Session Speakers

Kiri Anderer is Senior Environmental Engineer on the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Team at EPA headquarters. She works on technical and policy issues and has spent much of her 11 years with the agency working on the American Iron and Steel and Buy American requirements, as well as resiliency and sustainability aspects of the program.

Levi W. Barrett is a Partner in Peckar & Abramson’s New York office and chair of the firm’s Contracts, Project Documentation and Risk Management Practice Group. Levi’s practice focuses on construction contract negotiation and risk mitigation strategies. He is a frequent speaker and author on construction contracts and project delivery methods.

Brigadier General Christopher G. Beck is the Commander and Division Engineer of the Southwestern Division (SWD), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Division, which is headquartered in Dallas, is one of nine Corps of Engineers regional commands. The Division encompasses all or part of seven states, covering some 2.3 million acres of public land and water with Districts headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Galveston and Fort Worth, Texas. As the SWD Commander and Division Engineer, Beck oversees hundreds of water resources development and military design and construction projects that bring value to our communities, our Nation and our warfighters.

Prior to taking command of the Southwestern Division, Beck served as the Commander and Division Engineer of the Transatlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Beck’s previous assignments also include Director, Office of the Chief of Engineers, responsible for synchronizing Engineer Regiment priorities within Headquarters Department of Army. During his career, Beck served in command and staff positions in the United States, Germany, the Middle East, and Central Asia. His tours of duty with tactical units include the 19th Engineer Battalion; 130th Engineer Brigade; 36th Engineer Brigade; 1st Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division; and 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. At the operational level, Beck served as the Chief of Engineer Plans for HQ, U.S. Central Command and also served as the Chief of Staff for the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

As part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Beck has served in the Huntington District as a Structural Design Engineer, Emergency Operations Officer, Civil Design Section Chief, Design Branch Deputy Chief, and Deputy District Commander. He also served as a Project Engineer with the Afghanistan Area Office and as the Commander of the Louisville District.

Beck received his commission from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1993 graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He holds a master’s degrees from the University of Missouri for Science and Technology in Engineering Management; from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Structural Engineering; and from the U.S. Air Force War College in Strategic Studies.

His awards and decorations include the Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. He is also authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge, the Air Assault Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Army Service Identification Badge. Beck is a Registered Professional Engineer (West Virginia) and a certified Project Management Professional.

Blaine Beckman received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Management from Texas A&M San Antonio with high honors. Through his academic achievements he 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 and due to his work ethic and desire to learn, he received promotions 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.

Blaine is heavily active in the construction industry as well as in the San Antonio community. Blaine also prides himself on his involvement with AGC and is active at both the local and national level. 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. A few notable awards that Blaine has been the recipient of include Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Award, San Antonio Business Journal 40 under 40, and the AGC Bubba Moeller Award for Outstanding Service.

Blaine and his wife Mimi are the proud parents of a 6 year old boy, and 4yr and 10 month old girls. In his spare time, Blaine enjoys spending time with his family, writing music for his band Our Waking Hour (on iTunes and Spotify), playing soccer, and surfing (when available).

Jason Block is a 17 year veteran with Ames Construction who has managed hundreds of projects and he is an expert in project delivery. Jason is the Operations Manager for Ames and is a strong advocate of open platforms and progressive project delivery practices.

James Boileau currently serves as Construction Segment Director where he is responsible for the technical direction of loss control services offered to clients and underwriters. He also manages a team that studies emerging risks in the construction segment and leads the development of new products and services designed to help mitigate those risks.

James joined Zurich’s Construction Risk Engineering team in 2002, serving in a variety of construction-dedicated technical and management roles. His career began in industrial construction with a General Contractor as a quality assurance/quality control manager and progressed to direct project supervision in both commercial and industrial projects as Project Manager and Superintendent.

James is licensed as a Professional Engineer, earning his Civil Engineering Degree from Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada. He is an active member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) and Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Jeff Brannen supports the legal and compliance needs of the Texas operations related to construction contracts and negotiations. As a member of the Texas leadership team, Jeff functions as a strategic business partner to the business leadership.

Tonya has over 25 years in the areas of business development, marketing, and sales experience. She has recently joined Gilbane Building Company where she works as a business development manager. She serves on the board of directors for Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County Education Foundation and Douglas County Schools Partners in Education; WellStar-Douglas Hospital Authority Board; University of West Georgia Foundation; committees of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce; and the Society of Marketing Professionals.

Mary-Allyson is a SHRM Senior Certified HR Professional (SHRIM-SCP) and has over 20 years of experience in construction business operations management. Mary-Allyson has a strong background designing and executing process improvements and establishing strategic procedures to maintain and strengthen quality team performances. Mary-Allyson’s passion and focus is driving respect back to skilled trades professional careers.

Mary-Allyson is accomplished in all areas of business, including: human resource management and development, corporate cultural development and leadership, business research methodology and analysis, employment law compliance, policy and procedure composition, communication and enforcement.

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.

Angela is responsible for all work throughout the Eastern Region of Texas as the Vice President of Operations for Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. She has worked in the field for most of her career, having executed many high-profile projects during her 23 years that have received multiple local, national and international awards. A Penn State graduate, Angela was an ENR Texas/Louisiana Top 20 under 40 in 2015 and a 2018 STEAM Role Model for Houston Women’s Chamber. She has been integral to the start of the AGC Houston’s Women in Construction initiative. Mrs. Cotie is ACE Mentor Houston’s Past Chairman of the Board, board member for the Houston Area Parkinson’s Society, a pas board member for PSU’s Architectural Engineering Program, a Galveston Career Connect leader, CTE industry advisor for FBISD, SBISD and HISD, and she active with her children’s school, FFA and activities.

Benjamin Crosby, CM-BIM, CM-Lean, CCM, LEED AP BD+C, is passionate about building and education.   He earned a Construction Management Degree with Math and Physics Minors, from Brigham Young University, is a member of the AGC IT Forum Steering Committee, and instructs the AGC BIM and Lean Education Programs. As a builder educator, he motivates people to how to improve their projects and careers. Family is important to him, and Benjamin has been married to Bethany for 20 years and they have 7 children. 

