SPEAKERS

Ricardo Palomares

Ricardo is an international keynote speaker, coach, author, filmmaker, and explorer.

He immigrated to the United States from Mexico City after graduating from photography school with the singular focus of building a career that would allow him to explore the world.

Later he earned a Film degree at the University of Texas at Austin, then he went on to create documentary work in Mexico and China and made the famous pilgrimage Camino de Santiago in Spain where the remains of Apostle Saint James are said to reside.

His most recent project, Pedal South, entailed leading a team on a two-year expedition cycling from Alaska to Argentina. The purpose was to create a documentary that would give a perspective of the people and landscape of the Americas today.

His goal is to spread compassion, knowledge, and wisdom gained through overcoming inconceivable obstacles so people can unlock their potential, achieve what seems impossible, and find contentment.

COO, Beacon Exit Planning & Succession

Mr. Bazzano is the COO and co-owner of Beacon Exit Planning, a member of the DFW Chapter of CFMA, a CPA, a certified valuation analyst, and a certified business exit consultant with over 30 years of experience in public accounting, valuation, and exit strategy to closely held companies ranging from $5 to over $300 million. His expertise includes financial reporting, consulting, business valuations, M&A, exit strategies, risk management strategies, tax planning, and compliance for individuals and business entities in various industries focusing on construction, distribution, and real estate.

He is a national speaker on owner exit planning, valuation, taxes, and asset protection. Joe co-authored the #1 Amazon Best Seller “The Contractor's 60-Minute Exit Plan” and the American Business Awards 2019 Gold Stevie® Winner for the Best Business Book of the Year with “An Owner’s Guide to Exit & Succession Planning."

VP/Executive Coach, Integrated Leadership Systems

As vice president and an executive coach for Integrated Leadership Systems since 2006, M.J. Clark has consulted with and conducted leadership training for several Ohio construction companies, and is a frequent speaker for CFMA and other construction conferences across the country. She helps executive leaders to foster more authentic communication in the workplace and help executives and employees better manage relationships, develop emotional intelligence, become more assertive, mentor others and fine-tune leadership and management skills. ILS is based in Columbus, Ohio, and offers leadership training, executive coaching and consulting.

M.J. has a master's degree in organizational communication from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ohio University. She is the author of three books on leadership.

President, Viva Capital Funding

Greg brings 20 years of banking, finance, and real estate experience to Viva Capital Funding. Prior to joining Viva Capital Funding as a partner in 2017, Greg was Executive Vice President at Capital Bank in El Paso leading the commercial banking team including the Healthcare, Commercial & Industrial, Real Estate, and Treasury Management business segments. Under his leadership, the commercial banking team achieved over 20% annual growth each year and established Capital Bank as one of the fastest growing community banks in Texas from 2012 to 2016.

Greg’s experience also includes eight years in the banking industry in Phoenix, Arizona where he was awarded Southwestern Business Development Finance Corporation – Banker of the Year three (3) times. Greg earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Senior Manager, Moss Adams

Jerry has practiced public accounting since 2015. He provides accounting and consulting services to midsize organizations and publicly traded companies. Jerry primarily serves clients in the construction, technology, and financial services industries. He’s experienced in Sarbanes-Oxley 404 (SOX) compliance as well as US GAAP implementation, SEC reporting, and first-time audits of private companies.

Tax Services Partner, Crowe

Mike regularly serves general contractors, specialty contractors, architectural and engineering firms, real estate owners and developers focusing on strategic federal and state tax consulting, planning and compliance for businesses and owners, including consolidated groups, partnerships and S-corporations. Most of his clients are closely held, family owned or owned by private equity investors.

In addition to annual compliance needs, Mike spends a significant time guiding clients through tax efficient strategies, structuring buy or sell transactions, and succession planning. Mike is involved in various professional organizations, including ASA, CFMA and ACEC.

President, Diversified Interiors of El Paso

Drew Hawley has been promoted to president at Diversified Interiors of El Paso. Hawley, who has worked at the company for 19 years, is a graduate of the Woody L. Hunt College of Business at UTEP and is president of the El Paso Association of Contractors. Founded 42 years ago, Diversified Interiors is one of the largest regional commercial subcontractors in the region.

