Bernice Bako Newton
Director of Marketing
Turner Construction Company - New York

Bernice is a professional services marketer with over 18 years of experience in the construction industry. She currently serves as the Director of Marketing for Turner's New York Business Unit. She has spent thirteen years at the business unit level, marketing offices varying in size from 350 to 800 professional staff. Bernice started off her career as a public relations officer for the U.S. Air Force before joining Turner. 

As a professional services marketer, Bernice has also been involved in the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). As an active member of this organization, she often presents on various topics of interest to sales and marketing professionals. Most recently, she earned her fellowship distinction from the organization. Bernice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from the University Connecticut.

Avery Louise Bang
Executive Director
Bridges to Prosperity

Avery Louise Bang joined Bridges to Prosperity, first as the Director of Operations, after completing a graduate degree in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her graduate research was conducted with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Founder Bernard Amadei, which considered appropriate geotechnical survey and design for rural low-tech applications.

As a Professional Research Assistant in the Mortenson-Center in Engineering for Developing Communities (MC-EDC), Avery led research teams in developing appropriate alternative energy solutions for developing communities, and mentored student-teams in various international projects. Prior to her time in Colorado, Avery worked as a structural engineer at Shoemaker & Haaland Engineers. As an undergraduate at The University of Iowa, she served as the President of Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) while founding Iowa’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB).

Avery has spoke at various conferences, including as Keynote of the D80 Conference at Michigan Technical University, and Structural Engineers Association Midwest Bridge Symposium, and an invited speaker at Western Bridge Seminar, the International Association of Bridge & Structural Engineers Congress and at the International EWB Conference. She was selected as one of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Fresh Faces in 2011, recognizing the top ten Civil Engineers under 30 and was an invited Guest Editorialist for ASCE’s Structure Magazine, in September 2010.

Denise M. Berger
Assistant Chief Engineer,Operations Engineering Department
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Denise M. Berger is the Assistant Chief Engineer, Operations in the Engineering Department of the Port Authority Of New York and New Jersey.

Ms. Berger manages the day-to day operations of the Department and long term strategic planning.  The Department is comprised of over 500 engineers and architects and she is responsible to ensure that the Engineering/Architectural Design and Construction Management operation is aligned to support the Port Authority’s Capital Program.

The Capital and Operating Programs cover a wide range of projects at all facilities owned and operated by the by the Port Authority, including projects at PATH rail system, Newark Liberty International Airport, JFK International Airport, LaGuardia, Teterboro, and Stewart Airports, the George Washington Bridge, Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, just to name a few.

Ms. Berger’s career spans over 25 years. In her current role she oversees corporate services, which includes Engineering Project Management, Project Controls, Engineering Estimating, Contract Specifications, Department Budgets, Engineering Technology, Sustainability and Climate Adaptation and Mitigation.  She has been instrumental in implementing several key initiatives including the development and utilization of BIM, the development and implementation of an Agency Building Design and Infrastructure Sustainable Guideline and has led the realignment of the Departments organization structure to enhance the Department’s role as Engineering stewards for the Agency.

Denise received a Bachelor of Architecture from New York Institute of Technology, and is a licensed Architect. She holds professional memberships to the American Institute of Architects, U.S. Green Building Council, and the Women’s Transportation Seminar. She is on the Board of Directors for the ACE (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering) Mentor Program and is the Chairperson for their Education Committee.

Carole Bionda
Vice President, General Counsel
Nova Group Inc.

Carole L. Bionda currently serves as Vice President of Nova Group Inc., a
west coast prime contractor specializing in hydrant fueling, waterfront, and marine utility construction projects for the United States Government.  Nova's construction projects span the globe.

Ms. Bionda has extensive experience in the construction industry and has served in national leadership positions in a number of construction related organizations.  She served as 1990-2001 National President, Women Construction Owners and Executives, 2004 National Chair of Associated Builders and Contractors, and 2010 President of National Center for Construction Education and Research.   Ms. Bionda is an active member of the Associated General Contractors of America, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Corps of Engineers, Open Shop, and Document Committees.  Ms. Bionda is a frequent speaker at construction industry seminars and webinars.

Ms. Bionda received her law degree from the Stanford University School of Law and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley.  She is a member of the faculty at Sonoma State University where she teaches various construction management courses.

Lillian Borrone
Chairman, Eno Center for Transportation
Former Executive Director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Board of Directors, STV International, Inc.

Lillian C. Borrone currently serves as an advisor to, and on the boards of several public and private entities. A seasoned senior executive and transportation professional, Ms. Borrone brings to the STV Board an extensive background in management, policy formulation, planning and intergovernmental and community relations.

From 1982 through 2000 she was employed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in various senior management positions: Assistant Director of Aviation, Director of Management and Budget, Director of Port Commerce and ultimately as Assistant Executive Director. Ms. Borrone served the State of New Jersey as coordinator of the Office of Recovery and Victim Assistance, Office of the Governor, and was responsible for managing this office after the events of September 11, 2001. In 2001, she was appointed by President G.W. Bush to serve on the United States Commission on Ocean Policy.

Ms. Borrone has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including her election as Fellow of both the National Academy of Public Administration and the National Academy of Engineering. She was inducted into the National Maritime Hall of Fame and recognized for her leadership and career achievements by the American Association of Port Authorities.

