Annual ElevateAEC Conference

Lauren Aguilar, PhD, - Founder and CEO at illuceo - is a leading expert on diversity and inclusion. Lauren specializes in translating the science of diversity into actionable strategies that organizations and teams can use to foster more diverse and inclusive workplaces. She partners with innovative companies like Airbnb, Credit Karma, Clif Bar, and eBay.

Lauren’s superpower is using a data-driven—yet human centered—approach to diversity and inclusion. Her research on diversity, team dynamics, belonging, and communication has been published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Physics Today, Gender News, Symmetry Magazine, the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships, and the Journal of Personality. 

As a thought leader, she has been featured in Fast Company, Yahoo, HRCI, Top Employer, ZDnet, Popsugar, the Women in Science Forum. She was named a “40 Under 40” by San Francisco Business Times, “Top Diversity Influencer” by Culture Amp and a “Distinguished Emerging Global Leader” by Womensphere.

Lauren has presented her research at many conferences around the world, and has taught courses on diversity at Stanford University and Columbia University. 

Lauren earned her PhD in social psychology at Columbia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research and the Department of Psychology at Stanford University.

Peter C. Atherton, P.E. is an accomplished AEC industry insider and practitioner turned executive coach and consultant.  Pete has over 30 years of industry experience, 24 as a successful professional civil engineer, project manager, principal, practice group leader, major owner, and member of the board of directors with high-achieving engineering firms.   

Pete is now the President and Founder of ActionsProve, LLC (www.actionsprove.com), author of Reversing Burnout. How to Immediately Engage Top Talent and Grow! and the creator of the I.M.P.A.C.T. process.  

Pete is also the host of The AEC Leadership Today Podcast and The AEC Leadership Mastermind.  

Pete works with AEC leaders and firms nationwide to grow and advance their success through modern and new era focused strategic planning, executive coaching, leadership and management team development, performance-based employee engagement, and corporate impact design.   

Bryan Carruthers is CEO of Anser Advisory, an ENR Top 50 Program Management firm, and Great Place to Work® designated 2021 Best Workplaces in Consulting & Professional Services™ organization.  Prior to his role launching and leading Anser Advisory, Bryan founded Consilium Partners, which he later sold to NV5, assuming the position of COO of Program Management at NV5.  After leaving NV5, Bryan also founded and launched budget4cast, a cloud-based project budget management software.  Bryan graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a BS in Engineering, Civil Specialty and received recognition as ENR top 40 under 40 Southwest Region.

A decorated Air Force combat veteran and seasoned recruiting professional with extensive experience inside corporate, agency and consultant-based recruiting environments, in both domestic and international markets. Deep recruiting expertise across multiple industries to include: Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Retail, CPG, IT/Telecommunications, Energy, Aerospace and others.

Chad Clinehens is the president and CEO of Zweig Group. Passionate about the business side of design and technical service firms, Chad has built a career on leading them through growth and change. He has worked with AEC firms throughout the U.S. on a variety of needs – strategic business planning, turnarounds, partner separations, organizational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, marketing and sales, growth campaigns, and more.

As a registered professional engineer, Chad brings an in-depth knowledge of what makes professional service firms and the people who work for them unique. Working in the industry for more than 20 years, he has been involved in many aspects of the business including design, project management, department management, regional office management, and directional leadership. He holds a MBA and BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas and is a registered professional engineer in several states.

Chad Coldiron is a Principal, and the Director of Executive Search, at Zweig Group, where he helps AEC firms who are experiencing critical leadership transitions. Chad’s passions are focused on all things involving the team and culture building process, whether it is internally or externally focused. He has coordinated executive searches to fill C-Suite, Board of Directors, and other top-level positions within nationally recognized design firms. His professional background has included experience in the areas of leadership, retention, recruiting, employee experience, sales, risk management, social behaviors and contract negotiation.

Prior to joining Zweig Group, Chad developed and directed the client retention department for one of the fastest growing independent insurance brokerages in the U.S. Since joining Zweig Group as an advisor, he has worked with AEC firms throughout the U.S. on a variety of strategic hiring initiatives as well as organizational restructuring, ownership transition, employee training, marketing, and growth campaigns. He brings a commonsense approach to building the right teams in order maximize the client’s growth potential while driving down their overall cost per hire.

