WELCOME YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Troy Aichele
CEO
Breslin Strategies Inc.
An award-winning and engaging instructor and construction expert, Troy Aichele brings his over 30 years’ experience in the mechanical construction industry to his teaching assignment. Growing his career as a mechanical contractor, Aichele pursued his passion for education and training of current and future mechanical contractors across the country. He has served on numerous boards, including the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the John R. Gentille Foundation (formally MCERF) and currently chairs MCAA’s Career Development Committee overseeing more than 60 student chapters in North America and managing the annual National Student Chapter Competition.
ABOUT AICHELE & ASSOCIATES
Aichele & Associates is a consulting firm with deep expertise and knowledge of the building trades. The firm provides education, training and strategic advisory services to construction firms and professional organizations.
Aichele & Associates has gained an outstanding reputation delivering Mechanical Construction workshops nationally, both in person and virtually. Programs focus on project management, managing and forecasting labor, estimating, effective teams in the workplace, plumbing specialty systems, the pm and foreman relationship, change orders, blueprint reading, interview presentations, how to perform commercial building water audits.
David Ashcraft
President
Advantage Learning Systems
David Ashcraft is a partner in Advantage Learning Systems, a private consulting and training organization based in Seattle, WA. Specializing in building and delivering customized training for clients, Ashcraft’s expertise is translating complex content into practical and easy-to-understand programs for construction professionals at all levels. He specializes in leadership, sales, presentations, financial management and customer service. He earned his BA at Washington State University and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, where he later served as an Associate Director
ABOUT ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS
Advantage Learning Systems is a consulting firm offering advisory services for designing solutions and supporting the delivery and adaption of complex projects that improve business performance. The firm provides education and training programs focus on leading successful projects; fostering teamwork, identifying, tracking, and managing scope, risks and issues, developing implementation plans and schedules, curriculum development and end user materials for both online and in-classroom delivery.
ABOUT ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS
Advantage Learning Systems is a consulting firm offering advisory services for designing solutions and supporting the delivery and adaption of complex projects that improve business performance. The firm provides education and training programs focus on leading successful projects; fostering teamwork, identifying, tracking, and managing scope, risks and issues, developing implementation plans and schedules, curriculum development and end user materials for both online and in-classroom delivery.
Nic Bittle
Founder
Work Force Pro
Nic Bittle is the founder of Work Force Pro and works with contractors to prepare and develop their workforce to lead with impact, act like a pro and perform at their best every day. An author, consultant, and one of the industry’s most engaging speakers, Bittle shares his personal business stories and highlights the valuable insights that he has learned from the hundreds of companies and the thousands of foremen, journeymen, and apprentices that he has worked with across North America. His publications include: Small Business, BIG Mistakes, Perform Like the Boss! & Good Foreman; Bad Foreman & Know This, Do That.
ABOUT WORKFORCE PRO
Work Force Pro is an educational and training consulting firm that works with contractors who want to prepare and develop their workforce to lead with impact, act like a pro, and perform at their best on a daily basis. Nic Bittle delivers programs in different ways. Through presentations and workshops, through tools that he has developed which are designed to support the learning process, and through a unique information delivery system called D.R.I.P. Information™.
Bittle is the architect of two performance improvement process curriculums, that use the D.R.I.P. Information™ process that are specifically designed to prepare and develop our current and next generation work force for the roles and responsibilities that lie ahead. Nic is author of four books, Small Business, BIG Mistakes, Perform Like the Boss! & Good Foreman; Bad Foreman & Know This, Do That
ABOUT WORKFORCE PRO
Work Force Pro is an educational and training consulting firm that works with contractors who want to prepare and develop their workforce to lead with impact, act like a pro, and perform at their best on a daily basis. Nic Bittle delivers programs in different ways. Through presentations and workshops, through tools that he has developed which are designed to support the learning process, and through a unique information delivery system called D.R.I.P. Information™.
