National DICE Construction, Design & Development - East

Wed Feb 18, 2026

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National DICE Construction, Design & Development - East

From Site Assessment to Operational Excellence: Guiding the Full Lifecycle of Data Center Development
Hosted in Maryland

Wednesday February 18 2026 @ 7:30 AM EST

$425.00

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Speakers and Panels

Mallika Welsh

Data Center Construction Lead - Virginia, Google

Yolanda Washington

Global Sr Program Management Lead, Talent Pipeline, Google

Nicolas Rbeiz

Principal, Data Center Delivery Strategy, Microsoft

Daniel Golding

Daniel Golding is one the world's leading experts at data center and network engineering, business development, and operations. He has a 30 year career focused on building Internet, Cloud, and AI/ML infrastructure for enterprises, colocation providers, hyperscale clouds, and the emerging AI ecosystem. Dan recently left a long career at Google where he was the only Google Engineering Director to be a part of both the Google Global Networking and Google Data Centers Advanced Technology Innovation teams. He's been a technical lead on the design, engineering and build teams responsible for over $25b of datacenters - thousands of megawatts. He's also a leader in data center leasing, having negotiated, sold, performed due diligence, or signed over $600m of wholesale data center lease deals. Prior to joining ASG, Dan was the Director of Global Network Delivery Engineering at Google. Before Google, he was the VP of Operations and Engineering at Iron Mountain Data Centers, and before that RagingWire Data Centers, now NTT Data Centers. Dan was the sector's leading industry analyst and investment banker at Gartner for Technical Professionals, Tier 1 Research (451 Group) and DH Capital. Dan was one of the earliest engineering leaders at groundbreaking Internet service providers like AOL, Mindspring, and Earthlink. Dan is the former Chairman of NANOG and former vice-Chairman and co-founder of Open-IX. He is frequently credited as the co-founder of Northern Virginia's Data Center Alley in Ashburn. Dan's three most significant innovations have been the popularization of the now dominant Donut model of Internet interconnection which supplanted the former Tier-n model of interconnect; the most historically advantageous Ashburn, VA data center land deal, NTT's 100 acre campus in the middle of Ashburn for $20m in 2012 - land with an objective value of $500m; and the development of engineering continuous improvement techniques to vastly accelerate deployments in hyperscale data centers by factors of 5x or more. Dan has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from Auburn University, and a Master of Science Degree in Telecommunications Engineering from George Mason University. He is a graduate of the US Navy's Nuclear Power School.

Appleby Strategy Group (ASG)

CTO

Daniel Golding

CTO, Appleby Strategy Group (ASG)

Hani Noshi

Hani Noshi is a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft. Hani has 20+ years of Projects, Operations, Strategy, and Business Transformation experience. In the Operations Excellence space, Hani focused on the full life cycle of operations transformation: from target operating model design through to operations transformation delivery, change management and implementation. Hani has led projects in Oil & Gas, Resources, and Consumer Products operating groups in 4 continents and 36 countries. In consulting, Hani has provided services involving supply chain lean transformation and process excellence for several large clients. He prides himself on his ability to help clients through complex transformations. A few noteworthy examples include: Helping an Energy Supermajor organization to develop a multi-million dollar business case to streamline their Capital Projects and Engineering processes resulting in $200M in savings and a 15 times return on investment. Advising a public utility company through a full core business transformation and helping an executive team through the development of one of the most ambitious business transformation strategies in their industry resulting in an $148M in cummulative savings over 3 years. During this time Hani was also involved in innovative thought leadership where he published white paper articles in the Lean New Product Introduction and Rapid & Sustained Cost Management space. Prior to joining Accenture, Hani started his career in industry with General Electric Company in 1999, where he joined their Operations Management Leadership program. He then held various functions in hard core manufacturing, supply chain, and product development with increasing levels of responsibility. Throughout Hani’s career in GE, he was promoted throughout several GE businesses where he invented five US and European patents.