Benjamin started in construction on a framing crew building custom homes, then moved into management of large projects with an emphasis on electronic project management and scheduling. He tried something different for 2 years, teaching High School in Arizona, then returned to construction management in 2006. As BIM emerged, he has fully engaged in Virtual Design and Construction. 

As Director of VDC, Benjamin has overseen the implementation of VDC for over 300 projects, representing various divisions of the Yates Companies, he has implemented BIM and Lean as an Owner, Designer, Construction Manager, General Contractor, and Trade Contractors. He has had a significant influence in his companies’ Lean journey and is currently the Yates Companies Innovation Champion.

Educated and trained as an architect, Jacob D’Albora, throughout his career, has embraced and sought to maximize the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Jacob is an integral part of the team of McVeigh & Mangum Engineering (MME), a full service, multi-office engineering firm.

Together, Jacob and MME serve the AEC community with a passion to not only produce designs and drawings of superior quality in the BIM platform, but to also equip facilities professionals to more efficiently and effectively manage facilities once constructed. This is accomplished through the application of BIM-FM (facility management) strategy. Jacob has established himself as an industry leader in the BIM-FM arena and, through the use of BIM-FM, has provided the resources and training to facilities personnel necessary to facilitate the efficient execution of building maintenance duties and record keeping.

Pecka Crystal T. Dang is a senior associate in Peckar & Abramson’s Houston office. She is experienced in all aspects of litigation and works closely with clients from the start to the completion of their case, including handling pre-suit investigations, pre-trial hearings, settlement negotiations, and trials.

Crystal focuses her practice on construction litigation, commercial dispute resolution, energy, and labor and employment law. She is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.

Crystal earned her B.A. from Houston Baptist University and J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston, where she was a member of Law Review and Board of Advocates. Crystal won a National Championship at the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition and Top Brief at the William B. Spong Moot Court Tournament.

Crystal earned her B.A. from Houston Baptist University and J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston, where she was a member of Law Review and Board of Advocates. Crystal won a National Championship at the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition and Top Brief at the William B. Spong Moot Court Tournament.

Dr. de la Garza is a Professor and Chair of the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University. He is a subject matter expert for ARTBA’s Safety Certification for Transportation Project Professionals (SCTPP) program. In addition, he is the Vecellio Professor Emeritus of construction engineering and management at Virginia Tech. Dr. de la Garza is a Distinguished Member of ASCE, Member of the National Academy of Construction, Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America, and a 2021 recipient of ASCE’s Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) award.

Dr. de la Garza received his MS and PhD from the University of Illinois and his BSCE from Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. He has held visiting professorships at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, Arizona State University, and Georgia Tech.

As Senior Vice President of Construction Services for Rudolph Libbe, Brad Deal is responsible for the Construction Services Group. The group supports construction operations and technology-based systems with a focus on the ongoing development of Project Management systems, scheduling, Virtual Design and Construction, document coordination and quality systems.

Brad joined Rudolph Libbe in 1990 and has served in a variety of roles, first as project engineer and then project manager. As Vice President of Project Management he played a key role in determining the future direction of Rudolph Libbe along with managing the project management department.

Rudolph Libbe Inc., one of the Rudolph Libbe Group family of companies, is a national construction provider with its headquarters in Walbridge, Ohio and offices in Ohio and Michigan.

Brad earned his civil engineering degree from The Ohio State University.  He is an active member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Maria DiTommaso, CRIS, is the Corporate Risk and Contract Manager of Bond Brothers, Inc., the parent company of  BOND Building Construction, Inc., BOND Civil & Utility Construction, Inc. & BOND Mechanical Construction, LLC. Maria provides risk and contract management services to the BOND companies, which have operations throughout the Northeast, US.

Charlie Dunn tells a good story. From cash-rich development on the Las Vegas strip to oil-fueled expansion in Edmonton, Alberta, to energy plant upgrades throughout the Southeast, he thrives in the challenging delivery gap between “as is” conditions and the “to be” designed state. His career highlights include the on-site project management of over 2.5 million square feet of new distribution space across North America with zero recordable injuries and WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators) recognition of 4D technology in project delivery. He knows that projects succeed because of people—what they believe, strategy—for creativity and innovation, and tools—to deliver value and decrease waste.

Charlie joined DPR Construction in 2016 where he continues to learn about the power of autonomy and the passion to build great things.

As a professional speaker since 2012, Tyler has had the privilege to present at over 1000 live events. A determined entrepreneur from day one, he started his first business at the age of 17. While growing a small business into a successful enterprise proved to be an exciting challenge, by 2011 he was ready for a new endeavor.Tyler sold his business and went to work as a salesperson for a national training company where he became immersed in the field of public speaking. Initially a source of fear and nervousness, Tyler ultimately grew to love both public speaking and the professional development industry. As a result he soon became the top sales person in the organization, and eventually went on to hold the positions of regional and national director. In January 2018, he returned to the world of business ownership and launched Tyler Enslin International where he focuses full time on providing engaging practical content to audiences around the world. Tyler has been privileged to speak for hundreds of different organizations and companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small local businesses. He has also been a Talent Management Consultant for Johns Hopkins University since 2016 where he enjoys teaching a regular schedule of workshops to help promote the growth and development of their employees. Tyler views each event as a unique opportunity to help his participants and therefore he has a reputation for being relatable, engaging, and delivering a high level of practical value.

Alejandro Escobar is the Chief for the Technical Support Branch for the WIFIA Management Division. He has 20 years of experience providing solutions focused on water, environment, infrastructure, and resource management in public and private sectors. Alejandro joined EPA five years ago to work on the WIFIA program. Prior to joining EPA, he worked in various technical and management capacities as a consultant for Tetra Tech and Booz Allen Hamilton.
Alejandro has a BS in Environmental Engineering, an MEM from Duke University in Resource Economics and Policy and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, biking, and trail running and from time to time he puts them all together and races triathlons.

Trent Fair is a recent graduate of Pittsburg State University where he studied Construction Management. He is now working for AGC member company, Simpson Construction as a superintendent. Trent is involved with many different organizations including AGC CLC, Mechanical Contractors Association, and American Society of Safety Professions.

Jeff Forbes is the Regional Director of The Beck Group’s Dallas office, a construction and design integrated firm. Throughout his 38-year tenure at Beck, his technical knowledge, practical approach, and helpful nature have been refined and now play a key role as he oversees all construction and architectural operations for the Dallas region.

