the Mine Safety Health Administration, and an OSHA Certified Construction Trainer. He has over 24 years of experience in the mining and construction industries and is active in multiple organizations. He has authored or contributed to several published articles and lectures on a regular basis to a wide variety of business and safety professionals. The Catamount Team provides expertise in all facets of construction, manufacturing, mining, firearms, and all facets of business. Scott is the head assistant varsity wrestling coach at Warrensburg Central School and has been for nearly 21 years. Over the last 7 years, the team has compiled over 150 wins and five consecutive years of Championship Seasons, as well as qualifying multiple wrestlers for the prestigious New York State Championships. McKenna believes that we are all coaches within the People Business. Regardless of your team, you must have high levels of emotional intelligence to assure everyone around you is coached to their particular level of high performance. Scott’s sport psychology approach to leadership training provides strategies to take you and your team’s performance to the next level.

Dr. Ricky McShane has been practicing occupational medicine for nearly 25 years. After completing his residency in 1999, he spent the next 10 years working in occupational clinics. From there, he went on to become the Owner and Medical Director of Occucare International. Dr. McShane currently serves as the Corporate Medical Director for multiple National and International Corporations across a wide array of industries, for which he provides leadership and expertise in developing corporate medical policies and procedures. Additionally, he pioneered the formation of an industry leading telemedicine-based injury management platform for construction. Over the years he has also served as the Medical Control Officer for Paramedics and Forward Operating Bases throughout Afghanistan and Africa for Department of Defense Contractors. After walking hundreds of jobsites and talking to thousands of workers throughout his career, Dr. McShane has become the professional medical voice and guide to industry leaders across the country, contributing his comprehensive knowledge of corporate occupational health and wellness.

Jake Montero is the General Sales Manager for Peterbilt Motors Company. In this role, Mr. Montero is responsible for all vocational, medium duty, and advanced powertrain sales for North America. Prior to this role, Mr. Montero was the General Manager of the PACCAR Silicon Valley Innovation Center, Kenworth Director of After Sales, Director of Field Service, Sr. Program Manager – Powertrain and Engineering Manager.

Mr. Montero holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University and a Master of Business Administration from Seattle University. Mr. Montero has also served on the Engineering Advisory Board for Washington State University.

As the national leader of Wipfli’s Construction and Real Estate Strategy team, Tina works with construction and real estate clients across the country to assist them in getting all they want out of their business. From creating the ideal future vision of the company, to attracting and engaging the right workforce, and ensuring an efficient operation, Tina helps owners and top executives achieve their individual and company ideal future state.

Henry was promoted to a Preconstruction Executive on October 1, 2019. After more than 12 years as the Sheet Metal General Superintendent at Southland Industries, and 32 years as a Union Sheet Metal Worker, Henry brings a wealth of practical knowledge to the position. His extensive background of managing over 200 Sheet Metal Workers on various projects throughout the Bay Area, building relationships with key clients and owners, and becoming one of the primary Lean Leaders in the company, Henry has proven he is ready to embrace this new roll with effectiveness, humility and a genuine can-do attitude. 

Henry is the current Chair for AGC’s National Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee, and sits on AGC’s, National Lean Steering Committee. Henry also sits on Lean Construction Institute’s (LCI) National Board of Directors, where he leads a task force designed to improve Trade Partner adoption of Lean Principles. 

Emily Fordice Payne is amongst the fourth generation of family members to run Fordice Construction Company in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Founded in 1948, Fordice Construction Company is currently in its 75th year of business. Emily’s father, Hunter Fordice, serves as President and Uncle, Dan Fordice, serves as Vice President. Dan Fordice is also serving as the current national President of the AGC Board of Directors.