Chad launched his career by developing strong and valuable relationships in the local and professional communities around Northwest Arkansas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business. Outside of his work at Zweig Group, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends while engaging the community that raised him. You’ll often hear him say “My life is pretty simple, and I love that”.

Ana Collins is the Head of Global Marketing and Communications at IPS-Integrated Project Services. She is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of IPS’ global brand of Knowledge, Skill & Passion. Ana’s oversight includes marketing, advertising, business development, corporate communications, employee engagement, and client experience activities, with an overall focus on propelling IPS’ reputation as a trusted partner and knowledge leader supporting the life sciences industry.

Ana’s background includes 20+ years of experience successfully working in a fast-paced business-to-business Sales and Marketing environment. She’s lead global sales and marketing teams, focused on advancing client relationships and growing business in diverse markets.

Ana is a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business in Philadelphia. She is an active member, sponsor, and special events contributor to The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Women in Bio, the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering, and the Society for Marketing Professional Services. She is also involved in local school district initiatives to bring awareness to the vast diversity in her community.

Over the last 19 years, Tracey has completed valuations ranging from small businesses to multi-million dollar operating companies to holding companies with a variety of assets.  She has worked in the industry since 2010 and specializes in valuations for architecture, engineering and planning firms. Assignments include companies in the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Spain.  Additionally, Tracey serves as an expert witness on business valuation litigation matters. Tracey holds the senior-level Certified Business Appraiser (CBA) designation conferred by The Institute of Business Appraisers, the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation conferred by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, the Business Certified Appraiser (BCA) designation conferred by the International Society of Business Appraisers, and the Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraiser (CMEA) designation conferred by the NEBB Institute. Tracey currently serves as the co-chair of the International Society of Business Appraisers’ Board of Governors.  She holds a BS from Louisiana Tech University and an MBA from the University of Arkansas, Sam M. Walton College of Business.  She is a member of the Institute of Business Appraisers, NACVA, the NEBB Institute, and the International Society of Business Appraisers.

Zhetique pairs a detail-oriented approach with a passion for psychology to develop spaces that not only focus on functionality but encourages a sense of creativity and awareness. She believes in engaging with clients to develop meaningful spaces that respect the history of the community while looking toward the future to create equitable, opportunistic spaces.

Constantly pursuing a stronger education, Zhetique relies on her passion for research and her previous experiences to continue to bring new ideas to the industry. From including holistic ideas in healthcare initiatives to providing a new civic staple to the community, she views each project as an opportunity to create a better, more effective space.

Zhetique currently serves as a Diversity Champion and supports her studio by hosting events that differ in scale from studio-based to firm-wide, focusing on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She currently serves as a Board Member of the National Organization of Minority Architects – Houston Chapter as the ARE 5.0 Study Co-Chair, where she hosts study groups and helps to provide resources and encouragement to increase the number of licensed Black architects within the industry. Having firsthand insight into the challenges faced as a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) graduate seeking entry into the profession, she co-founded NOMA’s HBCU Professional Development Program in 2020. The program aims to remove the barriers to access and dispel the negative stigmas around HBCUs by creating touchpoints between HBCU students and firms that are a part of the AIA Large Firm Roundtable to increase the recruitment and retention of minority talent.

Zhetique has been featured in numerous publications for her efforts and works, including the Architect’s Newspaper, 2020 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase, and Texas Architect Magazine.

Pete is a fourth generation professional educator, and members of his family have taught in the State of Texas consecutively for over 100 years. He quickly learned to see his role not just as a science teacher, but more as a mentor who wanted his students to learn about leadership, character, and setting goals for their future. The love of his students and the passion he learned about positive attitude from his father, propelled him to create a Leadership Camp for Youth in 1997. Pete traveled internationally as a keynote speaker and leadership expert for countless companies, including start-ups through Fortune 500. Pete is the Director of Thought Leadership at Insperity, a multi-billion dollar company where he develops and delivers leadership training to all sales managers throughout 80+ oces in North America. He received his Degree in Biology and Composite Science in Education from the University of Texas. He is a published author and is a Master Trainer and subject matter expert in DISC the Model of Human Behavior. Before Zig Ziglar passed away, he shared that Pete was an educator that was passing it on to the next generation. Zig wrote about Pete and his influence in his book “Better than Good”.