Jeff has a passion for mentorship, and he serves on various boards and committees for TEXO, the construction association of North and East Texas; Watermark Church; City Lab High School Foundation and AGC of America. He also contributes his time to Bon Ton Farms, Dallas AIA Architecture and Design Foundation, volunteers as a mediator through SMU, serves on the committee for Owner and Specialty Contractor Contract Negotiations, a Leadership Dallas alum, co-chair for the National AIA-AGC Joint Committee, serves on the AGC Climate Change Task Force and National Board of Governors for AGC National.

An outdoor enthusiast, Jeff enjoys cycling and landscaping. Jeff and his family reside in Dallas, Texas.

With deep roots in Missouri and vast experience in the AEC industry, Steve brings tremendous knowledge in all areas of the design and construction process. He is a registered architect in Missouri, a speaker, and an adjunct professor with certificates in construction document technology, construction specification, and construction contract administration. Professional and personal engagements in his career provide a unique, comprehensive perspective and approach to the tasks as a specifier.

Steve is very active in the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI): Institute level, he chairs the Academic Program Committee; Regional level he is the secretary of the North Central Region; Chapter level he is the chair of the technical committee, member of the program, awards, certification and education/academic liaison committees. He is also a coach of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association, a swim official in the local swim league, and holds multiple positions in his parish.

Dan Garcia is associate general counsel, design and construction at Meta (formerly Facebook). He drafts contract templates; negotiates master agreements with design professionals, general contractors, and trade contractors; helps develop design and construction related policies and procedures; and provides legal advice and training regarding a number of construction related topics, including change orders, dispute resolution, termination, insurance, NDAs, etc. Prior to going in-house at Meta, Dan worked at various law firms representing owners, contractors, and design professionals in a wide variety of construction disputes, including delay, disruption, change order, nonpayment, and defect claims, and he engaged extensively in drafting, analyzing, and negotiating several types of construction contracts, including numerous Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) agreements. Before becoming a lawyer, Dan was an onsite construction manager for major public facility projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for over 10 years, working closely with owners, contractors, design professionals, and governmental authorities to assure high-quality, timely, cost-effective project delivery. In that role, he negotiated countless change orders and resolved several significant delay claims.

Dirk Haire serves as Co-Chair of Fox Rothschild’s Construction Law Practice Group and is the former Managing Partner of the Washington, DC office. Ranked as one of the leading construction law attorneys in the District of Columbia by Chambers USA, Dirk has a national construction and government contracts practice. He represents clients in connection with federal bid protests and construction litigation in the Boards of Contract Appeals, the Court of Federal Claims, the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and various U.S. district courts. Holder of an active U.S. Secret Security Clearance, Dirk’s practice centers on high-stakes litigation over contracts for major construction projects throughout the United States and all over the world. Dirk is litigating an international case that is currently the largest monetary damages claim against the federal government at the Court of Federal Claims. He also works to help his clients avoid litigation by assisting with the resolution of issues such as constructive changes, delays, accelerations, defective work, differing site conditions and default terminations.

Ms. Hall is the Vice President, Head of Construction Innovation for AXA XL North America Construction. Rose provides leadership in construction innovation via the implementation of business process ecosystems, technology, unique insurance solutions, and enhanced customer service initiatives across all lines of business. Her role is dedicated to supporting AXA XL’s construction customers’ innovation efforts and technological maturity, and by extension, advancing the construction industry to new heights in this fourth industrial revolution.

Rose is a thought-leader, ambassador, and spokesperson for AXA XL, presenting at industry events and educational organizations. She has 20+ years of practical experience in engineering, construction project management, and risk management with Turner Construction Co, and as an expert witness and litigation support consultant with WCD Group, now a Gallagher Bassett company.

Amy is a native of Toledo, OH. She attended University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill where she completed her undergraduate studies. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physical education/sports medicine, she moved to New York to work for Delta Airlines as an international flight attendant. Several years later, while living in Dallas Texas, she became an account manager with Abbott Diagnostics, a division of Abbott Laboratories, in San Angelo, TX. For the next several years, she continued working in the biotech field in both Arizona and Georgia for Ventana Medical Systems, now Roche Diagnostics, and AmeriPath.

Due to the unforeseen passing of her father in 2003, Amy moved back to Toledo, OH to become president of Ebony Construction, a heavy highway construction company. Amy has been at the helm of Ebony Construction for the past 15 years.

Amy is a strong advocate for the DBE program on both the state and national level. In 2008, Amy testified before Congress’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee regarding the USDOT DBE Program on behalf of the AGC. Amy has participated in numerous DC ARTBA fly-in’s and many other events. In the spring of 2019, she was on ARTBA’s National Highway Trust Fund Reauthorization Task Force.

Amy is currently a Director on the Associated General Contractor of America’s National Board of Directors, the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Contractors Association where she was the 1st Woman of Color, in the history of the country, to be chairman of the board for a state organization in the Heavy Highway Construction industry. She also chairs OCA’s DBE committee. Amy participates on the MITA/MDOT DBE committee. Amy is also a board member of the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority Board, Toledo Chamber of Commerce and the Historic South Initiative board.

2021 Ohio Contractors Hall of Fame.

In 2016, Amy became a certified life coach.

Amy is very active in volunteering and supporting her local community. She is the Ambassador for the Esturado Mini Hospice for children in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

She is the mother of three wonderful boys- Joseph, Grant and Kellen.

Jason Harlan, PE is a licensed structural engineer with over seven years of consulting engineering experience. He has had the pleasure of working for some of the most prominent firms around the country, including AG&E, KPFF and Martinez Moore/Walter P Moore. Throughout his carrier, Jason has managed and designed a wide breadth of project types from warehouses and data centers to hospitals and transportation terminals. He is experienced in structural design utilizing steel, reinforced concrete, post-tensioning, wood and masonry. Jason received his bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and joined Nucor’s Construction Solutions Group in 2021, serving as a Building Solutions Specialist in support of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. In this role, he partners with project teams to provide assistance and leverage Nucor’s unique position within the steel supply chain. In today’s unprecedented market, he hopes to alleviate problems and questions the AEC community may have pertaining to design, cost, schedule or environmental impact.