As is true with most family businesses, Mrs. Payne wears many hats, but her primary role is overseeing the operations of Fordice Construction Company. Mrs. Payne also serves as the company’s risk manager and oversees all marketing and branding decisions. Seeking to fulfill a desire to give back to our nations veterans, Mrs. Payne began volunteering with the Warrior Bonfire Program in 2019 and began serving on the Board of Directors in 2022. Warrior Bonfire is a tax-exempt 501(C-3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide opportunities that improve the lives of enemy combat-wounded veterans – Purple Heart recipients – on their lifelong journey of recovery and healing. Mrs. Payne is also passionate about family business and their crucial significance in the construction industry.

Mrs. Payne is a full-time working mother with a baby girl, Louise, at home and another baby girl on the way. She is married to Tommy Payne and resides in Jackson, Mississippi with her family and yellow Labrador Retriever, Honey.

Mr. Perlberg is on the ABA Forum on the Construction Law Steering Committee for the Contract Documents, the Executive Committee for the National Construction Dispute Resolution Committee (NCDRC) of the Arbitration Association of America (AAA), and the Advisory Board for Construction SuperConference Board. Previously, he served as General Counsel for the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

Leah Pilconis is the Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC) in-house attorney and advisor on construction and environmental risk management. Her work includes a wide range of legal advocacy, government relations, as well as compliance and risk management support for the construction industry. Leah launched and continues to direct the association’s environmental program. Working at the intersection of business and government, Leah represents AGC’s 27,000+ member companies in federal agency rulemakings and permitting, manages successful advocacy campaigns to balance business and economic interests with top environmental concerns, works with government staff on policy and program implementation, and identifies opportunities for regulatory reform. She has been called on to testify before U.S. Congress on ways to improve the environmental approval process for infrastructure projects. Leah also engages in public speaking and publishes articles and other resources for industry on minimizing liability exposures and ensuring legal compliance.

More broadly, Leah oversees AGC’s efforts to improve the construction risk environment by monitoring and reporting on the financial, legal, safety, environmental, and reputational risks that construction firms and their workforce may face. This includes organizing meaningful peer-to-peer dialogue on recent trends, potential problems, and best practices to mitigate and manage project risk. Similarly, Leah maintains the association’s critical relationships with the surety and insurance industries – with a focus on facilitating outreach/engagement to better align interests and identify opportunities to support each other.

Leah holds a B.S. degree in Biology from Gettysburg College and a J.D. degree from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. She is a member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources; Forum on Construction Industry, Division 10 (Energy and Environment). Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Jorge is Granite Construction’s Vice President of People & Culture. In his role, he is responsible for Workforce Compliance and Inclusive Diversity, where he helps the company implement strategies that address Granite’s guiding belief that diverse backgrounds, perspectives, cultures, and experiences enhance creativity and innovation. He brings an innovative approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and looks to make a lasting impact at Granite and in the construction industry.  

Before joining Granite, Jorge served as Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion – Leadership Development at Northwestern Mutual and Chief Diversity Officer at Kraft Foods. He spent over 25 years at Allstate Insurance Company and held leadership roles in Human Resources, D&I, Product Operations, Product Development, Marketing, Claims, and Sales.  

Throughout the years, Jorge has been active in civic and community organizations, such as the Association of Hispanic Professionals for Education, the Urban League of Orange County (CA), Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Los Angeles, Leadership Greater Chicago, the Latino Policy Forum, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), the Chicago Posse Foundation.  

Jorge is a board member at Rancho Cielo in Salinas, CA. He sits on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Associated General Contractors of California. He serves as the Co-Chair of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) Workforce Development Committee and chairs The Conference Board’s (TCB) Diversity Equity & Inclusion Innovators Council. Finally, in 2021, he became the cohost of Construction DEI Talks, a podcast with tools for building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the construction industry.  

Jorge Quezada and his wife, Judith, live in Soquel, California. He is the proud father of his daughter, Venezia, and son Marc Anthony. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Whittier College and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Brenda Radmacher focuses her practice on construction law, working as a counselor, litigator, and noted speaker on issues involving land owners, developers, general contractors, and design professionals. She has a multi-faceted practice handling litigation and providing advice and transactional counsel to her construction-industry clients. Brenda has experience advising clients on risk management best practices, drafting critical documents, contracts, and procedures, and effectively resolving disputes. With 25 years of experience working with construction contractors, construction managers, design professionals, developers, and owners, Brenda’s practice emphasizes resolving complex construction disputes through negotiation, mediation, and when necessary, arbitration and litigation, on projects in California, nationwide, and internationally.