Currently, Ms. Borrone chairs the Board of Directors of the Eno Center for Transportation in Washington, D.C. and serves on the Board of Directors of Horizon (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey) Healthcare Holding Co., Inc.

Lillian received her B.A. in Political Science from American University in Washington, D.C. and her M.SC. in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College, Bronx, NY.

Melanie Cragnolin, PE
President & Structural Engineer
Cragnolin Engineering & Design Associates

Ms. Melanie Cragnolin, PE, President and Structural Engineer, established Cragnolin Design Associates as a Partnership in May of 2009.  In March of 2012 Cragnolin Engineering & Design Associates, DPC was formed as one of the first Design Professional Service Corporations in New York State.  Cragnolin Engineering & Design is D/M/WBE Certified, providing Site, Civil, and Structural design, inspection, and construction support services to a variety of clients throughout the Tri-State area.  Melanie Cragnolin holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Drexel University and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Connecticut and New York.

Diane C. Creel
Senior Consultant, EFCG, board of directors
Allegheny Technologies,Inc.
 

Diane C. Creel is a consultant to clients primarily in the engineering, architecture, and construction industries.  With over 35 years of experience, her areas of expertise include transition management, mergers and acquisitions, operational efficiency, leadership coaching, image development, and market positioning.

Ms. Creel is the recently retired Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ecovation, Inc., a green technology company providing waste to energy treatment solutions to Fortune 1000 companies in the food and beverages industries.  Under her leadership, Ecovation, expanded its technology offerings through acquisitions and exclusive licensing agreements and grew its annual revenue more than 25x in four years.  In 2007, Ecovation was listed on the Inc. 500 as one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, and named the #1 fastest growing company in Rochester, NY, its headquarters.  In February, 2008, the company was acquired by Ecolab Inc.

Prior to Ecovation, Ms. Creel was the first woman to hold the chief executive position of a publicly held engineering firm in the United States, as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Earth Tech, Inc.  During her tenure as CEO, the company completed 27 acquisitions and grew its revenues from $50 million to $1.6 billion. 

Ms. Creel’s career includes marketing positions at LBC&W Architects and Engineers, Columbia, South Carolina (1970-1976); CRS architects in Houston, Texas (1976-1978); and CH2M Hill in Seattle, Washington and Denver, Colorado (1978-1984).

Ms. Creel currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Allegheny Technologies Inc., EnPro Industries, H.W. Lochner, McKim & Creed, and The Timken Company.  She is Chairman of the Canyon Creek Foundation, a philanthropic foundation for betterment of communities.  A founding member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Ms. Creel was the first recipient of the Marketing Leadership Award. She has previously served on the Boards of Capital Research Management/American Funds, Teledyne, Foster Wheeler, Goodrich Corporation, and Glendale Federal Bank.

Ms. Creel holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in journalism from the University of South Carolina.  She completed post-graduate work at Harvard University and is a frequent guest lecturer.

Judy DeScenza Cooper
Senior Vice President, Director of Global Corporate Communications
Parsons Brinckerhoff

Judy Cooper is a Senior Vice President and member of Parsons Brinckerhoff’s CEO Committee, an eight-member group of executives reporting directly to the chief executive officer. Ms. Cooper is also Director of Corporate Communications, and in that capacity oversees the firm's internal and external communications, including media relations, advertising, publications, social media, and websites. She manages a group of writers, editors, and graphic designers that provide support for the firm’s communications activities on a global basis.

Prior to joining Parsons Brinckerhoff, Ms. Cooper served as Marketing Manager for the Eastern Region at Sverdrup (now Jacobs) and before that taught elementary and middle school. She is active in the engineering and transportation industry and currently serves on the board of directors of the New York Transit Museum. She is a Fellow of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), past president of the New York City Post of SAME, and current chairperson of the student activities committee. She is a past president of the Greater New York Chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) and a member of the New York Building Congress. She chairs the PB Foundation, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s charitable giving arm.

Ms. Cooper has a master’s degree in education from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in English and music from Misericordia University in Pennsylvania.

Peter Davoren
President and Chief Executive Officer
Turner Construction Company

Peter J. Davoren is President and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Construction Company.

Under Peter’s leadership, Turner has been recognized as the leader in the delivery of green building projects and for the utilization of Building Information Modeling tools. The company has also been recognized as having the leading safety program for large contractors by the Associated General Contractors of America, the best company for entry level employees to work, and one of the top 50 organizations dedicated to developing multicultural business opportunities.

Peter joined Turner in 1978 after graduating from Pratt Institute. Peter’s first assignment was as a Field Engineer on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital project in Boston. He moved to New York in 1980 and has held a wide variety of assignments in the delivery and management of Turner’s work. Peter’s leadership roles have included Manager of Turner’s Interiors division in New York, Vice President and General Manger of Turner’s New York office and Senior Vice President responsible for Turner’s activities in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Peter was appointed President of Turner Construction Company in 2003 and Chief Executive Officer of The Turner Corporation in 2007.

Peter is active in industry groups and organizations. He serves as the Chairman of the Contractors’ Association of Greater New York (CAGNY) and Vice Chairman of the ACE Mentor Program. He is also a member of the Columbia Engineering Board of Visitors and Chairs the Capital Facilities Working Group for The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries.