Group General Counsel overseeing all claims, litigation and investigations for ENR Top 5 construction and engineering company. Previous experience as partner in regional and national law firms where my practice specialized in the resolution of construction industry issues and disputes.

Specialties: Construction law, litigation and arbitration in North America.

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.

Ryan C. Johnson is Director of Information Technology, Plan Services, and Business Development with the Builders’ Association / AGC.  The Builders’ Association is a nonprofit commercial construction trade association located in Kansas City, Missouri with offices in Jefferson City and Springfield. The Builders’ Association serves hundreds of member companies that employ over 25,000 people in mid-America.

Ryan earned his B.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Computer Science. During his career, he has worked with the AGC for over two decades as a member of the EIS and IT Steering Committees. Ryan enjoys working with commercial construction members, building relationships while helping companies integrate technology to make their companies more efficient and profitable.

 
Ryan is married to Christi Johnson, she is the broker-owner of a real estate firm; they have two boys, Kevin 16, and Nicholas 8, who keep them very busy with numerous sports activities, especially basketball and baseball.

Tricia is the Executive Vice President of Risk Management for Jordan Foster Construction, a large construction company performing civil, multifamily, and general contracting across Texas. Tricia leads the risk management, safety, and leadership teams.

Tricia is a construction industry expert and speaker on various leadership, risk management, and safety topics, including crisis management, emergency response best practices, education across cultures, and servant leadership and diversity. She received the highest honors in her industry, including the 2020 IRMI Bill McIntyre Leadership Award and the BCSP Award of Excellence https://www.bcsp.org/About/BCSP-News/2020-award-of-excellence-recipients.

She holds a master’s degree in dispute resolution from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She has a bachelor of science in business administration and a bachelor of arts in communication—public relations from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

Her professional credentials include Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU); Certified Safety Professional (CSP); Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS); Associate in Risk Management (ARM); Associate in Claims Management (AIC); licensed Texas claims representative and commercial agent.

Tricia is the author of the book “The B Words; 13 Words Every Woman Must Navigate for Self-Defined Success,” where she highlights challenges and breakthrough strategies for women entering non-traditional roles in the workplace.

Bryan Kelley is a Vice President at Balfour Beatty Construction. A construction law attorney, Bryan manages the company’s legal matters in the Pacific Northwest. Bryan graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Classical Studies and attended law school at Pepperdine University. He started his law career at OIes Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP, becoming an equity partner before joining Balfour Beatty in 2016. Bryan is a recipient of the AGC of Washington Associate of the Year Award and a “Rising Star” according to Washington Law & Politics Magazine. He serves on the board of AGC of Washington and Seattle Children’s Theatre and is Vice-Chair of AGC of America’s Contract Documents Forum. Bryan lives in Seattle with his wife, April, and their two children.

Mark Kessenich is Chief Executive Officer of the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee (AGCGM), a construction trade association representing over 300 commercial building construction contractors and industry suppliers throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

Prior to AGCGM, Mr. Kessenich worked as President & CEO of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP), one the nation’s most prominent workforce development intermediaries. WRTP’s industry led and community focused design targeted demands in the manufacturing and construction industries, as well strategies to connect to workforce development to emerging business sectors and economic development efforts.

From 2019 – 2020 Mark was appointed by City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barret as interim CEO at Employ Milwaukee – the workforce investment board serving Milwaukee and the largest local operator of federal workforce development funds in the state. From 2000-2011, Mr. Kessenich served in several leadership capacities at workforce investment Board. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of both Employ Milwaukee and WRTP/BIGSTEP.

Mr. Kessenich was recently appointed to the Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board and has served as an advisor to the National Skills Coalition and multiple other national workforce and education organizations. He has been a speaker at the International Foundation and worked with federal officials to advocate for greater investments in education and training. Additionally, Mr. Kessenich serves as a trustee to the Milwaukee Building Trades Pension Fund and several other health and welfare funds. Mr. Kessenich is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.

Jordan Kimbrell started his career as an equipment operator and skilled carpenter. Jordan has worked diligently to expand his leadership capabilities and has played an integral role in developing and implementing the Langston Craft Development Program. Jordan was recently promoted to an Assistant Superintendent with Langston Construction and is currently participating in Langston’s Leadership Development Program. While working through his Development rotations, Jordan quickly grasped the criticality of being a champion for front-line craft workers and has brought that perspective and enthusiasm to Langston’s Development Committee.

Mandi is a Central Washington University alumnus 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 9-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.

Kyle is a Professional Land Surveyor with more than 25 years of experience, including 15 years for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. As the Survey Group Manager, he ensures quality control from the initial base mapping and design survey through final construction staking. Kyle manages 14 survey crews and eight office technicians on transportation, county, and municipal highway projects. He is an experienced with the latest Bentley and Trimble tools utilized to gather data early on in a project design. His CAD abilities and use of design files ensures adherence to CAD standards and quality staking on projects. Kyle leads WSB’s efforts to be leaders in survey technologies and processes. He has developed 3D machine control surface models for contractors in the five-state region which increased workflow and held projects to the design plan.

Collette LeManske is a Senior studying Construction Science and Management at Kansas State University and will graduate in May 2022. She will be working with Brinkmann Constructors as a Project Engineer after graduation. Collette is involved in many clubs including AGC, ASC, and is excited to support these institutions and others in the future.

Prior to joining Brick & Mortar Ventures, Alice worked for DPR Construction building and implementing construction technologies on large acute-care hospitals and data centers. She has worked in the San Francisco Bay Area and helped start up DPR’s Southeast Asia HQ in Singapore. 

Alice started her career in the AEC industry with DPR Construction in the San Francisco Bay Area building UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She led the Bay Area Skunkworks group and implemented various construction technologies on project sites. In April 2016, Alice relocated to Singapore to help start up the Southeast Asia HQ for DPR Construction as the resident BIM/VDC and construction technology expert and worked on data center projects. She was part of various workgroups led by the Singapore Building and Construction Authority (BCA), was a part-time lecturer for the BCA Academy BIM Management Certification Course, taught BIM courses for RICS and spoke at various conferences in the region. She joined the Digital Built Environment Institute(DBEI) organizing committee whilst in Asia and is now part of the DBEI North America Committee since her relocation back to San Francisco. After realizing the slow pace of digitization in the construction industry, Alice joined the Brick & Mortar Ventures team to work with startups that want to disrupt the way we design, construct and maintain the built world.