As a graduate of Slippery Rock University in Environmental Health and Safety Management with more than 12-years of industry experience, Seth sits on the board of Chesapeake Regional Safety Council in Baltimore MD. He holds his CHST and CSP through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. 2018 National Safety Council Rising Star Recipient.

Ricky W Reams serves as the Vice President of Safety and Quality for Murphy Company and has over twenty-five Years’ experience as a safety professional and consultant in a variety of industries in both the public and private Sectors with an emphasis on heavy industrial and large commercial projects. Mr. Reams is currently serving on the National Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Task Force and speaks frequently around the country on Mental Well-being and Suicide Prevention. Mr. Reams recently served as the President of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) St. Lous Chapter and is an active member of several other local and national safety boards and committees including the American General Contractors (AGC), the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers (SLC3), the Association of Union Contractors (TAUC), the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE), The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA), the National Demolition Association (NDA), and the American Allied Safety Council (AASC).

Lindsey Rem is Barton Malow Holdings’ Vice President of Business Transformation. In her role, she provides leadership for the continued development and alignment of an innovative technology and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) strategy. She is also responsible for identifying new business models to ensure the long-term relevancy of the core business.​ Lindsey began her more than twenty-year career with Barton Malow working on projects in the field before becoming a part of the SAP Implementation team where she learned to effectively deploy technology across the company. Her strong passion for leveraging technology to increase project performance led her to establish a cohesive VDC and technology strategy across the company to increase Barton Malow’s competitive advantage.​

Wayne has authored four books about business families the latest of which is Our Family Business Crisis and How It Made Us Stronger. Wayne has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, “BusinessWeek: WEEKEND” and on the Retirement Living Network. Wayne is a Wall Street Journal Expert Panelist, has written hundreds of articles for various magazines and trade publications and has produced an acclaimed blog for over 15 years. Wayne has also been honored as a Fellow of the Family Firm Institute.

Jeff Sample has devoted the past 20+ years to transforming companies. Jeff optimizes companies throughout the construction industry by designing solutions, optimizing strategic advantages, and breaking down information silos. His passion for outdoor adventure and Ironman competitions garnered him the moniker “The Ironman of IT.” As Industry Evangelist for Join, Jeff promotes collaboration and the transformation of preconstruction to help project teams reach their potential. His depth of IT experience in various industries and his passion for continuous improvement have made Jeff a popular speaker and vocal thought leader in construction, spending much of his time educating on multiple topics to better the industry.

Stephen Sandherr joined the AGC of America staff in 1984 as Assistant Director of Collective Bargaining Services. From 1986 to 1989 he served as AGC’s Director of Congressional Relations. He practiced law with the firm of Thompson, Mann and Hutson in Washington, D.C., from 1989 to 1990, and served as Labor and Small Business Counsel for the National Association of Home Builders from 1990 to 1991. He rejoined AGC as Executive Director of Congressional Relations in 1991 and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 1997.

Currently, as Chief Executive Officer, his role is to maintain relations with AGC’s 89 chapters nationwide, coordinate government relations activities and enhance AGC’s involvement with business coalitions. A Capitol Hill newspaper, The Hill, listed Steve as a top lobbyist for the last twelve years, representing the only commercial construction industry association on the Top Lobbyists of 2009 – 2021 lists.

Steve has a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Scranton, where he serves on the Board of Trustees. He earned his law degree from the Catholic University of America and is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia. He is an honorary trustee of the National Building Museum in Washington and has been inducted into the National Academy of Construction.