Founding Partner, Mosaic

Brandon career began at some of the nation’s largest financial service firms, where he had the opportunity to advise hundreds of business owners and their families on business, tax, charitable, and asset protection planning. Today, Brandon spends his time assisting entrepreneurial families navigate the inevitable complexities that accompany substantial success.

A sought-after speaker, Brandon frequently presents on tax, succession, and philanthropic planning to entrepreneurs and their professional advisors. He has taught courses at Southern Methodist University and the University of Houston, and mentors aspiring entrepreneurs through the SURE Program - a non-profit initiative of the University of Houston.

Brandon also serves as Board Advisor to several Texas based, family-owned companies.

Originally from Southern California, Brandon relocated to Houston after wrapping up his studies at California State University, San Bernardino.

When not in the office or at the gym, Brandon is likely looking for his next action-packed adventure in a remote part of the world.

Senior Manager, Moss Adams

Sumair has practiced public accounting since 2007. He provides audit and attestation services to SEC and private clients in a variety of industries, including professional services, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, and not-for-profit.

Partner, Gray Reed

Known for her ability to effectively communicate with clients, adversaries and the court, Kristen Kelly advises clients in complex commercial and business disputes across several industries. Kristen has significant experience both prosecuting and defending lawsuits, and her practice has a strong emphasis on insurance, energy, financial institutions and construction. She handles litigation in state and federal courts, and on appeal.

As a member of the firm’s Insurance Practice Group, Kristen speaks insurance and has resolved a variety of disputes involving complex coverage issues, ranging from an insurer’s duty to defend and indemnify to additional insured status and coverage for contractual indemnity. Kristen is also a valuable resource for clients who need advice navigating their policies, the scope of their insurance needs, and other insurance issues in commercial disputes and transactions.\

Kristen’s diverse practice also covers a wide range of business litigation, including cases involving breach of contract, oil and gas rights, employment-related claims, maritime issues and others.

Before starting her private practice, Kristen served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Lynn N. Hughes of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Texas. During her two-year clerkship, Kristen strengthened her persuasive writing skills and gained a unique grasp of the intricacies of federal practice and procedure, making her a valuable resource for clients and other lawyers at the firm with litigation before federal courts.

Associate Professor, Colorado State University

John Killingsworth is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University, teaching in the Department of Construction Management.  His teaching and research are centered in construction finance, economics, and managerial accounting.  He has served on the CFMA Bencharker Committee for nearly eight years, and often speaks at CFMA conferences on the results of the survey. Some of his published work can be found in CFMA’s Building Profits magazine including a recent article, “Mitigating Risk & Uncertainty: Capital Concerns when Choosing a GC as a Building Partner” (Sep/Oct 2023 issue).

VP, Risk Engineering Services, American Global

Robert Labbe is a Vice President and Risk Engineering Specialist at American Global. Rob has more than 25 years’ experience managing construction projects and risk management, focusing on safety, quality and productivity. Through his guidance and leadership, Rob helps contractors develop best practices for successful health and safety programs.

Rob’s first-hand construction industry experience enables him to recognize potential opportunities for improvements, making him an effective and successful leader. Rob’s ability to connect with people at every level of an organization – from those in the field to those in the executive suite, is one reason he is a sought-after speaker, both on-site and at industry events. Due to his personal experience with family and friends, Rob has also become a powerful and passionate advocate for raising awareness on mental health and suicide.

Prior to joining American Global, Rob was a Senior Risk Engineering Consultant for Zurich North America’s Construction Division. Previously, Rob worked for several national and global construction companies in operational roles (Field Engineer, Project Engineer, Superintendent, Project Manager, etc.) with increasing responsibilities.

Rob is a graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management. Rob is a member of the Board of Governors of the Safety Executives of New York.

Rob is also the President of the Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals.

President/CFO, Geotex Construction Services

As president and chief financial officer of Geotex Construction Services, Ross is responsible for all aspects of the company. His construction career spans more than 16 years of varied experience in operations, financial management, business leadership and corporate strategy.