Alice holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Brown University where she was on the Formula SAE racecar team and worked in a materials science lab researching lead-free piezoelectrics.

Josh Levy currently serves as Document Crunch’s Chief Executive Officer. Josh co-founded Document Crunch having spent much of his career building upon extensive leadership and expertise counseling the construction industry. Josh graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami, graduating magna cum laude. Josh started his career as a lawyer in South Florida focusing on complex construction litigation and evolved into a full-service construction practitioner.

Realizing he was more attracted to the business of construction, Josh transitioned to Atlanta to go in house with and ultimately lead the legal department of a regional business unit (up to $1B annually) of an ENR Top 50 contractor; later Josh transitioned to lead the commercial contracting/claims function for an EPC Contractor focused on renewable energy projects such as solar, wind, and battery storage facilities; and also other complex production facilities in sectors such as Power, Chemicals, Paper and Water. In these roles, Josh has negotiated billions of dollars of contracts for complex construction projects and other ancillary agreements. Josh has also developed deep commercial experience relating to all aspects of construction projects, and the paint points for all stakeholders in the construction industry.

Document Crunch is the culmination of all of these experiences. Josh founded this solution to scratch his own itch and make him better at his job. Josh’s vision is to raise the bar of the entire construction industry which has historically struggled to appropriately manage and understand the risks in its contracts and other project documents.

Teresa Martin is a experienced insurance professional with more than 30 years of experience in commercial insurance, including property and casualty, risk management, surety and employee benefits. Her focus is working with C-suite executives and Risk Managers in all areas of Property & Casualty insurance, with emphasis on balance sheet protection and controlling total cost of risk. She has an extensive background and expertise in Construction, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Private Equity industries and M&A insurance diligence.

Lockton is the world’s largest privately held Commercial Insurance Broker and Risk Management Consulting firm serving clients in a variety of industry sectors. Lockton services include full service insurance brokerage, risk financing, comprehensive safety/loss control, claims management including state of the art post-claim management programs, global property expertise, executive liability, M&A due diligence, and premier employee benefit consulting with expertise in health care reform strategy, self funding, innovative voluntary benefit platforms and executive compensation strategies.

Specialties: Commercial Insurance, Property and Casualty, Surety, Risk Management Consulting, Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans, 401k Plans, Construction, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Health Care, Mergers and Acquisitions insurance diligence.

As founder and president of Atlas Marketing, a small agency with big experience, Chris is responsible for setting its path. His vision guides the agency from talent acquisition to services and client strategy. His approach is simple, and he lives by a few golden rules — push yourself to be the best, collaboration is key and always say thank you.

Since hanging a shingle and working from his dining room table in 2008, Atlas has grown to include two offices where he manages a culture at Atlas that is collaborative, exciting and effective. Chris also encourages his team to experiment with new ideas and challenge the status quo, which ensures the Atlas culture will thrive.

Throughout a career spanning over two decades, Chris has partnered with clients in need of strategic marketing direction and communications counsel in the aerospace, automotive, biotech, construction, food manufacturing, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing industries. He has won numerous awards, served on various regional community boards and coached middle and high school basketball for years.

Jack McGavran is a current senior at Pittsburg State University where he is pursuing a degree in Construction Management and a minor in Business Administration. Jack will graduate this upcoming May and begin working for McCarthy Construction as a Project Engineer. He is involved with many of the student chapters at Pittsburg State such as the AGC, Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA), and American Concrete Institute (ACI).

Jeff’s construction career journey has been anything but typical. In the late 1990’s Jeff started driving a truck delivering equipment and supplies for a large regional construction equipment rental operation in his hometown of Louisville, KY. After a short time as a driver he went into a business development role, focusing on scaffolding. Safety is critical with scaffolding and Jeff pursued every opportunity to advance his safety knowledge in the field, expanding into the entire field of construction safety. In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in 2005, Jeff joined a sister company of IWR North America as project manager working on recovery and rebuild efforts in the gulf, mainly on various Naval Air Stations in New Orleans, Florida, and even Maryland. In January of 2011 Jeff moved into a full-time safety role with IWR North America’s parent company, becoming Corporate Safety Director in 2013. Jeff holds SMS and CHST designations from the Board Certified Safety Professionals and the CRIS designation from the Insurance and Risk Management Institute. Jeff has served on both safety and specialty contractor committees for the AGC of Missouri.

A highly regarded leader and entrepreneur, Barry Nelson is currently the President and CEO of Factorlab. Factorlab’s is the provider of the popular and rapidly growing safety leading indicator application- SmartTagIt. Over the past eighteen years Mr. Nelson and his team have helped hundreds of companies ranging from Fortune 100’s to start ups use emerging technologies to dramatically reduce accidents and injuries in the workplace.

In 2009 Mr. Nelson cofounded NxGen Modular a leading provider of modular data centers. In less than twenty-four months NxGen Modular completed over $20M in projects for two Fortune 50 technology and software providers and was awarded patent protection for their approach to electrical design. Mr Nelson successfully transitioned his operational responsibilities and continues as a member of the Board.

Prior to NxGen Modular- Mr. Nelson founded Predictive Solutions in October of 2001. As President and CEO, Mr. Nelson was an early pioneer in how to apply enterprise SaaS, mobile technologies and data science for risk reduction and incident prevention in the workplace. Mr. Nelson sold Predictive Solutions to Industrial Scientific in 2008. The organization continues to be a recognized global leader in eliminating accidents and injuries in the workplace. Customers for Predictive Solutions still include Exxon, Shell, Halliburton, Turner Construction, ADM and Bechtel- many being customers and advocates for well more than a decade.

Prior to founding Predictive Solutions, Mr. Nelson was the CEO of TwentyPounds Inc., a consortium of the 20 largest construction firms in the United States representing over $30 Billion in annual construction. The consortium’s objective was to examine and make recommendations on the strategic impact of the Internet on business practices for the largest commercial contractors in the United States.