Ginger Evans
Senior Vice President, Aviation Division Manager
Parsons Corporation

Ginger Evans is Senior Vice President and Manager of Aviation for Parsons Transportation Group.  She directs international and domestic aviation programs from their Washington DC office.  She holds degrees in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University.  She has more than 30 years of experience and was Chief Engineer for the development of Denver International Airport. She is an expert in operational analysis and value-added engineering for planning, development, management and operation of airport properties and facilities. She has received many industry awards, including Award of Excellence and Woman of the Year from Engineering News-Record magazine and the President’s Medal, American Society of Civil Engineers.  She is the author of the Airports section of the McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.

Bruce Fowle
Founding Principal,
FXFOWLE Architects

Bruce Fowle is a Founding Principal at FXFOWLE Architects, an architectural, planning, interior design, and sustainability firm with offices in New York and Washington DC. FXFOWLE’s work covers a broad spectrum of typologies; from renowned cultural and educational institutions to large-scale commercial, residential, planning and infrastructure projects located around the world. In the thirty-three years since FXFOWLE’s beginning, Bruce has guided the firm to international recognition for excellence in design and pioneering socially and environmentally responsible architecture and planning. His work has earned the firm a number of major design awards, including National AIA Honor Awards for the Condé Nast Building at 4 Times Square, the first green skyscraper in the United States, and the New York Times Building (with Renzo Piano). Bruce’s recent projects include the renovation and expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (in association with Epstein); a new carbon-neutral museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts that celebrates the historic Housatonic River; and a LEED Platinum headquarters expansion in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania for SAP Americas.

Bruce’s dedication and contributions to the architectural industry have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. In 1985, he was elevated to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows, and in 1991 he was named an Academician of the National Academy of Design. In 1994, Bruce received the AIA/New York Chapter’s Harry B. Rutkins Award for his contributions to planning and zoning initiatives in New York City—a role he considers essential if architects are to have influence over the broader context, quality and sustainability of our cities. In 2004, he was recognized by the New York Chapter of the AIA with its President’s Award, the organization’s highest honor, and in 2010 he was honored again by the AIA/New York Chapter with the Harry B. Rutkins Award for his many contributions to the profession. Also in 2010, the firm was with the recipient of the New York State AIA’s Firm of the Year Award.

Throughout his career, Bruce has been personally committed to creating a more meaningful and effective role for the architectural profession in shaping and sustaining our society. He is a member of the National AIA Committees on Design and the Environment as well as the NYC Building Resiliency Task Force, a Fellow of the Institute for Urban Design, and an advisor for the Design Trust for Public Space. He is a former vice president of the AIA/New York Chapter and founder of its Planning and Urban Design Committee, which he chaired for 10 years. In 2011 he was elected President of the Board of Governors of the NATIONAL ACADEMY Museum and School –  a 185 year old institution for American art and architecture that he has helped revitalize while overseeing its building’s renovation scheduled for completion in September 2011.

Bruce was a founder and chairman of the New York Chapter of Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility, an advocacy group for social justice and environmental responsibility. He has served on the Advisory Board of the New York City Ballet and is currently on the Advisory Panel for the Lincoln Center Institute’s Imagination Award. He has also served on the board of the Graham-Windham Childcare Agency, New York’s largest organization helping abused and abandoned children, and the New School’s Eugene Lang College. Following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Bruce helped found and mobilize New York New Visions, a coalition of organizations formed to help shape the planning and design response to the destruction and continues to give guidance to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.

Before forming his own firm, Bruce was an associate in the firm of Edward Larrabee Barnes, the posthumous winner of the 2007 AIA Gold Medal. Prior to that, he worked for Brown Daltas Associates; Myller, Snibbe and Tafel Architects; and William B. Tabler Associates. A 1960 graduate of the Syracuse University School of Architecture, Bruce was a founder of the school’s Advisory Board and served as chair for over twenty five years. In 1996, he was honored with the school’s Sargent Professorship, and in 2001 the University’s prestigious George Arents Pioneer Medal for Excellence. He is a frequent lecturer at professional conferences and academic institutions, and regularly serves on juries for student and professional design awards.

Bruce is married to Marcia Taylor Fowle, an environmental administrator, author, editor, and past President of New York City Audubon. Each of their three daughters is involved in conservation or environmental planning and design.

Heather Foust-Cummings, PH.D.
Vice President, Research
Catalyst Panelists

Heather Foust-Cummings, Ph.D., leads Catalyst’s research on corporate governance, with a focus on understanding relationships between diversity, corporate governance, and board and firm performance. As part of the tenth anniversary Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500, Dr. Foust-Cummings profiled the experiences of women board directors of companies that had demonstrated a sustained commitment over time to having a significant proportion of women on the board. Additionally, she examines the role of sponsors in influencing the advancement and retention of senior-level and high-potential women and men.

Prior to joining Catalyst, Dr. Foust-Cummings taught at Columbia University and conducted brand analyses for the Corporate Research Department at Young & Rubicam. Dr. Foust-Cummings received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Women's Studies from Emory University; she received her B.S. in Political Science and Secondary Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Melinda S. Gentile
Partner
Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

Melinda S. Gentile has developed a particular expertise in all aspects of construction law and construction dispute resolution and has demonstrated success in preparing and handling matters ranging from bid protests and contract disputes to contractor's liens and defect claims. In addition to her construction law practice, Gentile maintains an active practice in other areas of general, civil and commercial litigation.