Prior to joining Geotex in 2019, Ross served in controller roles for The Romanoff Group, Freeland Contracting and Crawford Mechanical. He also served on the board of directors for the Central Ohio Construction Financial Manager’s Association. He is currently serving as chairman of the board for Geotex Construction Services and secretary of the board for the Ohio Construction Academy.

President, Banes General Contractors, Inc.

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas , John completed his undergraduate degree at University of Texas at El Paso where he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineer. Upon Completing his degree, John started his career with Banes General Contractors, Inc. (Banes) . Banes is one of the oldest General Contractors / Construction Managers in the Southwest , founded in 1946.

John served as a Project Engineer with Banes for his first three (3) years with Banes. John was then promoted to Project Manager overseeing most of Banes’ Educational Facilities Projects. In 2010, John was promoted to Vice President of Banes General Contractors where he oversaw all operations. In addition, John was elected as a Board Member for Banes.

In 2022, John became the majority stock holder and was named President of Banes. Since John’s time at Banes , John has oversaw over 100 commercial projects and well over a billion dollars of construction work.

EDUCATION/ TRAINING
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering University of Texas at El Paso

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Board Member (VP) of El Paso Association of Contractors (EPAC)

Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations

Michael Plugis is a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas. As the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, HSI investigates, disrupts, and dismantles transnational criminal organizations and terrorist networks that threaten or seek to exploit the customs and immigration laws of the United States. Mr. Plugis is currently assigned to the HSI El Paso Cyber Investigative Group. As a member of the group, Mr. Plugis investigates cyber-enabled crime such as network intrusion, account compromise, malware, and fraud. To date, Mr. Plugis has successfully recovered $1.7 million dollars stolen through fraud for El Paso area businesses.

Mr. Plugis holds a bachelor’s degree in forensic science from the University of North Dakota and a master’s degree in Homeland Security from Angelo State University.

President, The Bill Sims Company

Bill Sims Jr. is the President of The Bill Sims Company.  Since 1959 The Bill Sims Company has been helping companies improve performance and increase bottom line profits. The Bill Sims Company designs and administers awareness and reward systems using leading indicators in safety, quality and production. Proven methods equip front line supervisors with the tools they need to achieve lasting behavior change. Bill Sims, Jr. is a world renowned Keynote speaker and also conducts Webinars and Leadership Workshops globally.

Bill‘s first book, entitled Green Beans & Ice Cream—The Remarkable Power of Positive Reinforcement, has garnered rave reviews.  He has built more than 1,000 recognition programs for satisfied clients including Coca Cola, Disney, Marathon Oil, and other major service, manufacturing, construction and shipping companies. Bill speaks worldwide to safety professionals at NSC-National Safety Council, ASSP-American Association of Safety Professionals, ASSP Mid East Chapter, VPPPA, Georgia SHE Conference, AGC-Associated General Contractors of America, Alaska Governor's Safety Conference, AGA-American Gas Association, RILA-Retail Industry Leaders Association, and many others.

See Bill speak at his primary website:  www.beyondzeroinjuries.com/

Managing Director, forvis mazars

Bob is a member of the Forensics & Valuation practice unit. He focuses on providing fraud investigation, forensic accounting, and litigation consulting services. His experience encompasses a wide spectrum of financial consulting matters spanning multiple industries and client types. Bob works closely with corporate stakeholders, in-house and outside counsel, auditors, and special committees on forensic and fraud investigations with an emphasis on SEC enforcement matters and fraudulent financial reporting.

His experience also includes investigations related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, commercial litigation involving technical accounting issues, matters involving potential accounting malpractice, assisting clients with post-acquisition accounting disputes, and conducting proactive compliance-related work, such as anti-corruption assessments and broader compliance program related assessments, on behalf of public and private companies.

Prior to joining the Forensics & Valuation practice unit, Bob spent more than 22 years working for two global professional service firms. He also worked as an enforcement accountant in the enforcement division of the SEC, where he investigated potential securities laws violations. Bob’s prior experience also included conducting financial statement audits on behalf of multinational public and private companies.