While working for Honeywell International, Mr. Nelson was Managing Director for Energy and Environment in Europe, Middle East and Africa. His organization designed, built, owned and operated public and private sector commercial projects across Europe and the Middle East.

A skillful strategist and problem solver, Mr. Nelson works closely with industry leaders on change initiatives, risk management and human error in the work place. Mr. Nelson has been invited to accepted the opportunity to speak at the National gatherings for the AGC (Associated General Contractors), ACIG (American Contractors Insurance Group), IRMI (International Risk Management Institute), and VPPPA (Voluntary Protection Programs Participant’s Association) conferences, and the ASSE regional and national PDCs. Mr. Nelson earned his finance degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.

Mr. Nelson earned his finance degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.

Allison Nichols has led a wide range of high-impact real estate development and construction projects for developers, International Corporations, Academic Institutions, biopharma industry and infrastructure projects, during her 40+ year career. She has been involved in all aspects of the development and construction process from conception through final completion and has experience in program, project, design, construction, and contract management.

Allison began at the University of Miami as the Director for Design and Construction in February 2020 and is responsible for the oversight of all new construction and renovation projects at the Coral Gables and RSMAS campuses. Allison joined the University from Portland, Oregon where she served as Construction Manager for CM-Squared LLC in Portland, Oregon on affordable housing projects for BRIDGE Housing and a new library for the City of Cornelius with senior housing for BRIDGE.

Allison spent nearly 6 years as the Director of Project Management for adidas on both domestic and international projects. Prior experiences include leading programming and preconstruction for integrated science building projects for Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts Boston, as well as infrastructure, residential, and commercial construction projects while Vice President of Construction for Forest City Development @ University Park @MIT, John’s Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania. Allison’s infrastructure experience includes work on Boston’s Central Artery/Ted Williams Tunnel Project with Bechtel and The Boston Harbor Project Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant with Kaiser Engineers.

Allison began her career with General Electric including projects at Appliance Park in Louisville KY, Davenport, Iowa and Schenectady, NY. Her General Contracting experience was gained during nearly 6 years with Swinerton & Walberg in CA (now Swinerton) on such iconic projects as the Neiman Marcus @ Union Square and the Levi Strauss Headquarter Buildings and Embarcadero Park in San Francisco, followed by nearly 4 years with George Hyman Construction (now Clark) in Boston.

Allison holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree from Union College in Schenectady NY, and an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Trevor has been using Revit and BIM practices since 2011 and seen firsthand the adoption in the industry.  Trevor Owen is a Product Manager for BIM who creates innovative solutions that AEC specifiers and contractors value and trust.  Before starting at Hilti, Trevor spent six years as a BIM Manager for an electrical contractor in the Greater New Orleans Area. After a successful career helping the construction industry in New Orleans, Trevor now develops services that integrate and greatly impact the AEC industry.  Trevor enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

Brian Perlberg is AGC of America’s Senior Counsel for Construction Law. He also serves as the Executive Director & Senior Counsel for ConsensusDocs, a coalition of 40 leading construction organizations publishing best practice standard construction contracts. Mr. Perlberg recently became the first construction attorney in the country to earn his CM-Lean credential He 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. He has been recognized as a top legal voice by Engineering News Record (ENR), and featured in Who’s Who Legal, Construction. Previously, he served as General Counsel for the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

Kelsey is a Professional Engineer with seven years of experience in transportation design and construction. Kelsey began her career working for a highway Contractor, incorporating her experience in preliminary and final designs as a roadway engineer in WSB’s transportation group, while also leading WSB’s 4D and 5D modeling effort. She is an experienced Open Roads Designer and has delivered over $800M in 4D modeling designs in Minnesota and the SE region of the country. Kelsey is a leader in the horizontal construction industry implementing 4D modeling to assess constructability and staging of Contractor developed schedules, as well as using the 5D modeling to cost load the Contractor developed schedule to track quantities and cost as a function of time both prior and during construction.

Stephanie Pollack was named Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on January 27, 2021. In this role, Ms. Pollack provides executive leadership and strategic direction within FHWA to advance the goals and priorities of the Department.

Ms. Pollack brings more than 30 years of executive experience in transportation and transit, sustainability, environmental health and public policy strategy to the 2,700-person agency, and oversees an annual budget of $49 billion.

Most recently, Ms. Pollack served as Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, where she was responsible for a fully multimodal state transportation department, oversaw the leadership of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and served on the board of the Massachusetts Port Authority.

Previously, Ms. Pollack taught and led transportation research at Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy in Boston. She was a partner with BlueWave Strategies and, for nearly two decades, held increasingly senior leadership positions at the Conservation Law Foundation, a regional environmental advocacy organization.

Ms. Pollack earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Meloni (McDaniel) Raney is the genuine, authentic leader of one of the largest construction associations in the country, an advocate for women, and passionate about advancing the construction industry.

Meloni graduated from the University of Oklahoma where she fell in love with the design-build process and achieved a degree in Architecture with a minor in Construction Science. Initially following the trajectory of an architect, Meloni attained her architecture license while working at The Beck Group, a design-build firm headquartered in Dallas.

In 2013, Meloni was hired as Director of Member Programs and Services at TEXO to leverage her strengths in educating and building programs for the construction industry. TEXO is the largest commercial contractor’s association in Texas, with members combined annual revenues of more than $15 billion.

In March of 2015, Meloni was promoted to President and CEO of TEXO after the board recognized her successful efforts to grow membership and serve the entire construction industry.

She is an advocate for women and serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Fort Worth, which focuses on STEAM education.

With a combined 18 years of experience in construction and technology, Sasha Reed is known industry-wide as a “conversation facilitator”. Reed has hosted roundtables, panel discussions and podcasts, while creating platforms to spark meaningful conversations across the globe. As the Director of Industry Advancement at Procore, Reed drives social impact through Procore.org, an organization within the company that connects nonprofit builders, schools, associations, and local organizations with technology and training resources to build for charity and advance the industry.

I am a technology evangelist, speaker, podcaster, and passionate advocate for construction. I have been working in the Technology Industry for the past 20+ years. I have taken specific care to work with and understand the diverse components of a successful business and how technology can enhance those workflows. I have designed and implemented solutions for diverse teams with an emphasis on functionality and fiscal responsibility. I joined a software development team to understand the software life cycle and become a better technology provider for the organizations I support. I help individuals and companies reach their full potential through technology innovation.

