GWIC NY Speakers

Emell Adolphus
Senior Editor, Top Lists and Rankings
Engineering News-Record

Emell Derra Adolphus is a writer and journalist of more than a decade. He is senior editor of top lists and rankings at ENR magazine. In addition, he serves as communications manager for SAGE Metro Detroit, and frequently contributes to multiple national LGBTQ publications.

Kim Altsuler
Partner, Houston Office
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Kim Altsuler is co-managing partner of Peckar & Abramson’s Houston office and chair of the firm’s Residential and Multi-Family Construction Practice. Kim also serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. While Kim has a diverse litigation practice, her concentration is in all aspects of residential construction, from contracting through dispute resolution.

Nataly Ardila
Intake and Case Worker
Construction Workers United (CWU) Division at Workers Justice Project (WJP)

Lunch Table Host

Nataly is a dedicated Intake and Case Worker with the Construction Workers United (CWU) division at WJP, where she champions the fight against wage theft and focuses on worker empowerment. Her journey with the organization began as an immigrant worker seeking resources to navigate city systems and develop professionally. After completing OSHA training and Leadership Development programs, Nataly has emerged as a respected leader in the construction sector. Her firsthand experience as an immigrant worker brings invaluable perspective to her advocacy work, allowing her to connect authentically with the communities she serves while driving meaningful change in worker rights and protections.

Erin Arvedlund
Managing Editor
Pensions & Investments

Erin Arvedlund is managing editor of Pensions & Investments, which provides news, research and analysis for executives who manage the flow of funds in the institutional investment market, including real estate and infrastructure. She joined P&I in 2022 in a newly created role as enterprise editor and has been a key contributor to its annual profile of Influential Women in Institutional Investing. Erin has had a long career in financial journalism. She was previously a business columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, launching her "Your Money" column in 2011 and has also written for Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, The Moscow Times, The New York Times, TheStreet.com, and Portfolio.com. Her early deep-dive investigation into investment wizard Barnard Madoff questioned his practices, his demand for investor secrecy and his "enviably steady gains." Erin also is the author of two books: Too Good to be True: The Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff, published in 2009 and Open Secret: The Global Banking Conspiracy That Swindled Investors Out of Billions, published in 2014, which covered how the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), a primary benchmark for global short-term interest rates, had been manipulated by major banks across the world.

Schillivia Baptiste
Co-founder and CEO
Laland Baptiste

Lunch Table Host

Schillivia Baptiste is co-founder and CEO of Laland Baptiste, a leading construction and program Management and civil engineering firm. She has more than 20 years of experience in that engineering sector, with expertise in site and land development and a strong understanding of the design process in both the public and private sectors. A licensed Professional Engineer in New York and New Jersey, Schillivia holds BS and MS degrees from Polytechnic Institute of New York University. She currently serves as president of the New York Chapter of Professional Women in Construction. In addition, she is an alumna and mentor in the ACE Mentor Program, where she actively supports the next generation of industry professionals. Schillivia also values her family life as a wife and mother to two wonderful boys.

Candace Barfield
Senior Director
FTI Consulting

Lunch Table Host

Candace Barfield, a Senior Director at FTI Consulting, specializes in the resolution of claims and disputes on construction projects, including analysis of schedule delays, change orders, productivity and labor, and the quantification of the effects of delays, disruptions and cost overruns. She has extensive experience advising contractors and stakeholders on the execution and contract management of projects, including analyzing change orders and providing cost control, risk and project management services. She works with contractors, owners and other stakeholders to resolve disputes in mediation, arbitration and trial venues. Candace gained first-hand experience with construction projects through her past roles, including at a residential home builder, a general contractor and a Fortune 500 commercial real estate firm.

She is active in the Women Builders Council, and was recognized as a 2024 Next Generation Woman Leader. In 2025 she was recognized as an ENR East Top Young Professional.

Yenisei Bell
Owner and Consultant
YGB Design Group

Lunch Table Host

Yenisei Bell provides high expertise in public and private sectors, luxury multimillion-dollar residential projects, and educational, housing and non-profit organizations. With multi-faceted experience in the AEC industry for 20th years.