Kevin serves as the President of Taylor Design, also holding a seat on the company’s Board of Directors. He is responsible for the firm’s operations and infrastructure, including financial planning, business activities, organizational performance, and daily operations. As a licensed architect, Kevin has experience in every aspect of building design and construction, from programming and design, through construction administration. His projects have included the markets of healthcare, science, higher education, and senior living.

Mark Hodges is Edafio Technology Partners' Chief Growth Officer, where he leads Edafio's
growth and business development efforts including sales, marketing and client
development. He has held roles leading sales teams, sales strategy and market development at
Comcast, Acxiom, Teradata, Infogroup and most recently with Fluent. In those roles, he worked
with some of the world’s largest companies such as Disney, Viacom, Procter & Gamble and
others to execute marketing strategies through effective use of data, technology and digital
advertising.
Mark is also an adjunct professor of sales and marketing at Harding University where he has
taught for 19 years. He holds an MBA in Marketing and a BA in Communications.

Matt Hoying became President of Choice One Engineering in 2016 after spending his previous 9 years with the company in various roles of design, project management, and business development. Matt is a continuous learner who likes to challenge conventional thought to drive improvement. He believes that every conversation is an opportunity to learn and appreciates opportunities to share his experiences in hopes that it will help just one other person along the way. Matt’s personal vision is to be a positive impact for others so that we are enjoying life together, which leads to his focus on encouraging and supporting others to achieve their growth and development plans. As a husband and father of five, Matt’s most important roles are away from the office and loves spending time with family outdoors. If you aren’t sure where to start a conversation with Matt, culture, Choice One, family, or sports are always a safe bet.

Laura spent the majority of her career navigating the Energy industry, with roles in Commercial Asset Management, Investor Relations, and Corporate Strategy. Along the way she recognized the significant impact new technologies were making in the industry, from renewables to cloud technologies, inspiring her to become an advocate for change. For several years, Laura redirected her career path to embrace emerging technologies. She recently joined TMGcore to develop and implement strategic initiatives to provide solutions for edge and high-performance computing.

Through a passion to drive purpose and performance, Phil is your strategic thought-partner where he collaborates with firms to guide them towards designing and achieving their ambitions. A polymath with a diverse background in strategy, M&A, engineering, supply chain, physics, government, entrepreneurship, and R&D, he passionately provides a unique and insightful impact.

Phil began his career serving in the U.S. Air Force where he led organizational management, training, and standardization procedures for hundreds of aircraft armament systems troops. He developed sales and supply chain strategies for one of the world’s largest retailers, started a medical device company based on proprietary technology treating neurological and psychiatric disorders, and managed multi-million-dollar projects for a Fortune 100 chemical company as an improvement engineer.

Phil holds BS degrees in Chemical Engineering and Physics and an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. In 2017, Phil was recognized by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal as a member of the “Fast 15” for his business and leadership accomplishments. He also sits on the Walton College Diversity & Inclusion Board and is regularly invited to speak on a myriad of topics including strategy and leadership.

Jamie Claire Kiser is Zweig Group’s Director of Advisory Services. Prior to joining Zweig Group, Jamie Claire practiced law and also worked in commercial banking. She joined Zweig Group in 2015 with an initial focus on M&A and has transactional experience with businesses in all stages, from new firms with growth needs to established firms seeking to wind down. After being promoted to Director of Advisory Services in 2016, her responsibilities increased to include strategic leadership over all of Zweig Group’s consulting areas, including valuation, ownership transition consulting, marketing consulting, M&A, recruiting and executive search, and strategic planning. She holds a Masters of Business Administration, Juris Doctor, and Bachelors of Arts in History. She is a managing principal at Zweig Group and serves on the firm’s board of directors. Additionally, she is an outside board member to Miyamoto International, based in Sacramento, CA; and is on the board of the Buffalo River Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to conserving the Buffalo National River. Recently, she founded the platform ElevateHER as part of Zweig Group’s mission to Elevate the Industry.