Srinivasa (Srini) Samudrala is the Chief Architect and Global Head of IoT and Digital at Infinite, and is also responsible for the Zyter SmartSpaces^TM suite of products. Srini has more than two decades of experience in leading product strategy, technology innovation, delivery and customer growth across multiple verticals including telecom, travel, media & entertainment, healthcare, safety, insurance and hi-tech. A hands-on technologist and Digital Transformation specialist; Srini has held leadership roles in technology and innovation at Motorola, Sabre, AT&T and Verizon in the past. Over the past 7 years, Srini has played a leadership role in the world of IoT and Digital Transformation, having built platforms and end-to-end deployments for numerous implementations both in the US and across the globe.

Having an early love for woodworking, Katelyn took part in Skills USA to win state multiple times in cabinetmaking. This became a major building block for her career in the AEC industry over the years. Just as technology has been ever-changing, her role in this industry has as well. Through her twelve years’ experience, Katelyn is accomplished in mechanical design, BIM coordination, Electrical BMS coordination, and specializes in virtual coordination of major commercial projects. Joining McVeigh and Mangum Engineers as a VDC Coordinator, she helps with BIM implementation, process workflows, optimizing efficiencies, facilities management, and working directly with the owner, AEC, and field teams to improve and solve project system challenges before issues arise on job sites. Additionally, providing training courses for the software utilized including Revit, Navisworks, BIM Track, Plannerly, AutoCAD, BIM 360 Platform, Bluebeam, Dynamo, Procore, and more. Katelyn continues to push forward with new technologies!

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.

A vocal advocate for designing spaces that support occupant wellbeing including healthier material selection, Allison supports wellbeing and transparency initiatives including the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) technical committees, the USGBC LEED Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group (MR TAG), the mindful MATERIALS Collaborative, and the IWBI WELL Airport Advisory. As a Sustainable Design Leader at HKS based in Dallas, Allison co-chairs the HKS embodied carbon working group, is a sustainable materials expert and manages sustainability projects throughout the firm and for all sectors.

LESTER C. (LES) SNYDER, III
President and Chief Executive Officer
Infrastructure and Industrial Constructors USA LLC (i+icon USA) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Position on AGC Board: 2020 Vice President

Les Snyder is the President and CEO of Infrastructure and Industrial Constructors USA, LLC, (branded as i+iconUSA) the parent of a family of diversified heavy/civil and industrial construction companies which recently became the USA platform for an internationally operating Israeli company, Shikun and Binui, Ltd. Through over 39 years of experience, Les has held various executive positions championing successful growth and expansion for other leading construction firms. His career experience includes all facets of the construction business throughout the U.S., the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada.

Les’ activities with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA) include the status of Life Director, Director on the Education and Research Foundation, past Chair of the Building Division, past Chair of the joint AIA-AGC Committee, and the 2006 Committee Chair of the Year for leading the C3T Task Force which published “The Contractor’s Guide to BIM”.

His community affairs efforts include a passion for improving education serving on the Swanson School Board of Visitors and chairing the Visiting Committee for the Civil Engineering Department at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. Les has also participated in civic organizations such as former Governor Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, Frontline Outreach and Give Kids the World.

Les and Denise, his wife of 35 years, have two daughters: Sara (29) and Jenna (27).

Mr. 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 in excess of $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 has estimated and built many types of projects including: water and waste water treatment plants, hazardous waste remediation projects, landfills, mining infrastructure, roads and streets, highways, bridges, railroad infrastructure, commercial site work, subdivisions, throughout the Western US for private owners and public agencies. 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 of Business Administration with a Major in Insurance, Real Estate and Risk Management and an additional Major in Marketing.

Evan has over fifteen years of experience with Langston Construction, specializing in industrial, commercial and environmental renovations, expansions, and new construction. His areas of expertise include organizing and controlling the preparation and execution of construction contracts to meet company and clients’ objectives such as costs, quality, and safety from pre-construction to construction and through project closeout. Evan’s responsibilities as Principal of Langston Construction includes business development, organization operational improvements, conceptual and conventional estimating, and safety.

Evan is a member of the Carolinas Association of General Contractors Legislative Committee, National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies, and Class of 2014 “20 Under 40” Leadership Next Award Recipient.

As President of Ralph L Wadsworth Construction (RLW), Brandon is responsible for the company’s overall growth, business development, company performance, and client satisfaction. Under his direction, RLW has expanded into new geographic markets throughout the U.S. and enhanced service offerings. In 2006, he made the transition from Resident Engineer at the Utah DOT to Project Manager at RLW, one of their regular contractors. He rose through the ranks to become President nine years later.

Brandon has leveraged his design background to help position RLW as a leader in DB and CMGC in the markets it serves.

As a Construction Technology Manager at Milwaukee Tool, Brianne explores construction trends and emerging technologies to drive practical, user-focused solutions. She has over ten years of experience in the manufacturing & development of consumer products, diesel engines, and power tool accessories. Those diverse industry experiences are bound together by her passion for connecting people, processes, & tools to deliver the best products to customers.

David Stutzman, AIA, FCSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP is an independent construction specifier and architect. He founded and leads Conspectus, Inc. the largest, expert independent specifications consulting firm in the United States, based in southern New Jersey and with multiple regional offices. David has extensive experience in producing architectural and engineering specifications for federal government masters, commercial masters, office masters, and construction projects. Additionally, through the specification process, David becomes a quality assurance partner by identifying areas of concern to be addressed by the construction documents. He is leading the initiative in delivering integrated Uniformat and MasterFormat specifications that align owner project requirements, design intent, and estimates for critical decision-making required to balance performance, quality, and costs during the design process. David has created and developed an ‘industry-first’ tool to produce written construction documentation that benefits all members of the project team, in particular the owner, estimator and architect/engineer.

Prior to joining Paradyne Consulting Works as Principal and Partner, Jon was Vice President of Leadership Development at one of the five largest contractors in North America. At Paradyne, he helps companies improve their results by increasing the effectiveness of their leaders, teams, and processes. He has built and led highly acclaimed business improvement programs for companies as varied as Kiewit Construction, MDU Construction Services Group, and Southern California Edison.