Gentile's construction law practice has provided substantial experience and understanding of the development and construction process, used to assist engineers, contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, architects, owners, materialmen, suppliers, laborers and sureties in avoiding and resolving disputes during the construction process. Gentile's representation begins at the earliest stages of the construction process and continues through completion and any subsequent disputes which may arise. She endeavors, wherever possible, to resolve disputes that arise during the contracting and construction process immediately in an effort to avoid litigation upon completion of the project.

Kiran Gill
President and CEO
PARS Environmental Inc.

Kiran K. Gill is the president and CEO of PARS Environmental, Inc., an environmental consulting firm based in Robbinsville, New Jersey.  She purchased the company in 2003, when she was in her 20s and was pursuing her MBA at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.  When Kiran purchased PARS, the company had six employees and annual revenues of $500,000, and under her leadership, the company has grown to over 60 employees and over $10 million in annual revenue. PARS services contracts throughout the U.S. in both the private and public sectors, and maintains contracts with federal agencies including the EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of Defense.  Gill attributes PARS’ rapid growth to its proprietary technologies and willingness to take on difficult remediation projects. 

During the three years Gail has been in New York, she has led Delta’s cross-functional team to reach an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on a $1.2 billion terminal redevelopment program at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

She also presided over the largest hub expansion in 40 years at nearby LaGuardia Airport – doubling Delta’s overall capacity out of that airport in July 2012. Through her team’s efforts, Delta’s visibility as a community partner and brand recognition as a corporate sponsor have grown throughout the State.

Delta’s growth and commitment to New York has not gone unnoticed and as such, in 2011, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Gail to the New York State Tourism Council and selected her to serve on his Regional Economic Redevelopment Council for New York City.

Prior to her current role within Delta, Gail served as senior vice president – revenue management for Delta  at its world headquarters in Atlanta. In this role, she was responsible for pricing and inventory strategies to optimize Delta’s passenger revenue across all geographic entities and territories around the world. Under Gail’s leadership, the revenue management team implemented industry-leading technology and competitive pricing strategies that accelerated Delta’s emergence from bankruptcy by achieving its revenue targets more than a year ahead of schedule.

During her 16-year tenure with Delta, Gail has managed some of the airline’s most challenging assignments, including serving as Managing Director of Investor Relations and Chief Economist of Corporate Forecasting and Planning.

Before joining Delta, Gail spent four years as a senior regulatory economist with the Department of Labor – under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, writing and publishing economic and technological feasibility analyses to be included with promulgated regulations.

In 2010, Gail received the Bishop Wright Award and was named Woman of the Year in Aviation. In 2008, Atlanta Business Magazine named her one of the “Top 25 Women to Watch,” and in 2001 Gail was named by Women Looking Ahead magazine as one of Georgia’s Corporate Top 100 Most Powerful and Influential Women.

Gail currently resides in New York City, where she serves on the boards of the Business Council for New York State and the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and serves on the Advisory Board for the Children’s Health Fund. Additionally, Gail also is a board member of the Aviation Institute at York College.

Gail holds an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and an MBA from George Washington University with a concentration in Business Economics and Public Policy.

MaryAnne Gilmartin
President and Chief Executive Officer
Forest City Ratner Companies

MaryAnne Gilmartin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Forest City Ratner Companies, a New York-based real estate development company.
 
Ms. Gilmartin has been point person in the development of some of the most high profile real estate projects in New York City. She led the efforts to build Barclays Center, the new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue and the centerpiece of the $4.9 billion, 22-acre mixed-use Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn.
 
Ms. Gilmartin oversaw the development of The New York Times Building, designed by world renowned architect Renzo Piano and the recently opened New York by Gehry, the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere, designed by award winning architect Frank Gehry.

Susan Knauf
Vice President and Chief Learning Officer
The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Susan E. Knauf is Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at the Louis Berger Group, Inc, an internationally recognized consulting firm that provides engineering, architecture, program and construction management, environmental planning and science, and economic development services.  Ms. Knauf is responsible for the development and expansion of LBG’s Learning Initiative, a personnel training and development program launched in 2007 and most recently, the development and launch of Louis Berger University.

In her previous role, Ms. Knauf instituted a quality assurance system within the firm, developing client-specific quality assurance project manuals and standard operating procedures and conducting the project audits against those procedures and policies. She was also instrumental in the evaluation and mapping of internal control processes within the firm and working with Process Owners to develop training tools for these processes.  Her extensive technical experience includes more than 15 years of remedial site investigations and engineering feasibility studies, environmental assessments and analyses, and analytical chemistry experience. Before her focus on corporate initiatives, Ms. Knauf worked as the chief regulatory specialist responsible for keeping current on state and federal environmental regulation issues. She has an MS in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut and is a certified quality auditor.

Liz Lonngren 

Lonngren began her career in Dallas, Texas with Corgan Associates as an architectural Project Manager. She spent ten years in the higher education project management profession, becoming the Associate Vice Chancellor for Texas Tech University System’s Office of Facilities, Planning and Construction. In 2001, she joined Lee Lewis Construction as Vice President responsible for identifying and driving new markets for the company and serving on the preconstruction team for numerous projects. Liz was recently appointed Chief Operations Officer responsible for the corporate operations for the Lubbock, Dallas and Austin offices.