Shannon Sapp first joined the company in 1996 after graduating from Auburn University in 1994 with a Building Construction degree. Shannon has been engaged in all facets of Merit projects including medical facilities, schools, historic renovations, churches, condominiums, and retail office buildings.
As president of the firm, Shannon focuses his attention on the overall operations of the organization including finances, human resources, and administration. Merit currently has almost 70 employees.

He is also engaged in project management and was the lead on ProvisionCARES Center for Proton Therapy centers in Knoxville, Franklin, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida, all of which are cutting-edge healthcare facilities. Professionally, Shannon is actively involved with the Associated General Contractors of America, AGC Education and Research Foundation as well as the local Knoxville AGC Chapter. He has served as AGC Chapter President.

Mike graduated from NYU Law School and learned law as a law clerk working for brilliant judges. He began practicing in litigation, increasingly recognizing business solutions that detangled knotty problems and causing Mike to move into conflict resolution, mediation, and in-house attorney roles, serving for medical device companies and a training/learning publisher where Mike eventually became its COO and General Counsel. This latter experience broadened Mike theoretical and experiential lessons of law, business, corporate culture, compliance, and conflict. Chief lessons include the importance of employees, a culture of intentionality and engagement, inclusiveness, and transparency.

Mike now serves as General Counsel and Director of Labor Relations for AGC-MN, supporting prime and sub construction contractors’ goals of bringing skill, integrity and responsibility to the construction industry through collaborative relations with labor, government, communities and owners-developers.

Dr. Joel Scheraga is the Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation in the Office of Policy within the Office of the Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He leads EPA’s work on climate adaptation to ensure the agency continues to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment even as the climate changes. A central focus of this effort is supporting states, tribes, territories, local communities, and businesses as they prepare for and increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, with a particular focus on advancing environmental justice. Dr. Scheraga led the team that developed EPA’s new Climate Adaptation Action Plan.

In December 2015, Dr. Scheraga was honored with a Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor given to career members of the federal Senior Executive Service. Dr. Scheraga was a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Currently, Craig leads the National Account program at United Rentals. Craig has 30 years of experience in the rental business with 23 plus years working for United Rentals. Craig has held executive operational and sales roles for the company.  Before the National Account role, he led the Northeast region for many years as the Region Vice President, which included the New England states, and Eastern Canada. Also, during his career at United Rentals, he has held positions in Supply Chain Management and District operations having an extensive understanding of all aspects of the business.  Before United Rentals, he worked in the truck rental business leading the Central Region as Director of Truck operations for Budget car and truck rental. His vast experience and his world class, best in the business team have led the largest equipment rental company in growth and customer satisfaction.

Stephen B. Shapiro is an attorney and firmwide Construction Industry Practice Group leader in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., and New York offices. He focuses on domestic and international construction, government contracts, commercial litigation and public-private partnerships. Building on his experience representing contractors and public and private owners, Mr. Shapiro has developed in-depth knowledge of infrastructure, industrial and commercial construction. This experience is derived from working on oil, gas, power, rail, water, wastewater and building projects throughout the world. Mr. Shapiro also has an extensive background in public contracting and government contracts, including procurement, dispute resolution and compliance issues.

Mr. Shapiro has served as lead counsel in complex disputes tried before courts, boards and arbitration tribunals throughout the world. He is a Fellow in the Construction Lawyers Society of America and member of the board of directors of the Associated General Contractors of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., and is a frequent speaker on topics relevant to the construction industry. He also has published numerous professional articles and contributed to several industry textbooks.

Ken Simonson has been Chief Economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading construction trade association, since 2001. He provides insight into the economy and what it implies for construction and related industries through frequent media interviews, presentations, and the Data DIGest, his weekly one-page e-newsletter that goes to more than 20,000 subscribers. 

Ken has over 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He currently serves as an advisor to the Census Bureau’s construction data re-engineering initiative. He is a Fellow and past president of the National Association for Business Economics, and he is co-director of the Tax Economists Forum, a professional meeting group he co-founded in 1982. 

Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago, and an MA in economics from Northwestern University. 