Her passion for projects with a lasting social impact is evident in her significant contributions to programs such as Build It Back for the (Housing Recovery Office)(HRO) in New York City, Affordable Housing for (HPD), and the development of schools through NYC's School Construction Authority (SCA). Bell is committed to leaving a legacy of empowerment by focusing on underserved communities, ensuring they benefit from her work, visions and leadership.

Yenisei Bell started her career as an Architect, she worked on design bringing innovative ideas, always wanting to break the mold, focusing on shaping the design with forward-thinking, and demonstrating the importance of architecture as a means of expression of human psychology for a healthier and physical lifestyle.

Became interested in industrial and interior design, expressive power, and personal study and analysis of color (an aspect that is still a constant in her work). These projects have had positive impacts on each of the communities where they are located. I have been fortunate that my career has given me this opportunity.

Bell is also working to advance women in construction as president of NAWIC Chapter 240 Greater New York and the DEI Northeast Regional Chairwoman.

She strongly advocates equality, diversity, and innovation in the construction industry. As well as increasing the female presence in the construction industry.

With relentless ambition, Yenisei Bell expanded her expertise into the broader construction field, specializing in construction project management and working with industry giants such as AECOM Tishman, IBTS, Bravo Inc., and serving as Vice President of Construction. Today, she proudly owns her own construction management and consulting company in New York City, where she combines her experience and vision to lead impactful projects.

Kelly Benedict
Vice President - Sales Operations
Gilbane Building Co.

Just promoted to her current role, Kelly leads enterprise sales operations for Gilbane with a mission to optimize processes, technology applications and operational efficiencies for scalable enablement across enterprise, regional, divisional, and geographic businesses, as well as verticals and market segments. She is an industry veteran with deep experience spanning sales and marketing, transformation, organizational enablement and innovation.

Kelly has been instrumental in developing and accelerating Gilbane’s innovation strategy and culture and ensuring that the company’s technology and digital transformation support its business goals. She continues to lead the firm’s Innovation Council, leaders who represent all departments and service areas within the company to foster a culture where employees are empowered to promote knowledge-sharing, improve efficiencies and raise the bar for client satisfaction. She is formerly senior vice president of innovation and customer focus at Lendlease Americas and director of business development at Pepper Construction. A former board president of the ACE Mentor Program of Illinois, Kelly earned a B.S. degree in education, with a focus on marketing communications, from Bowling Green University.

Gina Bigler
Director of Construction
JFK Airport Redevelopment Program

Gina Bigler is the Director of Construction for the $19B John F. Kennedy Airport Redevelopment Program. Gina currently oversees all construction work associated with the program, including two state of the art new terminals; roadways, bridges, utilities, airfield paving and parking garage construction. Gina has 15 years of Port Authority experience, beginning as a Structural Engineer on major projects at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airports. She was also a Project Manager for the LGA Airport Redevelopment Program. Gina holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of New York. She is an Associate Design-Build Professional and Envision Sustainability Professional.

Scott Blair
Editor-in-Chief
Engineering News-Record

Scott Blair serves as editor-in-chief of Engineering News-Record, including all editorial print and digital products, websites, videos, podcasts and events such as Best Projects, Newsmakers and the Award of Excellence, Top Young Professionals, Futuretech and Groundbreaking Women in Construction. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently posts in-depth project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders on ENR's video channel. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.

Kara Boyles, Ph.D., P.E.
City Engineer
City of South Bend, Indiana

Dr. Kara Boyles serves as the City Engineer for South Bend, where she is responsible for overseeing the design, construction, and inspection of all public works projects. A registered professional engineer in Indiana, Kara brings a wealth of expertise to her role, having earned her doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame. She also holds both a Master’s and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Bradley University, alongside a recent MBA from Indiana University South Bend. With her extensive educational background and practical experience, Dr. Boyles is passionately committed to advancing opportunities for women in engineering and construction.

Sarah Buchner, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO
Trunk Tools

Dr. Sarah Buchner is the founder & CEO of Trunk Tools, a construction technology startup that exploded on the scene in 2023 with the launch of two products. TrunkText is a game-changing, patent-pending, text message-based AI tool designed to transform the way construction professionals access critical project information. TrunkPerform is a tool that improves project time, budget and safety outcomes by incentivizing workers to complete project goals.