He has been recognized by the Chief of Staff of the US Army Corps of Engineers as a distinguished speaker and by the International Partnering Institute as a Senior Partnering Facilitator. Jon is an engaging speaker, workshop facilitator, and traveling companion. He enjoys boating, flying, golfing, and the relentless pursuit of leisure.

In late 2014, I had a question– how could a girl who had checked EVERY possible “box” in her youth somehow wind up with ZERO clarity in her adult career?

Short answer– While I had a degree in psychology, what I was lacking was a degree in MYSELF.

Since then, my growing team of ThriveGuides and I have been dedicating our work to helping our clients achieve clarity, confidence, and conviction in their lives, most especially in their careers.

We do that by building community and creating programs that teach our students how to know themselves so well that they can make clear and confident decisions no matter the external circumstances. We help them discover work they love so they can build thrive-worthy lives.

Kristen’s practice focuses on the areas of Construction, Real Estate and Business. In her construction practice, Kristen represents general contractors, owners, and trade contractors, with an emphasis on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating development and construction contracts, both in the private and public sector.

Nik specializes in strategic consultancy and market research in B2B manufacturing and construction. He designed and led the AIA’s research into specification and product selection known as “the architect’s journey to specification”. He also helped over 25+ manufacturers of building products and tools grow through a better understanding of the construction professionals they market to.

Lauren Williams is a VDC Manager at McCarthy Building Companies Central Region in St. Louis, MO.  She graduated from Stanford University in 2005 with a BS in Civil Engineering and has since established herself as an ambitious Construction Management professional who demonstrates a strong passion for construction technology, process management, and virtual design and construction.  At McCarthy, Lauren is responsible for leading the VDC team for the $1.7B new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency western headquarters construction project in St. Louis, MO – an effort managed and executed in partnership with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and a team of Design-Build partners – in which she and her team advocates for and implements integrated VDC solutions for the lifecycle of the project, from design through handover and operation.  Lauren holds a Certificate of Management – Building Information Modeling (CM-BIM) from the AGC of America and is the current Chair for the AGC of America’s IT Forum Steering Committee.

Mr. Wilson has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, specializing in risk management consulting, property and casualty plan design, and employee benefits strategy development. In 2005, Mr. Wilson merged his risk management firm Wilson & Associates with Corporate Benefits Consultants to form Cornerstone Insurance Group, a full-service risk management and employee benefits firm with more than 100 employees. Today Cornerstone is ranked as a Healthiest Employer and Best Place to Work by the St. Louis Business Journal.

Beyond insurance placement, Mr. Wilson and his team are able to provide clients with loss control services, risk management consulting, claims administration services, and HR support.

Dr. Shawn Wilson was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) by Governor John Bel Edwards on January 11, 2016 after more than 10 years of executive service at DOTD.

Since his appointment, Dr. Wilson has been a tireless advocate for new revenue, maximizing Federal dollars available to Louisiana, advancing a balanced and comprehensive transportation policy for Louisiana, and ensuring the Department is more collaborative in its work at every level.

Under his leadership, DOTD was successful at securing and obligating nearly $150 million additional Federal dollars for I-10 widening from I-49 to New Orleans, for the Baton Rouge I-10 bottleneck, and for the shortest Design Build procurement in the state’s history is underway to widen I-10 from Highland Road to LA 73. In addition, under his leadership, DOTD has been able to assist communities with alternative fueled transit assets, focus efforts on advancing passenger rail, and helping launch bike share in Baton Rouge, LA.

The DOTD has turned its focus to procuring $650 million in GARVEE Bonds for two Design Build Projects, a major Urban Interstate Reconstruction and the state’s first Public Private Partnership.

Dr. Wilson earned a B.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Louisiana and holds a Master of Public Administration degree, as well as a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Southern University.

Shawn and his wife, Rocki, reside in Lafayette, Louisiana. They have two children, Shawn Wilson- Arceneaux (Mike) and Joshua, and they recently welcomed their first granddaughter Lailah Rose. The Wilsons are members of Progressive Baptist Church.

Karen is a senior operations/technology executive and leader who has spent her entire career in the construction industry. She is passionate about her goal: to help companies prosper by combining business acumen, operational excellence, and optimal use of technology.

Prior to starting her own consulting company, she spent most of her career as the CIO of J.F. White Contracting Co, a heavy civil construction company based in Boston, Massachusetts where she worked aside engineering and operations to build the infrastructure and cost control system that allowed them to double in growth. She graduated with an electrical engineering degree from Northeastern University and has served many roles in the construction industry including Project Engineer, Cost Control Manager, and Vice President of IT and Administration. She has extensive ERP and acquisition integration experience. This background, along with adept leadership skills enables her to motivate teams, drive process improvement and enhance the collaboration between operations, accounting, and IT resulting in increased margins.

Karen has participated on several boards and committees including AGC National IT Forum Steering Committee, Viewpoint industry Advisory Board, Construction Industries of Massachusetts, Women in Transportation, J.F. White Executive Committee, and National Association of Women in Construction. Most recently, she joined the Tenna Industry Advisory Board and is excited to help them strategize from the construction CIO and user’s perspective.

She and her family of five have strong community ties with roles in town social, sports and fundraising events. As an avid outdoors person, she enjoys biking, paddle boarding, hiking, swimming, and fishing.

The discussion will be moderated by Russ Young, VP of Growth at Tenna. Russ is a veteran speaker and expert facilitator of technology and construction-tech conversations. With roots in technology from Google, Amazon and Oracle, plus a background in construction from years with FMI and his current role at Tenna, Russ’ experience includes speaker roles in front of 25,000-person audiences with Google, presentations for widely known construction brands including Procore, Viewpoint and B2W, speakerships at large industry conferences such as ConExpo, and past working relationships with multiple ENR Top-400 construction businesses.

Russ has uncovered data from the tech and construction industries on how to apply best practices to be successful in construction technology investments and is skilled in guiding discussions to cover key topics among speakers and experts to provide the biggest takeaways for his audiences.

Todd is a Project Manager and is involved in Business Development for Linbeck Group, LLC. His project experience includes healthcare, commercial, residential and non-profit. Todd has served in the construction industry for over 7 years after graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science. He has spent the majority 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.