2020 GWIC Agenda

Registration – badge pick-up

Registration

Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Program Welcome & Introduction

Janice L. Tuchman, Editor-in-Chief, Engineering News Record
Melinda Gentile, Partner, Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Safety Moment

Opening Keynote:

Advocating for Diversity at Target—and Beyond!

Two leaders of retailer Target Corp.’s U.S. construction program will share their stories of leadership, navigating change and fostering industry diversity and inclusion. They also will provide attendees with an overview of the company’s current construction projects nationwide.

Panel:

The Director’s Chair: Why Women’s Board Voices Matter

More women are gaining a leadership voice as board directors—whether for their own firms or others—at a time when changing industry dynamics and competitiveness make oversight more critical than ever. This panel will explore gender differences in board interactions and company oversight, particularly in communication style, decision making and expectations. What strengths do women bring to boards? What are the key risks they face? Experienced women directors of AEC firms will share what’s critical today in effective board service and how it can be a career booster.

Moderator: Kristina Veaco, Founder and CEO, corporate governance consultant Veaco Group

Panel:

Karen Colonias, CEO, Simpson Strong-Tie and Simpson Manufacturing

Danielle Dy Buncio, Co-Founder & CEO, technology firm VIATechnik and director, Ryan Cos. and J.F. Brennan

Networking, Refreshments & Exhibits

Track 1 Panel
Grand Ballroom B

Women Supporting Women: How “Ally-Ship” Promotes Teambuilding

For years, as women have competed in male-dominated professions, some have pushed down gender peers to succeed. But that paradigm is changing with the rise of a new kind of female leader—one who lifts others up as they climb. Panelists will discuss how to build teams with “ally-ship”—encouraging each other’s successes but also holding each other accountable. In this session, construction sector professionals will discuss how to recruit women to a team, build networks of successful women across organizations, and develop, train, and promote their success.

Moderator: Andrea Rutledge, CEO, Construction Management Association of America

Panel:
Jessica Ostoyich, Project Executive, Mortenson
Lindsay Johnson, Project Executive, Katerra
Angie Simon, CEO, Western Allied Mechanical; President, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association

Track 2
Imperial A

Survive and Thrive in Construction: How Persistent Women Make Change Happen

Practitioner-researchers share research that women who persist in construction do differ from non-persisters in level of occupational commitment and perceived ability to navigate in their organization’s culture.

Amy Lewis, Construction Project Manager and PhD candidate, Oklahoma State University; former PM for Brown & Root, Sundt and Satterfield and Pontikes

Monica Perrin, Senior Project Manager, Capital Programs Management Group; PhD candidate, Arizona State University

Track 3
Imperial B

Work Boots to Business Suits

Two senior women at Fluor Corp. share details of their progression to new and high profile executive roles at one of the industry’s largest construction firms and how it has informed the firm’s just launched career development initiative—including the importance of hands-on field management experience in developing business leadership ability.

Amanda McCarthy, Fluor Civil Construction Manager, LNG Canada, Kitimat, B.C.

Silvana Lara, Inaugural Advanced Work Packaging Global Director

Luncheon

Optional Facilitated Conversation Tables
Facilitators will host tables on 15-20 topics of interest

Track 1 Panel
Grand Ballroom B

Broaden Your Influence Beyond The Project

Changemakers are revolutionizing collaboration among stakeholders in delivery of projects and more broadly to practitioners and clients beyond the project with similar challenges. This session will present a wide view of what is possible in an AEC career as we stretch beyond “project centric” to become true influencers in the industry.

Panel:

Moderator: Jumoke Akin-Taylor,Project Manager, City and County of San Francisco Public Works; Member, CMAA NorCal Board of Directors
Michelle Macauley, Founder and Principal Engineer, Macauley Trenchless; Board member, North American Society for Trenchless Technology
Alicia Wachtel, Executive Director, Cedars Sinai Health System
Barbara Wagner, Senior Vice President, Clark Construction
Carol Warkoczewski, Senior Architect, City of San Antonio and Founder, Institute for leadership in Capital Projects

Track 2
Imperial A

Breaking Through the Concrete Floor: Tradeswomen Leadership, Advocacy and Support Networks in North America

Tradeswomen leaders update key successes and continuing challenges in moving women into top ranks of union and company leadership and advocacy and in expanding support networks in North America.