Bittle is the architect of two performance improvement process curriculums, that use the D.R.I.P. Information™ process that are specifically designed to prepare and develop our current and next generation work force for the roles and responsibilities that lie ahead. Nic is author of four books, Small Business, BIG Mistakes, Perform Like the Boss! & Good Foreman; Bad Foreman & Know This, Do That
Mark Breslin
CEO
Breslin Strategies Inc.
Mark Breslin is an author, speaker, CEO and influencer at the highest levels of business in North America. Advising CEOs and senior leaders in business, government, labor and non-profit arenas in both the U.S. and Canada for decades, Breslin is one of the industry’s top-rated public speakers and strategists. Breslin has reached over 400,000 people over his career, and his five bestselling books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and have improved leadership, accountability, profitability, innovation and engagement for organizations and individuals.
Breslin has also served for three decades as CEO of one of the largest business associations in the Western United States. He was educated at San Francisco State University in Industrial Design and Business Management and has taught at both Sonoma State and Golden Gate Universities in California.
ABOUT BRESLIN STRATEGIES INC.
Breslin Strategies, Inc. is a leader in the design, development and production of engaging educational and motivational programs designed for the construction industry. The firm provides training in several distinct areas: cutting recruitment areas, leveraging generational differences, building high performance front line supervisors, creating buy-in for mentoring and coaching, among other leadership and professional development areas.
Breslin has also served for three decades as CEO of one of the largest business associations in the Western United States. He was educated at San Francisco State University in Industrial Design and Business Management and has taught at both Sonoma State and Golden Gate Universities in California.
ABOUT BRESLIN STRATEGIES INC.
Breslin Strategies, Inc. is a leader in the design, development and production of engaging educational and motivational programs designed for the construction industry. The firm provides training in several distinct areas: cutting recruitment areas, leveraging generational differences, building high performance front line supervisors, creating buy-in for mentoring and coaching, among other leadership and professional development areas.
Alison Caton
Acting Director of Training
Massachusetts Commission Against
Discrimination [MCAD]
ALISON CATON is the Acting Director of Training at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). In that role, she develops, administers, and delivers accurate, effective, and interactive discrimination prevention trainings in the areas of preventing and addressing discrimination in employment, sexual harassment, housing, and public places to Massachusetts employers, agencies, and organizations. Prior to her work at the MCAD, Alison was a Hiring & Onboarding Manager at EducationFirst, a company that curates educational experiences for students across the globe. Canton earned her bachelor’s degree at Champlain College in Burlington, VT.
ABOUT THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION [MCAD]
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination [MCAD] is a public service organization with Massachusetts whose mission is to eradicate discrimination in the Commonwealth by investigating and prosecuting Complaints of Discrimination that occur in Employment, Housing, Public Places, Access to Education, Lending, and Credit. MCAD also offer training to help prevent discrimination from occurring.
ABOUT THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION [MCAD]
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination [MCAD] is a public service organization with Massachusetts whose mission is to eradicate discrimination in the Commonwealth by investigating and prosecuting Complaints of Discrimination that occur in Employment, Housing, Public Places, Access to Education, Lending, and Credit. MCAD also offer training to help prevent discrimination from occurring.
Bill Curran
Leadership and Talent Consultant
Bill Curran brings 30 years of experience helping companies successfully implement business strategy by tapping the organization’s greatest asset – their people. Curran elevates employee engagement levels by integrating three key themes: leadership development and accountability, customer focus and continuous process improvement. Curran has served as both internal and external consultant to firms including: Boston Private, PerkinElmer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Eaton Aerospace, Shields Healthcare, Sullivan & McLaughlin, Sensata Technologies and several construction associations including PFEANE, GEANE, and BTEA Northeast. He takes pride in his ability to connect with colleagues and clients from the boardroom to the shop floor.