Lonngren is a member of the American Institute of Architects, past President of the Construction Specifications Institute, Lubbock Chapter, current president of the Texas Tech University College of Architecture Alumni Advisory Council and serves on the Texas Architects Governmental Steering Committee. She also serves as President of the Friends of Camp Mary White, Inc., Foundation Board of Trustees, a non-profit camp for girls in New Mexico. Lonngren has been a guest lecturer at the Texas Tech University College of Architecture, the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board and the Society for College and University Planning. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas Tech University.

In recognition of her achievements, Liz has received numerous awards and is the recipient of the Magnolia Woman of the Year Award from the North Texas Chapter of the Associated General Contractors; the William H. Tinney Ethics Award from the City of Lubbock, Lubbock Rotary and the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce; and the Woman of Distinction Award from the Texas, Oklahoma, Plains Girl Scouts.

Anthony E. Mann
President & CEO
E-J Electric Installation Co.

Anthony Mann is the President and CEO of E-J Electric Installation Co.  He is the third generation of his family to manage the company, which was founded in 1899 and is the oldest independent electrical and communication contractor in the United States.  E-J Electric is a leader in electrical construction and trade management in the healthcare, transit, power generation and mission critical.  Under Tony’s leadership, E-J Electric Installation Co. has completed over $1 billion in major electric construction projects..

Tony holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University and earned his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.  Tony has also lectured at Columbia University’s School of Engineering.  He holds Master Electrician Licenses in New York and Connecticut and serves both as a member of the Executive Board of the New York Electrical Contractors, and as a Trustee of the Electrical Employer’s Self Insurance Safety Plan. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.  He was recently appointed by the Mayor and the head of the City Council to serve on the Steering Committee of the NYC Building Resiliency Task Force as a       Co-Chair on the Electrical & IT Working Committee.  He is President of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, New York’s largest social services agency serving 65,000 clients annually with 175 programs

Audrey Matlock
Founder and Principal
Audrey Matlock Architect
 
Audrey Matlock leads Audrey Matlock Architect, a NYC studio that is committed to fusing architecture, technology and contemporary culture. Her project base is international with a range of building types that includes cultural, commercial, residential, exhibition and multi-use.  Her tools are analysis, research, multidisciplinary strategies and innovative thinking.  She is especially focused on the visual and performance possibilities of combining inventive engineering with architecture in the design of buildings.

An active member of the design community, she participates on design juries and panels, and lectures and teaches regularly.  She recently served the AIA as Co-VP for Design Excellence and Chair of the Design Awards Committee for the AIA and a Peer for the GSA.

Her firm has won over thirty design awards, including ten from the AIA.  In addition to frequent recognition in international publications, she recently had a retrospective of her work at Syracuse University.

Tara McAdam Kassal
Chief Marketing Officer
Tishman Construction

Tara McAdam Kassal serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Tishman Construction and AECOM’s construction services practice, leading the group’s business development and brand strategy efforts. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, she develops and implements marketing strategies focused on international business growth.
 
As part of AECOM’s global enterprise serving clients in more than 140 countries, Ms. Kassal directs the construction services marketing teams in market planning, brand building and positioning, marketing communications, business development initiatives, market research, and win strategies for high-profile projects.

Prior to joining Tishman, Ms. Kassal was Senior Vice President of Marketing for Lend Lease Americas, a division of the international property and infrastructure group. At Lend Lease she was responsible for strategic marketing and communications to achieve business growth of the $1-billion diversified property group active in public/private partnerships, real estate development, construction/project management, and investment management.

Ms. Kassal earned her B.S. from Boston University and completed post-graduate work at Columbia Business School. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Eileen McCarthy  
Senior Project Manager
StructureTone

Eileen McCarthy is a proven project manager with over 20 years of field operations experience. She has been with Structure Tone for more than a dozen years of her professional tenure. Eileen specializes in complex, often fast track, large New York City assignments. She is responsible for all facets of project delivery from the design process through completion of construction and move-in support, interacting with design teams, owners and construction trades.

Currently, Eileen is project manager for the $177 million renovation of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The three-year effort is one of the most visible and complex restoration projects in NYC. The Cathedral remains open 24/7/365 throughout the process. One of Eileen’s main challenges is coordinating construction with (a minimum) five masses daily, Sunday services and special events and religious observances. The plan for the full restoration of the Cathedral includes restoration of the exterior and interior, as well as its renowned stained glass windows. The scaffold ensconcing inside and out is among the most intricate ever built. Work prior to the main restoration effort entailed building a new central air conditioning plant, life safety system upgrades and renovation of the Rectory.

Previous notable assignments Eileen has managed include 100,000sf fit-out of office space for JPMorgan Chase at 270 Park Avenue, 14-floor modernization of the NY Hilton, renovation of the Waldorf Astoria and complete gut and rehabilitation of the 65,000sf Royalton Hotel lobby, which encompassed a new restaurant and upgrade to the existing kitchen facilities as well as renovation of guest rooms. The latter was accomplished in a herculean effort of 16 weeks from start to DOB sign-off. Eric Bass, senior vice president for Morgans Hotel Group, said of the Royalton project, “The Structure Tone team was proactive, determined and seamless! The project was going to be a miracle from start to finish, and Structure Tone displayed a can-do attitude from the start. Eileen…and her team were a well-oiled machine that made it all happen.”