With deep roots in construction, Dr. Buchner spent her young life as a carpenter in her native Austriaa, advancing through various roles, including superintendent, and project manager of increasingly large and complex construction projects. She led the BIM efforts on the first ever as-built BIM project in Europe (a €300 million construction site). During this time, Dr. Buchner developed a health and safety app, which kick-started her career in applied construction technology.

Dr. Buchner is an ENR California Top Young Professionals award winner and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. She has earned several graduate degrees in conjunction with her full-time construction career, including an MS in civil engineering, a Ph.D. in data science / civil engineering (with a focus on applying data science and AI in construction), and an MBA from Stanford.

Judaline Cassidy
Plumber and Founder/CVO
Local Union No. 1 NYC and Tools & Tiaras Inc.

First-Generation Immigrant. History-Making Plumber. Tradeswomen Activist. CNN Champion For Change. L'Oreal Woman of Worth. Groundbreaking Woman In Construction. Hailing from the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Judaline Cassidy is a real-life Wonder Woman with a wrench. Still a working plumber with Plumbers Local Union No. 1 NYC, Judaline has devoted her 30 year career as a respected tradeswoman to fighting for gender and racial equity in the construction industry, breaking barriers and making history in the process. She does this while inspiring a community of young empowered builders, leaders, and next generation groundbreakers through Tools & Tiaras Inc., the nonprofit Judaline founded in 2017. Her trademarked phrase, Jobs Don’t Have Genders®, is what informs the impact-rich work her organization does for girls.

Nancy Chin
Executive Vice President, New York Office
Clune Construction

Lunch Table Host

Nancy Chin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and started her career with one of the largest heavy civil contractors in New York. There, she worked on transportation and infrastructure projects. She then decided to make the switch to the booming interiors market to experience a larger volume of projects with shorter schedules. Nancy spent many years as a senior estimator with a strong talent in pre-construction. She provided detailed budgets with solid value engineering opportunities to the clients.

In 2012, Nancy joined Clune Construction, where she helped start the company’s New York office. She has been a significant part of the company’s growth and success in the region. Nancy was instrumental in growing the new office from just a few projects with existing national clients, to a prominent New York City general contractor. She has been integral in training new talent and establishing Clune’s reputation for client satisfaction. Nancy helped implement Clune culture by doubling her duties of running projects as a Senior Project Manager and serving as a Team Leader, overseeing a team of PMs and APMs. Nancy currently serves as Executive Vice President, co-leading Clune’s New York office.

Nancy is well-known and respected throughout the New York construction community, with subcontractors, architects, and engineers often reaching out to her for advice. She has become a go-to person in the industry, particularly for her estimating skills. She has a unique ability to produce complete and detailed budgets for Clune’s clients with little information to go on.

Nancy is very involved with the continuous improvement of Clune. She is part of the firm’s New York Training Committee and Mentoring Program. All of this makes Nancy an exceptional role model for Clune’s newer employees.

Demi Knight Clark
Founder & Chief Spark Igniter
Spark Building Group

Demi Knight Clark: She was the youngest of seven top women leaders in the largest homebuilder in the world. Ironman finisher, 12x marathoner & Six Star Finisher (finishing all the World Major Marathons – London, Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, Tokyo). A Guinness Book of World Records Holder. Survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy as one of the last five timed & scored finishers (10 yards from the first detonation). A founder of She Built This City, empowering women+ & girls in trades with onboard programs. Accomplished mountain climber with Kilimanjaro, W Trek, Iceland & Salkantay under her belt in some of the world’s toughest conditions.

Now, she’s one of only 2% certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) in Construction with her company Spark Building Group - with an emphasis on welding/metal fabrication & general contracting. She is passionate about solving deltas for women & moving the needle of equity – proving that welding is a STEM career & the GenZ will use welding science to put us on Mars with NASA & SpaceX. As a government & private sector entrepreneur, consultant to business & TedX Speaker (What Would Happen if We Gave More Girls Blowtorches?), Demi throws sparks for audiences around the world.