Bert Somers has over 25 years of experience in construction. He is currently the Contracting Manager of the Western US for Ferrovial Agroman managing a procurement pipeline of Design Build and P3 projects more than $4 Billion dollars of construction. His areas of responsibility include Business Development, including building joint ventures, client engagement and interaction, and procuring work. He has previously worked as a Foreman, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Estimator, Estimating Manager, and Director of Special Projects and Business Development for small and large contractors. Mr. Somers holds the PMP designation, has also held a California Contractors “B” Classification license and has worked in various positions including chief estimator and construction manager for commercial, residential, and multi-family building construction. He has served on the State Board of the AGC of California. He has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a Major in Insurance, Real Estate and Risk Management and an additional Major in Marketing.

Stacy Spector is the primary content and curriculum developer for Catamount Consulting’s Leadership Programs. Stacy is also a practicing attorney in Lake George, New York for over 20 years. She has spent over 15 years, along with her teacher husband and fellow Catamount team member, Jason Spector, in the areas of Empathy and Social Emotional Support in the education world. Stacy now uses the empathy space as a foundation for her work in leadership training for all organizations. Stacy’s unique background and experience offers a broad range of value to many individuals and groups in relation to employee engagement, culture building, and mindset mastery. Stacy regularly presents to National Conferences and Organizations on the topic of “Engaging Leadership”. Stacy’s mission is to help people develop stronger, more connected, human relationships, in the work environment.

Jason Spector is a 25-year veteran educator and coach. Jason has extensive experience in Social Emotional Support, Culture Building and Mindset Coaching.  Jason’s work for the past two decades has connected to all facets of society around empowerment, human connection and peak performance. Jason has a master’s degree in Coaching, he is certified as a Mindset Mastery Coach, as well as a Culture of Care Trainer. Jason’s unique knowledge and experience offers a broad range of values to many individuals and groups in a wide variety of spaces. Along with his favorite role of being a father and husband he is also extremely passionate about Performance Psychology, Teaching, Wrestling, Mixed Martial Arts, Bodybuilding, Emotional Agility and Empathetic Conditioning. His mission is to teach others how to wake up energized, show up ready for anything and drive home fulfilled.

Simeon been in the construction industry over 30 years and has managed diversity programs over 21 years. In his current role as Vice President, Mr. Terry oversees the companies Diversity and Inclusion program both internally and externally. This includes overseeing the cultural competency education, diversity compliance, affirmative action, recruiting/hiring, mentoring and business procurement diversity. Previously, Mr. Terry has held the position of Director of Diversity and Diversity Program Manager for Austin Commercial over his 22-year career with the company. In the Mentoring Program, Mr. Terry oversees for Austin, over 450 firms have graduated in the program and over $3.5 Billion has been spent with those firms.

Jolsna John Thomas is President of The Rosendin Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Rosendin Holdings, parent company to Rosendin Electric (Rosendin) and Modular Power Solutions (MPS). Prior to her elevation to the President role at the Foundation, Jolsna served as Rosendin’s Business Development Manager for Texas. She oversees all volunteerism and community giving for Rosendin Holdings and its subsidiary organizations. Since her tenure commenced, The Rosendin Foundation has awarded $1,240,350 to one hundred and fifty plus (150+) nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. Jolsna also sits on Rosendin’s Diversity and Inclusion Council which advises the Executive Committee. In that capacity she encourages diversity and inclusion within Rosendin Holdings and with its subcontractor and vendor community ensuring that women-owned and minority-owned businesses develop strong relationships with the parent company.  

The City of Austin appointed Jolsna to three commissions: Vice Chair and Mayor’s Appointee to the Construction Advisory Committee, the Chair of the Firefighters, Police, and Emergency Medical Services Personnel Civil Service Commission, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Austin Convention Enterprises Board, a quasigovernmental board. She serves as the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Austin Chapter Director and chairs the Scholarship and Camp NAWIC committees. Camp NAWIC, a free week-long summer camp for middle school girls to learn about the construction industry through hands-on activities. Jolsna is a director for the South Asian Bar Association of Austin and continues to guide the national organization by serving on its National Advisory Council and as a Champion of its charitable arm. She is a Sustaining Member of the Junior League of Austin where she mentors their DEI Committee. Jolsna also sits on AGC’s D&I Steering Committee. In her spare time, she enjoys entertaining and travel. 