Eileen attended Central Connecticut State University with a major in business administration. She has also completed several certificate programs in MEPS systems construction and design courses through New York University. Eileen resides in Stamford, CT. Her personal interests include reading, bicycling and various arts and crafts.

Cathleen McGuigan
Editor in Chief
Architectural Record

Cathleen McGuigan is a critic, journalist and editor specializing in architecture and culture. A longtime contributor to Newsweek magazine, where she also served as arts editor, her articles have appeared in many other periodicals as well, including The Smithsonian, The New York Times Magazine, Architectural Record, Art News,  Rolling Stone and Harper’s Bazaar. A graduate of Brown University, McGuigan was awarded a Loeb Fellowship at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and has been a Poynter Fellow in journalism at Yale. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and has lectured at the School of Visual Arts and the Museum of the City of New York.  McGuigan is a member of the Forum for Urban Design and serves on the board of directors of the Skyscraper Museum in New York.  She is at work on a biography of Aline Saarinen. McGuigan lives in Manhattan with her husband and daughter.

Joseph Mizzi
President
Sciame

Joseph Mizzi has more than 23 years of experience in the NYC Construction Industry. In 1995 he joined Sciame Construction and in 2006 was named President of the company and is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations of the firm.

Joseph serves on the Board of Directors of the Architectural League of New York, the New York Building Congress and the Boy Scouts of America, Greater New York Councils; he is also Treasurer of the Salvadori Center, serves on the Board of Trustees at the Bronx Museum of the Arts and is a member of Young Presidents Organization’s Metro NY Chapter.

He also serves on the Advisory Board to New York University’s Master of Science in Construction Management Program, Pratt Institute’s Construction Management Program and Clemson University’s Construction Science and Management Program. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Architecture and Design Film Festival.

Joseph is co-founder of two not-for-profit organizations, 14+ Foundation, Inc. and Chipakata Children’s Academy Foundation, both of which serve to educate and care for children in Zambia, Africa. Joseph was named recipient of the 2012 Construction Industry Boy Scouts Greater NYC Council’s “Good Scout” Award, and the 2012 Israel Bonds “Builder of Israel” Award. He also received Pratt Institute’s 2011 Alumni Achievement Award.

Denise Pease
Regional Administrator
U.S. General Services Administration

Denise L. Pease was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as regional administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration’s Northeast and Caribbean Region, effective Sept. 13, 2010.

As Regional Administrator, Pease oversees the federal government’s real estate portfolio, procurement of goods and services, and information technology for New York, northern New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. GSA’s Northeast and Caribbean Region has about 675 employees and an annual operating budget of approximately $649 million.  The region has a real estate portfolio that includes 62 government-owned buildings and leased space in 415 commercial buildings and is managing approximately $136 million in current construction activity.  Real estate revenues supporting building operations and lease costs are $865 million.  The region also manages a fleet of 12,300 vehicles, including 7,122 alternative fuel vehicles.
Since she assumed its leadership the region has successfully completed a number of major projects including the renovation of the historic Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse, the construction of the new Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse in Buffalo, New York, and the lease for federal tenants at One World Trade Center in New York City.  In addition, the region provided significant support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal reconstitution efforts following Superstorm Sandy, which severely impacted a broad area of the region.

Prior to joining GSA, Pease served the city of New York as the assistant comptroller of commercial banking in the Office of the New York Comptroller. In this capacity, she was the comptroller's senior liaison to New York City's diverse banking community and advised him on banking, consumer, and economic development issues that affected residents and the financial services industry. Pease also represented the comptroller on the New York City Banking Commission. Pease is also a former deputy superintendent of banks for New York state, in charge of the Consumer Services Division.

Pease suffered a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident in 1995 and underwent more than five years of extensive therapy before returning to work. Pease says she realizes she is not alone in living with a disability. To this end, she has worked with a number of organizations that advocate for people with disabilities. She is on the board of directors of the Epilepsy Foundation of America and is chairwoman of its African American Initiative.

Pease is an alumna of Columbia University School of General Studies and holds a Bachelor of Arts in American history and biology. She was also a Charles H. Revson fellow at Columbia and a National Urban fellow at the Bernard M. Baruch Graduate School of Public Administration, and has studied executive management at the European Institute of Business Administration, Paris.

Joanne Podell  
Vice Chair, Retail Services
Cushman & Wakefield

Joanne Podell has more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience, specializing in both tenant and landlord representation, and lease negotiations throughout Manhattan. She has been involved in many of Manhattan’s most prestigious retail assignments including the roll-out of Ann Taylor’s “Loft” concept (five locations to date) and the opening of its latest prototype store. Ms. Podell also handles site acquisition and strategic disposition for Nine West and Ethan Allen in Manhattan. Several of her other clients include: TD Bank, Kay Jewelers, Benetton, Anne Klein, MoMA, and Nike. On the agency side, she has represented institutional Landlords such as Starwood Capital Group, Hartz Mountain, The Moinian Group and W&M.