Lauren Sugarman, Director and Co-founder, National Center for Women's Equity in Apprenticeship and Employment, Chicago Women in Trades

Track 3
Imperial B

Continuing Legal Education credits offered

Enhancing Women’s Skills in Dispute Resolution

Dispute avoidance and early dispute resolution are important legal strategies for which attorneys need well developed skills. This panel will enhance lawyers’ existing proficiency and share critical tools to save project time and cost and maintain strong business relationships. Learn how to achieve successful resolutions for all parties and how to recognize and diffuse potential disputes early before they reach the litigation, arbitration or mediation stage. We will also examine how artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are creating new efficiencies.

Panel:

Moderator: Melinda S. Gentile,Partner, Peckar & Abramson
Deborah S. Ballati, Mediator and Arbitrator, JAMS
Leslie O’Neal, Associate General Counsel, Brasfield & Gorrie LLC

The Diversity Spectrum

In three rapid-fire keynotes, speakers will address their diverse backgrounds and obstacles they broke through to become successful construction role models. They will explain how their individual perspectives inform their decisionmaking processes and leadership approaches, with compelling stories that will inspire you to mobilize your own personal story to advance in the industry.

Networking, Refreshments & Exhibits

Panel Discussion:

Decoding the Gender Pay Gap: How Woman and Employers Seek Equity

Laws and policies are shifting to demand that employers strive to balance the gender pay gap. This panel will provide perspective on how the imbalance is defined by more deep-rooted gender differences than just equal pay for equal work and how leaders approach compensation with transparency and data driven decision-making.

Closing Keynote:

How Innovation Happens: Creating the Right Micro-Climate

Romila Singh, PhD, Associate Professor, Lubar School of Business, Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

This noted organizational behavior expert shares new research on how a team’s collective identity and its "psychological safety net" can generate the outcomes you want!

Reception, Networking & Exhibits

Registration

Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Program Introduction - Second Day

Janice L. Tuchman, Editor-in-Chief, Engineering News Record
Melinda Gentile, Partner, Peckar & Abramson P.C.

Safety Moment

Opening Keynote:

What Works for Women at Work

Joan Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law and Founder, Center for Work-Life Law, University of California-Berkeley
Rachel Williams Dempsey, Civil Rights Litigator, San Francisco

Described as having close to “rock star status” in the field of work-family studies and modern workplace flexibility policies and one of the field’s 10 most cited experts, Joan has played a central role in reshaping the conversation about work, gender, and class over the past quarter century. A noted researcher and prolific author, she collaborated with the Society of Women Engineers on a seminal study of race and bias issues among 3,000 engineers, while her book What Works for Women at Work was praised in one review as a “how-to primer for ambitious women.” Joining Joan on stage will be co-author Rachel Dempsey, herself a successful employment attorney and Joan’s daughter. Don’t miss this two-generation view of how to navigate stubborn patterns of gender bias in any workplace. The book and new companion workbook will be on sale at GWIC!

Panel Discussion:

Why Psychological Safety Matters in Construction

A recent Google study found that of five key attributes found in winning teams, psychological safety beat dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact as most critical. It also concluded that the team with the most experience was not always the most successful, but the one whose members perceived they could take risks in front of their peers, had each other’s trust and felt safe without judgment. Panelists will share insights into working on jobsite and office teams with—and without—psychological safety, and what they have done to make positive changes in their workplace team dynamics.

Kevin McCain, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Seattle, Skanska

Closing Panel Discussion:

A Wakeup Call about Unconscious Bias

It’s easy to recognize biases expressed by others, yet how often do we take a step back and admit our own? In the workplace, bias can limit people’s understanding, empathy, and negatively impact individuals, teams and cultures. This panel will explore the importance of unconscious bias awareness and discuss strategies to assess workplace dynamics with candor, counteract biases, develop training that works and create equal opportunities.

Moderator: Julie Moss, Human Resources Director, Rosendin Electric

Panel:

Kelly Cowan, Project Executive, XL Construction

Heidi DeBenedetti, Senior Vice President, Operations, Gilbane Building Co.

Dredeir Roberts, In-House Counsel, Core-States Group; former President, Black Law Student Association, Drexel University

Closing Remarks

Janice L. Tuchman, Editor-in-Chief, Engineering News Record
Melinda Gentile, Partner, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.