Jamie Cook
Managing Director-Equity Research,
Truist Securities

Veteran Wall Street research analyst Jamie Cook joined Truist Securities in quarter one 2024 as a managing director, expanding its equity research coverage in the industrials sector, including construction, infrastructure and machinery. The firm, the investment banking unit of Truist Financial Corp., noted her “sterling reputation for generating high-quality research” in a sector seen as critical as it “navigates massive infrastructure investments associated with energy transition and modernization along with onshore manufacturing,” and as automation, AI and machine learning “are transforming the sector's business models."

Cook is a 20 year research veteran of investment bank Credit Suisse, leading its construction, equipment and industrial services subsectors coverage as sector head for the U.S. Capital Goods Research team. Truist Financial investment history extends back more than 125 years. Jamie has been ranked in two categories of Institutional Investor’s All-America Research team including Engineering & Construction sector (ranked #1) and Machinery (ranked as Runner Up). She has been honored consistently by the Financial Times and StarMine for research in both sectors and is a frequent presenter to corporate boards, senior management teams and industry groups.

Tara Crotty
Managing Director and Head of Asset Management
Nuveen Green Capital

Tara Crotty is managing director and head of asset management for Nuveen Green Capital, founded in 2015 and one of the industry's leading providers in the rapidly growing Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) market, a U.S. public-private financing program for energy efficiency, climate resilience, water conservation and renewable energy commercial real estate projects. In her current role, she oversees the construction and servicing of company-managed C-PACE loans. In addition, she is involved in structuring, implementation and ongoing management of the firm’s financing facilities.

Since joining Nuveen Green Capital in 2017, Tara has grown her team to 15 members, who manage C-PACE assets and financing facilities. She formerly worked at investment firm BlackRock as a director in the capital markets group and also held positions at Standard and Poor’s (now S&P Global) in the structured finance group. Tara holds a B.S. from Seton Hall University.

Lisa De Lor
Vice President of Human Resources
Clune Construction

Lisa De Lor joined Clune Construction as Director of Human Resources in April 2019. Less than a year later she stepped up and became one of their key leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acting quickly, Lisa worked with Senior Management to provide the latest updates to employees across the U.S. She oversaw company-wide compliance regarding travel, quarantine, and state legislative requirements, and developed a company handbook with multi-state compliance. This included California Paid COVID leave, San Francisco Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance, Los Angeles Paid COVID Leave, and New York Paid Leave for COVID-19.

This in itself would have been a full-time job for many. However, Lisa managed this while continuing to innovate Clune’s Human Resources department. She streamlined the company’s applicant and onboarding process by implementing an upgrade to Clune’s HR systems including a management request portal for employee status changes, a new Applicant Tracking System and Learning Management Software. She transitioned the company to an online performance review system and continues to oversee Clune’s robust benefits package.

Lisa co-created and co-manages Clune’s Mentoring Program, which taps into the existing knowledge and experience of seasoned employees and shares these skills with newer employees.

In 2021, Lisa helped spearhead Clune’s new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, to create a workplace in which all can participate, prosper and reach their full potential. Lisa’s leadership through a challenging year was not unnoticed by Clune Senior Management. She was recently promoted to Vice President, after only two years with the company.

Kristen Derewecki
Senior Engineer of Construction
JFK Redevelopment Infrastructure Program

Kristen Derewecki is the Senior Engineer of Construction for JFK Redevelopment Infrastructure Program. Kristen has been working on JFK Redevelopment and State of Good Repair Contracts, which include the Roadways, Utilities and Ground Transportation Design- Build Project as well as various enabling landside and airside contracts to install new utilities, hard stands and improve taxiways to support the new Terminal Redevelopment, Kristen received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in civil engineering from Rutgers University. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of New Jersey.

Jennifer Downey
Director of Environmental Social Governance
Turner Construction Co.

As director of Environmental Social Governance (ESG), Jennifer brings a passion for innovation to the purpose of advancing the industry with a focus on people and the planet. She leads company efforts to define, measure and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for its people, clients, partners and their workers, as well as for the environment. Prior to this role, she served as director of innovation, guiding overall strategy and leading efforts to grow Turner's innovation culture and accelerate the pace of innovation at the company. Jennifer also focused on the research and application of emerging trends and technologies in the construction industry.