Sara Kolata is an architect and a digital transformation expert. Her mission is to raise the financial well being of architects. Sara is the Director of International Strategy and Operations at Zweig Group, servicing the UK and EU markets.Her work is a combination of personal coaching, group masterminds, public speaking, and organising and hosting the Disrupt Symposium, a conference dedicated to helping architects propel their careers forward. She is a host of an Arch Talk: Tank show which serves as a platform for industry specialists to talk about business, marketing and profitability in Architecture. Sara lives a nomadic lifestyle, travelling the world and pursuing her various passions for surfing, skydiving, sailing.

Bill McConnell, co-founder and CEO of The Vertex Companies, Inc.(VERTEX), has worked in the construction industry for nearly his entire life. He rose through the ranks from a union construction worker during high school and college summers, to a project engineer at a top 50 construction company, to a senior executive at VERTEX. In addition, Bill is a top expert witness for construction disputes as he has testified approximately 170 times, most notably for cost and/or standard of care opinions. Many construction, engineering, and law organizations have published Bill’s articles and reports over the past two decades. Bill is a lifelong learner (MS, JD, and PhD student) and a firm believer in the value of industry-academic collaborations.

Since inception of VERTEX in 1995, Bill has led the organization by example. Under his leadership, VERTEX has seen consistent year-over-year growth of more than 20%. Twenty-five years later, in addition to setting strategy and leading VERTEX, Bill works on billable projects while also contributing as an active teacher and student in academia. Bill has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver, and a Master of Science degree from Columbia University. Bill is working towards his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado. He also completed a part-time three-year business program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bill serves on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of Colorado Denver (CU) Construction Engineering and Management program.

Melvalean McLemore, AIA, has been practicing for over 12 years and has both led and designed mixed-use, commercial, residential, k12, and higher ed projects throughout her career. She is proudly one of the first 500 licensed black women in the country and the 16th in Texas.

She is a co-founder of the Women in Architecture (WiA) Committee at AIA Houston. WiA has been described as the catalyst for the formation of multiple EDI-focused committees throughout Texas. 

Melvalean is an advocate for advancing social justice and has co-chaired the Texas Society of Architect’s Equity Diversity, and Inclusion Committee for four years as well as the WiA Houston Women of Color Steering Committee for three. In 2020, she co-created the annual NOMA National HBCU Professional Development Program (PDP) that facilitates more touch points between members of the AIA Large Firm Roundtable and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that cultivate a large pool of BIPOC architecture talent.

She currently serves as Treasurer on AIA Houston’s Executive Board of Directors, Parliamentarian for HNOMA, Vice-Chair of WiA Houston’s Women of Color Steering Committee, is the NOMA National liaison for the NCARB Licensure Advisory Forum and serves on NCARBs Continuing Education Committee.

Dr. H. Kit Miyamoto, Global CEO of Miyamoto International, built a worldwide engineering and disaster
management firm from a small engineering practice into 25 locations on four continents with one
purpose: make the world a better, safer place. Its purpose-driven mission and a strength focused
culture drive the growth of the company and attracts equally purpose-driven, passionate, teamwork
focused team members.
Dr. Miyamoto is a world-leading expert in disaster resiliency engineering, disaster response and
reconstruction. He provides expert engineering and policy advice for USAID, World Bank, UN agencies
and various governments.
Dr. Miyamoto holds graduate degrees from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and California State
University, where he has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. He has won the Engineering News
Record’s “Global Best Project” award an unprecedented three consecutive times. Major media such as
ABC, CNN, LA Times, NY Times and Rolling Stone have profiled him. He is featured in the “Designing for
Disaster” exhibit at the National Building Museum.
He currently travels around the world to saves lives, impact economies.

As Corporate Communications Leader, Laura Nick leads the in-house communications team for Garver, charged with all facets of branding, strategic marketing, and internal communications throughout the firm’s 14-state footprint. Since joining the firm in 2011, she created the firm’s competitive recruitment program; developed GarverGives, the company’s employee-driven charitable giving program that prioritizes STEM partnerships; and spearheaded Garver’s multi-state centennial year celebration. Laura was named to the Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. She is a graduate of Leadership Arkansas (Class XI) and serves on the steering committee of Women Empowered for the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.

Ed is President and CEO of SES ESOP Strategies, a Stevens & Lee/Griffin-affiliated company, and co-chair of Stevens & Lee's ESOP Group and its Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. He concentrates his practice in helping companies navigate the complexities of ESOPs.