Jolsna obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and her Juris Doctorate from American University Washington College of Law. 

Mitch is a 30-year manufacturing industry professional known for strategic business development and delivering customer solutions. During his tenure at Caterpillar, he has been involved in new product development including construction digital and technology solutions, autonomy solutions and most recently solutions to support customers in the energy transition.

Richard F. Vitarelli is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is the co-leader of the Labor Relations practice group, the firm’s national labor practice.

He has over two decades of experience representing employers nationally in strategic labor relations, collective bargaining, and union organizing, including in the context of mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring and contract administration. He serves as general labor and employment counsel for employers and multi-employer associations in various industries, including construction, manufacturing, health care and senior living, airline, commercial laundry, transportation and distribution, state and local government.

Rick’s practice includes handling sophisticated collective bargaining matters, including national, multi-employer and industry agreements. His practice also includes representation of employers in multi-employer benefits matters, including multi-employer pension withdrawal liability and Taft-Hartley Fund collection matters. His labor relations practice includes representation of employers covered by the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act.

He regularly represents and advises clients in preventive labor relations and counter-organizing. For several years, he served as a managing author of the “Employer’s Guide to Union Organizing Campaigns” (Wolters-Kluwer/Aspen Publishers).

Before joining Jackson Lewis, Rick served as practice group leader for a major regional firm, overseeing the labor, employment, benefits and immigration practice. He also served as outside general counsel to the Waterbury Connecticut Financial Planning and Assistance Board, a state takeover board created to restructure finances, labor agreements and post-employment benefits. He was a commissioner of the Connecticut State Ethics Commission from 1997 to 2004 and served as vice-chair and chair-elect from 2002 to 2004.

While attending law school, Rick was a member of the Suffolk Transnational Law Review.

Kristen Wendler is Lead Solicitor Counsel for JV Driver Group, a private investment company with headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Kristen’s practice focuses on transactional matters, both in the United States and internationally, with an emphasis on construction, real estate, corporate finance and M&A transactions. Prior to joining JV Driver Group’s in-house legal team, Kristen represented JV Driver Group as external counsel and was a partner at Farhang & Medcoff, PLLC. Kristen is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law. She is a member of the Arizona Builders Alliance, immediate past Chair of the Arizona State Bar Real Property Law Section and the current Chair of the Children’s Museum of Tucson. Kristen lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband, son, and daughter.

Shawn Werner has been with Sundt Construction for over 20 years; he began his career in the field in project superintendent roles and is currently serving as HS&E manager for Sundt’s self-perform Concrete Group. Shawn is an OSHA certified construction safety trainer, holds the CHST and CRIS designations and is a board member on the ASCC’s SRMC (Safety Risk Management Council). He has demonstrated his dedication to safety in the industry throughout his career: Shawn has authored articles for construction industry group newsletters and is a member of Sundt’s executive safety team that is the leading force to move the construction industry towards controls-based safety.

Bart Wilder is Vice President of Safety at Hoar Construction, a national general contractor working in healthcare, higher education, multifamily, mixed-use, office, industrial, entertainment, hospitality, and more market sectors. He provides strategic leadership in all aspects of safety, health, and environmental matters affecting the company. Bart is responsible for effectively implementing the Corporate Health and Safety Programs (HSP) to achieve compliance with all federal, state, and governmental agencies and regulations, including customer safety policies if more stringent. Bart fosters a partnering attitude throughout the organization to culturally enhance safety and risk management functions within the company, and between contractors, owners, and regulatory agencies, while providing guidance utilizing Leading and Lagging safety metrics to effectively evaluate safety performance to achieve business/safety objectives. In addition to graduating from Murray State University with a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health Management, Bart is the proud father of two sons and resides in Birmingham, AL.