Eduardo Garcia
Employment Specialist and Organizer
Workers Justice Project (WJP)

Lunch Table Host

Eduardo is an Employment Specialist and Organizer at Workers Justice Project (WJP), working with the Construction Workers United (CWU) team in Sunset Park. He manages the Construction Worker Hiring Hall, matching workers with employers and facilitating communication between them. He conducts outreach to potential employers and members, facilitates orientations, and supports members' skill development. His role includes community engagement and advocacy for labor rights.

Mindy Gentile
Of Counsel, Miami Office
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Melinda S. (“Mindy”) Gentile is Of Counsel in P&A’s Miami office, and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Leveraging her more than 35 years’ experience as an esteemed construction lawyer and commercial litigator, she now dedicates her practice to focus solely on alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Mindy is an exceptionally qualified Arbitrator, Mediator, Neutral Evaluator, Dispute Board Member, Special Master, Fee Expert, and Private Resolution Judge.

Mindy’s full-time practice involves assisting parties in resolving disputes relating to the development, design, and construction of private or public projects and other general commercial disputes. Her insightful and practical approach, coupled with her deep understanding of the construction process and risk assessment, enables Mindy to bring thoughtful, creative, and effective dispute resolution services to each engagement. She has a unique tenacity and tireless commitment to the process of resolving disputes that enables her to provide an extraordinary level of service. An exceptional communicator with well-honed negotiation skills, Mindy effectively designs dispute resolution strategies to build consensus and assist parties in achieving success through voluntary resolution. Mindy is highly proficient in virtual platform-based dispute resolution processes.

While serving clients previously as a construction litigator and advisor, Mindy’s experience included While serving clients previously as a construction litigator and advisor, Mindy’s experience included preparing and negotiating bid and project documents, advising through the project administration phase, and handling matters ranging from government procurement and bid protests to contract disputes, and from construction liens to defect, impact, bond, and insurance claims. As she does now, Mindy has always recognized the importance of early identification and resolution of disputes – actively assisting her clients in avoiding litigation wherever possible. When dispute resolution could not be accomplished, Mindy vigorously represented her clients in varied complex litigation proceedings. She successfully handled a variety of matters before state and federal courts, and in arbitration, mediation, administrative proceedings, and private negotiations.

Coupled with her deep commitment to dispute resolution is Mindy’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the construction industry and in construction law. As co-creator of the annual Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) conference along with P&A Founding Partner Robert Peckar, Mindy champions national efforts toward removing barriers and promoting women and other diverse individuals in the construction industry and the construction bar. Mindy serves as co-chair of P&A’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee, where she leads a firmwide committee of existing and emerging leaders as they build on the firm’s solid culture to create an even stronger future, both at P&A and outside the firm. Mindy was shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution at the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2021 for her efforts in furthering the advancement of diversity and inclusion.

Mindy is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a Circuit Civil Mediator and is a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator. She is certified as a Specialist in Construction Law by the Florida Bar, and served on the inaugural Construction Law Certification Committee, which prepared the first exam for lawyers seeking certification as an expert in construction law in the State of Florida. She has also served as a Broward County Magistrate. Mindy was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee and was recently named to City & State Florida’s Construction Power 100 list. She has written and spoken extensively on construction, ADR, diversity, and ethics-related topics.

Leslie Gowdish
Senior Managing Director
FTI Consulting

Lunch Table Host

Leslie Gowdish is a Senior Managing Director in FTI Consulting’s Construction, Projects & Assets practice and is based in Florida. Mrs. Gowdish has more than 15 years of experience in project management, selecting, designing, developing and implementing systems focused on engineering and construction related capital and maintenance projects and portfolios. Her experience spans a variety of industries including energy, real estate, mining, oil & gas, water resources, and infrastructure as well as key disciplines such as project and portfolio management, project controls, and document management.

Ms. Gowdish is responsible for driving technology enablement in North America and has a proven track record with the consistent delivery of consulting engagements across industries ranging from local utilities companies to multinational Fortune 100 clients. Ms. Gowdish is a subject matter expert in a breadth of project portfolio management and project controls leading technologies, including Hexagon PPM EcoSys and Oracle Primavera with the ability to leverage best practice standards and processes across all aspects of the asset lifecycle.