He participates in more than 50 hours of continuing education each year, including delivering courses related to fraud investigation and forensic accounting at industry conferences, to audit practitioners, to clients, and to law firms. He spent more than 10 years as an adjunct professor teaching a series of forensic accounting courses in a graduate certificate program in forensic accounting at Northeastern University.

Bob is a graduate of Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, with a B.S. degree in economics, and a graduate of Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, with an M.B.A. degree and an M.S.A. degree.

President, Big Blue Innovations

Jay is the President of Big Blue Innovations (BBI), a consulting firm to construction and technology companies. BBI helps companies improve management and use of construction technologies through technology planning, software selection & implementation, data integration, and part-time CTO services, typically resulting in reduced tech spend, more efficient systems, and higher employee engagement.

Jay has been in the construction industry throughout his career. He has operations expertise as a senior vice-president of operations of a general contractor, corporate director of planning, design and construction for a healthcare system, founder of a prequalification software startup, and founder of FMI’s technology and innovation practice.

Jay earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management from SUNY ESF at Syracuse University, a Master of Business Administration from Emory University and post-graduate studies at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a decorated military officer, serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

Associate, Gray Reed

Stephanie joined Gray Reed litigation team in 2022 after serving as a Summer Associate in 2021 and law clerk in 2022. During her clerkships, Stephanie co-authored various blog posts related to the construction and energy industry, including a recent publication in Build Houston Magazine.

Prior to joining Gray Reed, Stephanie attended University of Houston Law Center where she served as President of the Student Bar Association and Head Senior Articles Editor of the Houston Journal of International Law. She connected with many of her peers while tutoring first year courses of Torts, Property and Criminal Law. Additionally, she was a finalist in the 2021 ABA Negotiation Competition as a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team.

Principal, First Rule Contract Training

Eliot is the founder of Wagonheim Law, a Maryland business and construction law firm, as well as First Rule Contract Training, an educational platform dedicated to commercial and construction owners and entrepreneurs. He has been selected as a Maryland Super Lawyer for over 10 consecutive years, is AV-Rated, and has been named one of SmartCEO Magazine’s Legal Elite. He serves as general counsel to contractors in virtually every trade and industry.

A frequent public speaker and published author, Eliot has spoken on construction topics for such organizations as CFMA (regional and national conferences) Construction Executive, Associated Builders and Contractors, Building Congress & Exchange, Lorman Education, and LightFair as well as presenting numerous in-house ½ day to full day workshops for some of the largest and most successful contractors in the nation.

Less conventional, but still (slightly) relevant, Eliot has taught both public speaking and business law at the university and graduate school level as well as studied and performed improv comedy.

Consultant, FMI

Tom Whitmore is a consultant in FMI’s strategy practice. He is responsible for helping clients with strategic planning, business development and risk assessment.

Before joining FMI, Tom was a civil engineer in Washington, DC, focused on large multimillion-dollar projects with federal, state and private clients across the U.S. During this time, he managed, designed and led multi-disciplined teams through project life cycles.

Head of Construction Solutions, Siteline

Claire Wilson is the Head of Construction Solutions at Siteline. Previously, she was a project manager on major projects at Tishman Construction in New York City, where she worked on projects like Hudson Yards and JP Morgan's Corporate Headquarters.

She is an active member of CFMA San Francisco and has spoken at numerous regional and national construction conferences.

Construction Software Consultant, eMars, Inc.

Philip Zak has worked with the construction industry for more than 30 years providing various accounting, project management and advisory services. Philip works with e-Mars Software. e-Mars provides certification that Prime Contractors and Subcontractors are in compliance on their Certified Payrolls. Philip also continues to assist contractors in the selection and implementation of accounting and project management software. He has spoken at the CFMA, AGC, and AICPA National Construction Industry Conferences on Software and IT Strategy, Projected Final Costs, DOL Compliance and Reducing Labor Costs on Davis-Bacon Jobs, BIM, Lean Accounting for Construction, Workflow and Process Improvement.

Philip has been involved in leadership for CFMA serving on the Executive Committee and a Past National Secretary. CCIFP has been his passion with volunteer work leading up to Past National Chairman and the 2021 CCIFP of the Year Award.