ABOUT BILL CURRAN, LEADERSHIP & TALENT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
Bill Curran Leadership & Talent Development Consultant offers trainings in various aspect of leadership development. In addition to his extensive corporate experience,. Curran has served in both undergraduate as well as graduate capacities at schools of higher education that include: Boston College full-time MBA Program, Babson College, Stonehill College, and The University of Massachusetts – Boston. His courses include: Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Managing the Training Function, Developing World Class Talent, among others.
He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Stonehill College and a Master’s in Human Resources Education from Boston University. He is also a certified leadership instructor with The Dale Carnegie Institute.
ABOUT BILL CURRAN, LEADERSHIP & TALENT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT
Bill Curran Leadership & Talent Development Consultant offers trainings in various aspect of leadership development. In addition to his extensive corporate experience,. Curran has served in both undergraduate as well as graduate capacities at schools of higher education that include: Boston College full-time MBA Program, Babson College, Stonehill College, and The University of Massachusetts – Boston. His courses include: Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Managing the Training Function, Developing World Class Talent, among others.
He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Stonehill College and a Master’s in Human Resources Education from Boston University. He is also a certified leadership instructor with The Dale Carnegie Institute.
Lorraine D’Angelo, Esq., CCEP, LPEC
President
LDA Compliance Consulting, Inc.
Lorraine D’Angelo is the Founder and President of LDA Compliance Consulting Inc., a full service legal and regulatory risk management compliance advisory firm specializing in solution-oriented, preventative corporate ethics and compliance program design, assessment, auditing, monitoring, investigations, education and training.
A former C-Suite executive with international and national builders with proven success in leading regulatory compliance and risk management programs and is experienced in the function, design and implementation of “best practice” integrity programs. She is currently the co-chair of the Construction and Engineering Group of the Ethical Compliance Officers Association and co-chair of the Transportation Law Committee of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. She is the author of the construction industry chapter in Corporate Compliance Guide: The Next Generation of Compliance published by Lexis.
ABOUT LDA COMPLIANCE CONSULTING, INC.
LDA Compliance Consulting Inc., a full service legal and regulatory risk management compliance advisory firm specializing in solution-oriented, preventative corporate ethics and compliance program design, assessment, auditing, monitoring, investigations, education and training. For more information, visit: www.ldacomplianceconsulting.com
ABOUT LDA COMPLIANCE CONSULTING, INC.
LDA Compliance Consulting Inc., a full service legal and regulatory risk management compliance advisory firm specializing in solution-oriented, preventative corporate ethics and compliance program design, assessment, auditing, monitoring, investigations, education and training. For more information, visit: www.ldacomplianceconsulting.com
Kevin L. Dougherty
Consultant, Speaker, Author
Kevin L. Dougherty has been speaking to the construction industry for over 30 years, including presentations for MCAA, MSCA, the UA and other trade associations. His work and education experience enable him to relate to today’s problems and provide tangible solutions in an easy-to-listen-to style. Dougherty’s ability to entertain audiences and hold their interest while getting his message across consistently makes him one of the industry’s top speaking and training talents.
Stephanie McShane
Director
Maxim Consulting Group, LLC
Stephane McShane is a Director at Maxim Consulting Group, LLC , a national organization specializing in management consulting, lean transformations, world-class facilitated peer groups and corporate advisory services. McShane evaluates business practices and provide solutions to the operational and management challenges confronting construction professionals at all levels. Her areas of expertise include: leadership development, organizational assessments, strategic planning, project execution, business development, productivity improvement and training programs. She is nationally recognized as one of the construction industry’s top professional development educators, mentors and authors.
ABOUT MAXIM CONSULTING GROUP
Maxim Consulting Group is a team of seasoned construction professionals who have worked with hundreds of contractors to help them improve business performance. Through this experience, the firm has identified and synthesized industry best practices and codified them into a systematic process that it implements to suit specific client needs that drive improved performance. Maxim Consulting Group is proud to support the efforts of many of the leading construction industry associations.