In addition to consulting on processes and technology, Ms. Gowdish has enabled technology adoption by planning, leading, and executing Organizational Change Management and Training activities. This includes rolling out market leading project and portfolio management technologies to more than 800 cross-functional users and across multiple business across the globe.

Ms. Gowdish holds both a B.S. and Ph. D. in biological engineering from the University of Florida where she gave her dissertation on An Improved Green-Ampt Soil Infiltration and Redistribution Method and Its Application to 1-Dimensional and Quasi 3-Dimensional (Point Source) Flow Domains. She has also presented and written numerous papers for organizations such as the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, and the American Water Resources Association.

Jennifer Harris
Partner, D.C. Office
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Jennifer Harris is a partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Washington, DC office. Her primary areas of practice are construction law, complex commercial litigation, and real estate litigation. Jennifer’s experience includes contract litigation and negotiations, landlord and tenant matters, land-use litigation and the enforceability of land covenants. She provides counsel to clients in contract litigation, tax sale foreclosure actions, negotiations and business disputes, and matters concerning Minority/Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (M/W/DBE), among other matters.

Over the course of her career, Jennifer has been involved in all aspects of the litigation process including jury trials, district and circuit court cases, and she has specific experience in pre-trial and trial practice, motion practice, fact and expert discovery, witness preparation and settlement negotiations. Jennifer also has experience in appellate briefing and has argued before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Prior to joining Peckar & Abramson, Jennifer was a litigation attorney with a regional Maryland firm. Jennifer also clerked for the Honorable Mickey J. Norman in the Third Judicial Circuit of Maryland. Jennifer holds a JD from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude and was a member of the Heuisler Honor Society. Throughout law school, Jennifer was an active member on the Executive Board of the University of Baltimore Law Review, the National Labor Law Moot Court Team, and served as a Rule 16 Attorney for the Civil Advocacy Clinic. Jennifer is admitted to practice in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Julie Hasiba
Managing Partner and Talent Practice Lead
EFCG

Julie heads the talent strategy practice for EFCG, a leading architecture, engineering, and construction management and financial consultant. Her expertise is in talent and workforce planning, compensation benchmarking and assessment, post-merger integration and change management. Prior to EFCG, Julie was in the talent and organization practice at Accenture, a global management consulting firm, leading teams based in New York City and Lagos, Nigeria to advise small and large clients in shaping concrete talent development strategies. As a subject matter expert, she regularly presents to ACEC National and other AEC sector groups and has lectured at Harvard University. Founded in 1990, EFCG is a leading AEC advisor to 500+ firms and has counseled on more than 200 M&A transactions.

A Chicago native and New York fan, she has finished the Chicago and NYC marathons, but remains loyal to her Chicago Cubs. As an avid animal lover, Julie is on the PAWS Chicago Board, an animal shelter transforming animal welfare and community impact.

Vicky Hoyt, Ph.D., CSP, CHST
Vice President of Health, Safety and Environmental
Colas Inc.

Vicky began her professional safety career in 2004 after completing a BS degree in American culture studies at Cal State Fullerton and working as a project control engineer. Before that role, her construction career began as a journeyman piledriver/bridge carpenter throughout California. She holds a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and published work on the impact of authentic leadership on safety climate. She is vice president of Health, Safety, and Environmental at Colas Inc. Vicky is committed to advancing health and positive safety culture through leadership development across the USA.

Michelle Kelley
US Lead
The Listening Institute

Until recently, Michelle Kelley was a hostage negotiator and FBI special agent. Before that, she taught 2nd grade. Now she’s entered the business arena, sharing the skills of elite listening with people from all walks of life.

Michelle challenges, entertains and teaches. As a counter terrorism agent, 9/11 trial contributor, and educator there are things Michelle can never reveal – and some she can. Fortunately, the lessons she can share from her high-octane career transfer to valuable skills we can all use in everyday life.

Michelle works with The Listening Institute and lives with her super-supportive husband and sporty son.

Julia A. Loudenburg
Associate, D.C. Office
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Lunch Table Host

Julia is an Associate at Peckar & Abramson’s Washington, D.C. office, focusing on construction law and litigation.