Michael is Chief Executive of Trilon and is a driving force behind our vision of building an enduring business in this sector. Michael was the Chief Growth Officer at AECOM a world leader in infrastructure consulting. He was the CEO of Cardno, an engineering and environmental firm previously listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (CDD). He is an Independent Director of Opteon (property appraisal) and was an Independent Director on Nasdaq listed NV5 (NVEE). Michael graduated with honors from Central Queensland University and attended Harvard Business School advanced management program.

Justin Smith, SE, PE, MBA is a subject matter AEC leadership and project management expert with a proven track record of business growth and profitability in diverse and highly technical programs. Having led teams successfully completing high pressure projects throughout the country and internationally, he is no stranger to the challenges that organizational leaders and team leaders in the AEC industry face.

Having held nearly every role that exists in a modern AEC firm, Mr. Smith brings a practitioner’s eye to consulting and training and regularly offers his expertise to firms, universities, and professional organizations looking to develop skills and offerings that provide a competitive advantage for talent. Mr. Smith has consulted on projects and with companies on matters including workplace culture improvement, leadership development challenges, business system implementations, and project leadership for highly technical subject matters.

Mr. Strong has over 20 years of experience in the environmental, construction and insurance
industries as a project manager and environmental consultant. These responsibilities have included
performing Phase I environmental site assessments (ESAs), real estate portfolio review projects to
assess environmental liability costs, Phase II subsurface contaminant delineation projects, Phase III
soil and groundwater remedial projects, compliance audits and reviews as well as conducting and
management of lead and asbestos abatement, and indoor air quality projects.  In addition, Mr.
Strong has worked on various construction and insurance related projects as an assessor of risk and
for determining capital expenditures and liability costs.
Currently, Mr. Strong serves as Chief Operating Officer of VERTEX and is responsible for
implementation and management of company operational policies and procedures, working with
the various VERTEX service areas for continued growth, and establishing new service areas for
further company diversification.  Mr. Strong has worked with Fortune 500 capital, private equity,
REIT, lenders, developers, law firms, and insurance companies on numerous multi-million and billion
dollar real estate portfolio and merger and acquisition deals as well as development and
construction projects. Mr. Strong has also worked in support of various environmental and
construction litigation matters involving contaminated properties and structural defects.

https://zweiggroup.com/pages/will-swearingen

Randy first worked for ZweigWhite in the firm’s executive search team in the 1990s/2000s and was an owner in the firm. He left the firm when it was sold in 2004 to join a private equity group. When Zweig Group returned to the hands of the original founding partner, Mark Zweig, Randy rejoined the firm to help them rebuild a key part of their business.Randy is an accomplished podcaster,  speaker, consultant, trainer, and business coach. He is a  leading expert on podcast strategy consulting for businesses, and teaches on a variety of topics including communication and leadership skills, and the role of routine. Randy has been featured in Business Week, The Boston Globe, and the Blog of Timothy Ferriss, Author of the NY Times Best Seller, “4 Hour Work Week.”Randy is a graduate of Howard University and The Summer Leadership Institute at Harvard University. He sits on several Boards including the largest Coop in the State of Arkansas and is a certified Business Coach and Teacher in Biblical Entrepreneurship through the Nehemiah Project.

David J. Witsken serves as CEO of Universal Engineering Sciences since April 2022 and is located in Orlando, Florida. 

Before joining UES, Dave spent several decades leading branch-based, engineering & construction service businesses.  Most recently, this included 17 years with BrandSafway in various global executive leadership roles including M&A, Sales, and General Management, and most recently as President of BrandSafway’s 25,000 employee Industrial, Energy & Commercial division.  BrandSafway is a provider of engineered services
and products to the industrial, commercial, and infrastructure end markets worldwide.

Before joining BrandSafway, Mr. Witsken spent 18 years at General Electric in various leadership positions, completed Six
Sigma Certification, and completed GE’s Executive Training curriculum. 

Mr. Witsken received a B.S., in Mechanical Engineering
from the University of Cincinnati and an M.B.A from Westminster College, where he currently serves as an Advisory Board member. In addition to his career, Mr. Witsken enjoys
traveling with his 4 adult children, hiking, fitness, and golf.