ABOUT MAXIM CONSULTING GROUP
Maxim Consulting Group is a team of seasoned construction professionals who have worked with hundreds of contractors to help them improve business performance. Through this experience, the firm has identified and synthesized industry best practices and codified them into a systematic process that it implements to suit specific client needs that drive improved performance. Maxim Consulting Group is proud to support the efforts of many of the leading construction industry associations.
Tanya Pope
Founder and Principal Owners
The Pope Consulting Group
Tanya Pope is a multi-faceted professional with a deep understanding of government, construction and large organizations. Pope is the Founder and Principal Owner of The Pope Consulting Group, LLC (TPCG), a company dedicated to program design and development in Supplier Diversity, procurement, workforce capacity, diversity research and strategic diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Pope also serves as Assistant Vice President, University Supplier Diversity at Columbia University within Columbia University’s Facilities and Operations Department. She is responsible for sourcing capable, diverse vendors to support the University’s construction projects and business initiatives, that have paid out over $1.2 billion to diverse firms in the past decade, Pope holds a B.S. in Communications Management and an M.S. in Leadership and Strategic Management, from Manhattanville College. She earned her MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
ABOUT THE POPE CONSULTING GROUP, LLC
The Pope Consulting Group, LLC (TPCG) is a company dedicated to program design and development in Supplier Diversity, procurement, workforce capacity, diversity research and strategic diversity, equity and inclusion programs. She has worked for over fifteen years to support Supplier Diversity programs that intelligently and innovatively help diverse firms and workers succeed and excel in gaining new contracts and opportunities with large firms.
Pope partners with two other consultants in a collaboration designed to bring consulting solutions to complex building projects. For more information, visit: www.diversityagenda.com/consulting
Renee Sacks, Ph.D.
Executive Director,
Women Builders Council, Inc.
President,
Sacks Communications
Renee Sacks, Ph.D. leads Sacks Communications, one of the region’s highly recognized integrated marketing communications firms. Dr. Sacks also serves as Executive Director of the Women Builders Council, Inc. (WBC), one of the leading advocacy organizations advancing women in the construction industry.
Dr. Sacks is a highly-regarded expert in diversity, equity and inclusion and the programs that support the growth, development and advancement of women and minorities in the construction industry. She produces several large regional and national conferences, one of which is AIM: ACT, INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, a national leadership conference for women in construction.
A former NYU University Administrator and Professor, Sacks is an advisor to Columbia University’s Construction Administration Master’s Program. She earned her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from NYU.
ABOUT SACKS COMMUNICATIONS
Sacks Communications is a full-service integrated marketing communications, event production and consulting firm specializing in the construction industry. For over three decades, the firm has been a leading strategic consultant and advisor on issues of diversity, public relations and integrated marketing in the buildings industries. Her firm has a highly-respected reputation in outreach, capacity development, community relations and strategic business development, focusing on equal opportunity in public sector procurement and corporate diversity. She represents numerous professional and trade associations in construction, as well as serving regional and national private and public sector clients. For more information, visit: www.sackscom.com
ABOUT DIVERSITY AGENDA
Dr. Sacks also publishes a periodic publication, Diversity Agenda, featuring news and conversations in diversity, equity and inclusion. www.diversityagenda.com She is also a partner is a collaborative consulting team, PSP Consultants, which specializes in designing diversity solutions for complex construction projects. For more information, visit: www.diversityagenda.com/consulting
ABOUT THE WOMEN BUILDERS COUNCIL, INC.
Established in 2004, the Women Builders Council (WBC) is the leading association representing women in the construction industry on several important fronts: legislative advocacy, new business and professional development with a special focus on leadership.For more information, visit: www.wbcnyc.org
ABOUT DIVERSITY AGENDA
Dr. Sacks also publishes a periodic publication, Diversity Agenda, featuring news and conversations in diversity, equity and inclusion. www.diversityagenda.com She is also a partner is a collaborative consulting team, PSP Consultants, which specializes in designing diversity solutions for complex construction projects. For more information, visit: www.diversityagenda.com/consulting
ABOUT THE WOMEN BUILDERS COUNCIL, INC.