She gained extensive experience as a law clerk at P&A, assisting in legal research, litigation strategy, and client matters. She also completed a judicial internship with Judge Christine Bandin through the ABA’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, analyzing case facts and observing court proceedings. Julia holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from George Washington University and a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.

Uzoamaka N. Okoye
Chief of Staff
The New Terminal One (NTO) at JFK

Uzoamaka N. Okoye is the Chief of Staff at The New Terminal One at JFK. In collaboration with the CEO and the Executive Leadership team, she drives strategy, planning and organizational development across all areas of the business. She oversees several functions that touch every area of the business, including sustainability, communications, board and company governance.

Uzoamaka brings more than two decades of experience in the construction and development industry, including substantial expertise as a legal adviser on construction and environmental law in the New York metropolitan area. She served for more than a decade at law firms Troutman Sanders (now Troutman Pepper) and Gibbons, prior to acting as Legal Counsel to The New Terminal One’s Project Management Office for four years before being appointed Chief of Staff in 2023.

She began her career as a project engineer in New York, working on water and wastewater infrastructure projects and assisting in the oversight and management of design and construction.

Uzoamaka holds a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Law School, a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from New York University – Polytechnic School of Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from American University.

George Pfeffer
CEO
DPR Construction

When George Pfeffer joined DPR in 1992 as a project engineer, he was inspired to solve problems and interact with teams. A builder to the core, George has overseen some of the DPR’s largest and most complex projects. In late 2005, DPR's long-standing customer called upon the company for its 450,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility expansion that needed to be completed in 16 months, a project that many called impossible. George spent the project’s duration successfully completing the world’s largest cell culture biotech manufacturing facility two weeks ahead of schedule and on budget.

It's this builder mindset and skillset that George continues to rely on in his service as DPR’s CEO. As a member of DPR's Leadership Team, he strategically guides DPR's $10 billion plus global organization, helping to build a culture of trust and belonging for the company's more than 12,000 employees. He prioritizes enjoyment in what he does every day and succeeds in realizing DPR's vision as a forward-thinking, highly technical, self-performing general contractor that exists to build great things--great teams, great projects, great relationships, a great place to work.

Debra K. Rubin
Deputy Editor—Global Business and Energy
Engineering News-Record(ENR)

Debra K. Rubin is the Deputy Editor—Global Business and Energy for Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine, the leading weekly business and project news publication and website for the $8.5-trillion global construction industry. She covers business and management news, issues and trends related to thousands of global engineering, architecture, construction and related firms, as well as overall industry trends in mergers and acquisition, regulation, risk and compliance, workforce development, education, and other key areas in the U.S. and abroad.

Debra also leads ENR's global coverage of the transitioning energy construction market, including traditional and emerging sectors, and manages the ENR Top 200 Environmental Firms ranking, which tracks the largest global environmental services providers. She also is editor of ENR WorkforceToday, a monthly e-newsletter covering news, trends and opinion on tindustry talent acquisition and management issues, and is a content organizer for ENR GWIC conference and other events.

Debra has covered the industry for more than two decades and is the recipient of numerous industry and professional awards for editorial efforts, including the Journalist of the Year Award from the American Council of Consulting Companies-New Jersey and Jesse P. Neal Awards for industry coverage, including Ground Zero cleanup and reconstruction, from American Business Media.

Adrienne Ruebusch
Vice President of Marketing & Branding
Miller-Valentine Construction

Lunch Table Host

Adrienne is a recognized leader in the construction industry. Drawing on two decades of experiences she brings authenticity and humility to topics on business, leadership, and personal growth.

Dareen Salama
Co-Founder & CEO
Gryps

Lunch Table Host

Co-Founder & CEO of Gryps, an AI first data platform for capital project owners that automatically collects, aggregates, organizes and creates intelligence from data and documents otherwise siloed in different sources. Gryps’ customers include regional owners of large health systems, public infrastructure and higher education facilities who are major data generators and users.

Abby Bello Salinas
Associate, D.C. Office
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Lunch Table Host

Abby is an Associate in Peckar & Abramson’s Government Contracts, Construction & Infrastructure, and Corporate Compliance practices. Based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, she is equipped to serve clients in English and Spanish.