Ms. Podell, one of New York City’s top retail real-estate professionals, joined Cushman & Wakefield’s Retail Services group in 2002. Her accolades include being named one of the Top 100 Brokers of C&W in 2007, 2008, and 2009, C&W’s 2006 Leading Brokerage Professional for the Americas, and the Achievement Award for Top Retail Producer as the number one retail broker for C&W in 2005. Ms. Podell has also received the REBNY "Retail Deal of the Year Award" twice: one for her participation in the leasing of Harlem USA and the second for “changing the neighborhood” with her placement of an Ethan Allen flagship on West End Avenue. Before joining C&W, Ms. Podell was an Executive Managing Director with Newmark New Spectrum.

Ms. Podell was named one of Real Estate New York’s Commercial Broker All-Stars in 2004. Ms. Podell is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York and a member of The Retail Stores Committee. She was the former Chair of the REBNY Retail Stores Committee. In addition to her role on C&W’s Retail Executive Committee, her other professional affiliations include the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and New York Women Executives in Real Estate (WX). Ms. Podell is currently on the board of WX.

Robin Rotenberg
Vice President of Corporate Communications and Chief Communications Officer
BASF Corporation

Robin C. Rotenberg is BASF Corporation’s Vice President, Corporate Communications and Chief Communications Officer and directs all strategic and tactical elements of BASF’s internal and external communications in North America.  In her current role, which she assumed on February 1, 2009, she is responsible for media relations, marketing communications, advertising, executive communications, community relations, employee communications, trade shows and special events, and brand management.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Rotenberg served as President of BASF Canada, a position she had held since April of 2005.  In this role, she was responsible for all BASF businesses in Canada, including Agricultural Products and Nutrition, Chemicals, Performance Products and Plastics.  In addition, Ms. Rotenberg had responsibility for the management of BASF Canada’s internal services including Communications, Legal, Human Resources, Finance and Logistics.

Prior to her tenure as President, Ms. Rotenberg was BASF Canada’s General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, with responsibility for Communications, Legal, Insurance, and Real Estate issues.

Ms. Rotenberg earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Western Ontario and was subsequently called to the Ontario Bar in 1987.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies and a Bachelor of Education degree from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.

Her work at BASF has made Ms. Rotenberg a recognized speaker on sustainability and climate change.  She has participated and addressed the Sustainable Leaders Forum, EECO Environment and Energy Conference; the Canada-US Summit on Sustainable Development; and the Ontario Premier’s Advisory Panel on Climate Change, among others. 

A native of Toronto, Ms. Rotenberg lives in northern New Jersey with her husband, three perplexing members of Generation Y and a pampered dog.

Tom Scarangello  
Chairman and CEO
Thornton Tomasetti

Tom Scarangello has more than 30 years of experience leading the structural engineering of a wide variety of building types worldwide, from long-span sports and entertainment arenas and stadiums to high-rise commercial and mixed-use buildings. He led Thornton Tomasetti into the forefront of project delivery services and engineering technologies for building analysis, design and construction. Since becoming chairman in May 2007, Tom has overseen the development of the firm’s strategic plan for growth and innovation in areas such as building information modeling and integrated project delivery. Tom holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Manhattan College, and a professional mechanics degree in the Ph.D. program of Columbia University, New York City.

Tabitha Stine
Director of Technical Marketing
AISC

Tabitha Stine, S.E., P.E., LEED AP is the Director of Technical Marketing for AISC, the American Institute of Steel Construction.  Before taking this position, Tabitha was the Great Plains Regional Engineer from August 2005 to April 2008.  In this position, Tabitha was responsible for working with decision makers in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  She marketed on the cost advantages of using structural steel, including educating professionals through meetings and speaking engagements on LEED accreditation utilizing structural steel, AESS (architecturally exposed structural steel), BIM (Building Information Modeling), and innovations in structural steel.  She followed project leads throughout the region and worked personally with the parties involved to help all involved assess whether structural steel is a viable option for their project.  Prior to this, Tabitha was an advisor in AISC's Steel Solutions Center for one year.  In the Solutions Center, Tabitha was directly involved with providing conceptual solutions to architects, engineers, fabricator, and developers on the framing systems most feasible utilizing structural steel for multi-story residential, office, and parking structures. 

Prior to working at AISC, Tabitha worked for Sargent & Lundy, LLC in Chicago as a structural engineer in their Fossil Power Division.   While at S&L, she gained experience in flue gas ductwork, analyzing steel for high temperatures and stresses within an SCR system of a coal fired power plant. She also was extensively involved in detailed welded connection design for the ductwork and the overall design for a new coal plant boiler building she was involved with.   She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2001. In December 2003, she received a Master of Structural Engineering Degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.  In 2009, Tabitha was awarded with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of SIUC for her continued efforts in promoting the civil engineering profession to students of all ages, and recognizing her role as a notable speaker to engineering audiences nationwide on a wide variety of cutting edge topics in the design and construction industry, via her role at AISC.  Tabitha currently serves on the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Sustainability Committee to provide more resources and tools to structural engineers in the area of sustainability.

Her current responsibilities at the Director of Technical Marketing require her to supervise and coordinate all current and future activities of the AISC Steel Solutions Center and all activities of the eight AISC Regional Engineers around the United States to help educate decision makers about the inherent benefits and technical solutions to designing and building in structural steel.  Tabitha can be contacted at 708-647-9395 or stine@aisc.org.  She is based out of Chicago.