Established in 2004, the Women Builders Council (WBC) is the leading association representing women in the construction industry on several important fronts: legislative advocacy, new business and professional development with a special focus on leadership.For more information, visit: www.wbcnyc.org
Gregg Schoppman
Partner
FMI
FMI Partner Gregg Schoppman specializes in productivity and project management for general and trade contractors across the country. He also facilitates strategic planning and evaluation services focused on organizational transformation.. He leads FMI’s Operations consulting practice as the Discipline Leader. Schoppman has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Consultants in the World according to Consulting Magazine and is also the recipient of the Association of Management Consulting Firms’ “High Five Award” for consulting excellence.
Schoppman has successfully completed engagements all over North American and throughout the world, including Mexico, Canada and Russia. He holds several licenses and certifications including: Master Certificate in International Business, Thunderbird University; Master Certificate in Strategy, Cornell University; Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma, Villanova University; and Business Analytics, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
ABOUT FMI
For over 60 years, FMI has been the leading management consulting and investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to the engineering and construction industry. FMI provides industry-focused services internationally from offices in Raleigh, Denver, Tampa, Phoenix, and Houston.For more information, visit: https://fmicorp.com/consulting
Schoppman has successfully completed engagements all over North American and throughout the world, including Mexico, Canada and Russia. He holds several licenses and certifications including: Master Certificate in International Business, Thunderbird University; Master Certificate in Strategy, Cornell University; Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma, Villanova University; and Business Analytics, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
ABOUT FMI
For over 60 years, FMI has been the leading management consulting and investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to the engineering and construction industry. FMI provides industry-focused services internationally from offices in Raleigh, Denver, Tampa, Phoenix, and Houston.For more information, visit: https://fmicorp.com/consulting
Willie Mae Veasy
President
Covenant Business Concepts LLC
Willie Mae Veasy is President of Covenant Business Concepts LLC, an award-winning consulting firm specializing in the creation of Centers of Excellence, Business Accelerators, Professional Development, Masterclass Forums and Leadership Training, established 2005. Veasy is widely recognized as an accomplished Enterprise Learning Professional with over 15 years of experience in Talent Development, Change Management and Business Solutions, and diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Prior to launching her own business, she was employed at Ernst & Young (EY) 22-plus years as a Performance Consultant to internal Finance, IT and HR professionals.
Veasy received her bachelor’s in organizational leadership from Pillar College and she holds several certifications in Instructional Design, Project Management, Change Management, and Talent Management.
ABOUT COVENANT BUSINESS CONCEPTS
Covenant Business Concepts is a consulting firm that specializing in Professional Development and Management Training with 15+ years of experience in the Talent Management arena. Our innovative social learning concepts can be facilitated in a traditional classroom format and/or virtually via Adobe Connect, WebEx or Illuminate. Adapting our learning solutions to these virtual environments has helped to make us the learning organization of choice, amongst Generation X, Y and rising leaders in the NY Tri-State Area. For more information visit: https://www.covenantbusinessconcepts.com/
Veasy received her bachelor’s in organizational leadership from Pillar College and she holds several certifications in Instructional Design, Project Management, Change Management, and Talent Management.
ABOUT COVENANT BUSINESS CONCEPTS
Covenant Business Concepts is a consulting firm that specializing in Professional Development and Management Training with 15+ years of experience in the Talent Management arena. Our innovative social learning concepts can be facilitated in a traditional classroom format and/or virtually via Adobe Connect, WebEx or Illuminate. Adapting our learning solutions to these virtual environments has helped to make us the learning organization of choice, amongst Generation X, Y and rising leaders in the NY Tri-State Area. For more information visit: https://www.covenantbusinessconcepts.com/