She regularly contributes to the firm’s Government Contracts Law blog, providing insights on legal developments. Abby holds a B.S.M. from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, an M.L.S. from Washington University School of Law, and a J.D. from Tulane Law School. Before joining full-time, she worked as a law clerk at P&A for a year and a half.

Jennifer Seward
Editor, ENR Mountain States
Engineering News-Record

Jennifer Seward is the Mountain States regional editor at Engineering News-Record. She has been writing about the AEC industry for 20+ years and reports from Denver. Her previous roles include editor-in-chief of Architect Colorado magazine, communications director for the Rocky Mountain chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors and executive director of the American Subcontractors Association’s Colorado chapter.

Megan Seybuck
Director of Marketing and Client Service
Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Megan Seybuck is senior marketing manager at Peckar & Abramson P.C. She has 15 years of experience in marketing with nine of those years in legal marketing. Megan is a member of the Legal Marketing Association and the New Jersey Chapter of Professional Women in Construction where she serves on the Scholarship Committee. She earned her BS in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, magna cum laude.

Jan Tuchman
Events Consultant
Engineering News-Record

Lunch Table Host

After serving as editor-in-chief for 20 years, Jan Tuchman now leads content development for Engineering News-Record's wide-ranging series of live and virtual events. These major events include Groundbreaking Women in Construction, a career advancement event, FutureTech, which explores the cutting edge of engineering and construction technology, and a newly recast program called the NY/NJ Infrastructure Forum.

Scaling down ENR responsibility slightly opens up time for work with construction organizations and nonprofits. A passion is serving as the 2022 board chair of the nonprofit Bridges to Prosperity, which works to alleviate poverty caused by rural isolation by building trailbridges across raging rivers. Tuchman is vice chair of the Industry Leaders Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of the Columbia University Advisory Board on Infrastructure, Facilities and Public Spaces. She was recently named Sergeant at Arms for The Moles, a heavy construction leadership organization. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism are from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her most recent recognition is the Ted C. Kennedy Award in 2020 from the National Academy of Construction, the group’s highest honor.

Amy Wincko
Chief Strategy Officer
STO Building Group

Amy Wincko is Chief Strategy Officer for STO Building Group, a $12B global construction management firm based in New York City. In that newly created role to which she was promoted in 2023, Amy leads several key company operational initiatives that have elevated her role in overall strategy. She leads the company’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) efforts and oversees its long-term strategic planning initiatives to ensure sustainable growth and competitive positioning in the industry. Additionally, she has oversight of key areas including marketing, sustainability, mass timber, building repositioning, construction procurement solutions, and strategic growth, ensuring these critical functions align with the company's overall vision and objectives.

Before joining STO Building Group, Amy spent 18 years at AECOM and Tishman Construction, rising from construction analyst to executive vice president of construction services risk and operations. Throughout her career, she has specialized in managing, assessing and improving operational and administrative processes, including work on such high-profile projects as the Freedom Tower and World Trade Center towers 3, 4, and 7 in Manhattan. Amy’s recognitions include being named an ENR Top Young Professional, earning a Professional Achievement Award from Professional Women in Construction and receiving her former firm’s CEO Award. She holds a BS degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia and resides in Morristown, NJ with her husband and three active daughters.

Jean Gallo Wine
Capital Partner and Co-Chair of Construction Law Group
Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll LLP

Lunch Table Host

Jean Wine is a construction attorney specializing in representing general contractors in claim and risk management, dispute resolution, and litigation and arbitration of complex construction claims. She is co-chair of the Construction Law Group at Fox, Swibel, Levin & Carroll. While her firm is based in Chicago, she and her team handle construction disputes anywhere in the country and have attorneys licensed in New York. Jean is the founder of the Chicago Chapter of Professional Women in Construction and remains active as a member of the Board of Directors of that organization.

Alisa Zevin
Economics Editor
Engineering News-Record

Alisa Zevin is the economics editor for Engineering News-Record, covering economic issues within the construction industry, including construction economics and ENR's quarterly cost reports. She is based in New York City.