Janice L. Tuchman  

Tuchman is active both in the construction industry and publishing associations. Last year she was named to the National Research Council’s Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment. In 2010, she was inducted into the National Academy of Construction and was appointed to the Industry Leaders Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers. She is a trustee of the SMPS Foundation and serves on the Industry Advisory Committee of the Department of Civil Engineering at Columbia University. In 2002, she became only the sixth woman to be elected to membership in “The Moles,” a prestigious heavy-construction industry leaders organization. She is a member of the editorial committee of American Business Media.

A number of groups have honored Tuchman. In 2010, she won an award for journalism from the Society of Military Engineers, North Virginia Post. In 2009, she was inducted into the Construction Writers Association Hall of Fame, and the Women Builders Council of New York City selected her as a Champion Award Winner. In 2002, she was named Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles chapter of the Women’s Transportation Society and won a career achievement award from Professional Women in Construction. She has won McGraw-Hill Corporate Achievement Awards for Information Technology and for Editorial Excellence. She also co-authored a McGraw-Hill book called Exposed Structure in Building Design.

Tuchman earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Barbara Wagner
Senior Vice President
Clark Construction Group

Ms. Wagner serves on the Executive Board and is the 2013 Chair of National Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) and serves as President Emeritus of DBIA’s Western Pacific Region. She is a graduate of Catholic University earning a BS in Architecture and holds a Masters in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from the University of Maryland. Her professional licenses and accreditations include a contractor and engineer’s license in the state of California and LEED accreditation.

Pamela Ward O’Malley
Project Executive
Gilbane Building Company

Pamela Ward O’Malley has 30 years of experience in the Healthcare Industry as a practicing architect, facilities manager, and as a construction manager.  She currently works for Gilbane Building Company as a Project Executive, heading up the Center of Excellence in Healthcare Construction in the New York Region. Prior to joining Gilbane, Pamela spent ten years at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she delivered over $500M in capital projects and led over $1.5B in masterplan studies.

Her experience on all sides of the healthcare facility delivery process brings a unique management perspective on the delivery of high quality, cost efficient healthcare buildings.  Her passion and dedication to the healthcare industry is evidenced in her participation of the AHA Guidelines Revision Committee since 2002.  She is the founding co-chair of the Cost-Benefit Standing Committee and was honored to be on the American Society of Healthcare Engineers committee that wrote the exam to qualify healthcare constructors.  Pamela also participated on a national team of pediatric medical and design professions who have completed the new 2014 Guidelines Chapter dedicated to the design of Children’s Hospitals.

Marion Weiss
Cofounder
WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism

Marion Weiss is the Graham Chair Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design and is cofounder of WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, a multidisciplinary design practice based in New York City.

Known for the integration of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape, her firm won the American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award for Architecture, AIA New York’s Gold Medal, and the Architectural League of New York’s “Emerging Voices” award, acknowledging the distinct vision of the firm. The work of her firm has been presented and exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Design Centre in Essen, Germany, the National Building Museum, and the Louvre Museum. She has also taught at Yale University, Cornell University, and most recently at Harvard University.

Her firm’s Olympic Sculpture Park for the Seattle Art Museum, winner of an international competition, was awarded Harvard University's Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design, the first United States project to receive this award. Her firm’s Diana Center, an arts building at Barnard College, won a National AIA Honor Award and best building in New York State in the 2010 AIA Honor Awards. Weiss/Manfredi recently won a national competition to redesign the Washington Monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater and their Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center recently opened to the public.

Their most recent monograph, WEISS/MANFREDI Surface/Subsurface, was published by Princeton Architectural Press.

Sandra Wilkin
Founder and President
Bradford Construction Corporation

As a recognized trailblazer in the construction industry, Sandra Wilkin has been a passionate advocate for the advancement of women, minorities and small businesses for more than twenty years.

Since founding Bradford Construction Corp. of New York in 1989, Ms. Wilkin has become one of the region’s leading women in construction, earning the title of "a hard hat with style" from Crain’s New York Business.  Bradford is a WBE firm with a successful performance record in the public and private sector.
Ms. Wilkin’s background is replete with accomplishments on behalf of the minority- and woman-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) community.  She helped initiate the New York City Council’s sponsorship of the “Disparity Study,” which determined the need to direct more construction dollars to M/WBE firms.

As a founder and president emeritus of the Women Builders Council, Ms. Wilkin conceived the Council’s campaign “to break the concrete ceiling” for women that had a major and lasting impact on state-wide public policy regarding M/WBEs and small businesses.

Ms. Wilkin is the first woman on the Board of Governors of the New York Building Foundation.  She was a board member of the New York Building Congress, and a founding member of the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors and the first woman to serve on its Executive Board.  Additionally, she was a member of the Contractor’s Committee for the City of New York.
Ms. Wilkin works tirelessly to the advance prominence of M/WBEs within the State of New York.  In February 2011, Governor Cuomo appointed her to his Minority- and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Team.  Additionally, Ms. Wilkin served as a member of a New York gubernatorial transition committee.  Ms. Wilkin was recently appointed to the New York City Committee on Construction Workforce and Contracting Opportunity, which helped to established new Project Labor Agreements (PLAs).  She has been a member of the Columbia University Construction MWL Advisory Council serving Columbia’s mentor-protégé program. 

Ms. Wilkin is a proud alumna of NYU’s School of Public Administration and Real Estate Institute for Construction Management.