Dr. Geoff Williams is a Diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and subspecializes in craniofacial surgery with an emphasis in children’s facial defects. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, medical school at the University of Utah and trained in general surgery at the University of Utah and Vanderbilt University. He then trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and went on to train further in children’s facial defects at Stanford University and Chang Gung University in Taipei, Taiwan. After his training, he was invited back to Galveston to serve on the Faculty at his plastic surgery alma mater, the University of Texas, and held an appointment there for five years.

In 2004 he left all practice in the U.S. for full-time volunteer service in developing countries. In 2005 he initiated the International Children’s Surgical Foundation to support his work and currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors and Medical Director of that organization. He has served over two hundred volunteer surgical missions, all free of charge and free to his patients, to the countries of the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Bolivia. In a number of these countries, he has trained local surgeons in facial reconstructive surgery techniques and has presented his techniques at numerous national and international professional meetings. He grew up in and resides in Boise, Idaho where his foundation is headquartered. In his spare time, he enjoys bird hunting, fishing and backpacking.

John is an experienced executive with nearly thirty years in the building and contracting industries. After a four-year stint with KPMG Peat Marwick in Pennsylvania, John returned to North Carolina and joined Jones Capital Corporation, an affiliate of J.A. Jones, Inc., a national infrastructure services firm. While at J.A. Jones he was engaged in the development, financing, construction, and operation of cogeneration and energy facilities for industrial customers. He also spent two years with Progress Energy, a North Carolina utility, procuring and constructing more competitive gas-powered generation assets in the southeast.

Building on those experiences, he joined Balfour Beatty Construction as a Senior Vice President and Regional CFO. As his career progressed and expanded to include operational responsibilities, John became President of Balfour Beatty’s Carolinas Division and, ultimately, Chief Executive of the company’s East Region where he had leadership responsibility for operating divisions in Washington DC, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and roughly $2 billion of annual construction volume.

John’s business expertise is practical and extensive and includes strategic planning, business operations, risk management, finance, and business development. He is especially accomplished at building high-performance teams and developing long-term strategies for achieving quality organizational growth and sustainability. He is passionate about working with owners of family and closely held businesses and has a great appreciation for the impact that they have on their communities.

John is a graduate of Wake Forest University, is a CPA (license inactive), and has an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He is married and has four adult children. When he is not working, he devotes considerable time to civic and community organizations in Charlotte.

Mr. James Young is the Senior Director of Congressional Relations for Labor, HR and Safety for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). In this role, he works directly with members of the U.S. Congress, AGC members and press on a multitude of issues that directly affect the construction industry. Previously, Mr. Young worked for Direct Impact, the preeminent grassroots firm in Washington and Democracy Data and Communications which provides a comprehensive array of grassroots and political action solutions. Mr. Young began his career on Capitol Hill working for Congressman Benjamin Gilman (NY). 

James holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the College of Charleston, Charleston, SC.

As Skiles Group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Keyan is responsible for driving corporate growth and guiding the company’s strategic direction while maintaining a dual focus on client service and nurturing a progressive company culture. With an emphasis on technological advancement, continuous improvement, and innovation in construction, Keyan shepherds the firm’s commitment to improving project delivery processes via Lean Construction and Lean project planning initiatives. Keyan is the co-author of the Shingo Publication Award winning book, The Lean Builder: A Builder’s Guide to Applying Lean Tools in the Field, which simplifies and clearly articulates the benefits of seven primary Lean concepts, and delivers them in a highly-relatable, immediately-applicable, and field-friendly manner.
Keyan also holds a patent for an award-winning crisis management communication and emergency response tool called Smart Safety where he serves as Chairman.

Todd’s project experience includes healthcare, commercial, residential, and non-profit. Todd has served in the construction industry for over seven years after graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science. He has spent most of his career serving his clients in North Texas and is responsible for managing all aspects and phases of a project from start to finish and consults with clients and architects to assure overall client and team satisfaction.