Microsoft

Principal Program Manager, Data Center Delivery (DCD)

Hani Noshi

Principal Program Manager, Data Center Delivery (DCD), Microsoft

Pavan Kundurthi

Manager, Field Engineering, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Aveek Banerjee

Engineer, Product Quality, Google

Lane Anderson

Executive VP, Development & Strategic Procurement, QTS

Richard Hallahan

Head of Solutions Engineering, CleanArc Data Centers

Jon Gibbs

Sr. Director, Site Development, Core Scientific

David Tolson

Founder, DBT Data

Delvina Uka

Chief Development Officer, Hydria

Drew Unger

EVP, Polargy

Marshall Sorenson

VP, Metromont

Drake De Tomasi

Preconstruction Executive, John W. McDougall

Steve Rodriguez

Director, Mission Critical, USG

Why You Can't Miss Bisnow's First Data Center Event of 2026!

What You'll Learn:

How power availability, land scarcity, and market collaboration are redefining data center siting strategies nationwide.
What leading risk management practices are guiding developers and operators through project uncertainty, from inception to handover.
How infrastructure upgrades and phased expansions are unlocking value and scalability in existing data center facilities.
Which practical design and engineering solutions enable real-world high-density deployments while balancing ambition with operational realities.
What new technologies—like liquid cooling, advanced DCIM, and site renewables—are being integrated at scale in today’s data centers.
How fast-tracking construction, development, and design is helping teams deliver new facilities with speed, quality, and adaptability amid market pressures.
What construction and build approaches foster resilience and reliability in an increasingly volatile industry landscape.
How workforce strategies and talent development are supporting the next generation of data center projects and operations.

Who You'll Network With:

Connect with industry leaders defining the future of the Eastern region’s data center landscape:

Developers, Owners & Operators — visionaries, engineers, and planners navigating project hurdles and delivering the next wave of capacity.
Construction & Design Professionals — architects, GCs, modular specialists, engineering experts, and more, raising the bar for speed and scalability.
Utility & Infrastructure Partners — grid strategists, energy service providers, and power procurement leaders enabling reliable growth.
Investors & Financial Partners — infrastructure lenders, private capital leaders, and sustainability-minded investors fueling deployment.
Technology & Solution Providers — innovators in advanced cooling, density optimization, and automation supporting ever-rising workloads.
Policy & Regulatory Experts — influential voices guiding permitting processes, community relations, and regulatory adaptation.

Relevant News and Developments:

How You'll Do More Business From Attending This Conference:

Unlock actionable insights to optimize site selection, drive resilient construction, and scale data center operations in any market. Discover industry-proven approaches for managing project risk, deploying real-world high-density solutions, adopting breakthrough technologies, and accelerating speed to market. Build valuable connections with peers and experts, gain workforce best practices, and leave equipped with the strategies, contacts, and next steps to deliver innovative projects—and seize opportunities—in today’s fast-moving data center industry.

Why You Should Attend:

National DICE Data Center Construction, Design and Development – EAST is the premier event for leaders and innovators building the future of digital infrastructure along the Eastern U.S. Join the region’s top minds to exchange ideas, benchmark your progress, and gain firsthand strategies for overcoming today’s most pressing siting, construction, and operations challenges. Whether you’re spearheading ground-up builds, modernizing legacy facilities, or navigating rapid advancements in technology and project delivery, this conference connects you with the actionable intelligence, forward-thinking peers, and high-value relationships needed to thrive in this dynamic, opportunity-rich market.

For questions or interests in becoming a speaker or sponsor, please email our global director, data centers, Adam Knobloch, at adam.knobloch@bisnow.com

To request disability-related accommodations, please contact ally.araco@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Rd
Rockville, MD 20852

Ballroom: Grand Ballroom

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Agenda

Time	Activity
7:30 AM 8:20 AM	Coffee, Networking & Breakfast
8:20 AM 8:30 AM	Opening Remarks: Welcome to the first DICE Event of 2026!
8:30 AM 9:10 AM	Siting Success: Power, Land, and Market Collaboration As the quest for suitable data center locations intensifies, developers and operators face complex decisions around power availability, land scarcity, and regulatory dynamics. Industry leaders are embracing robust market analysis, collaborative community engagement, and innovative planning to identify and secure high-value sites. With the bar for siting success continually rising—and regional conditions constantly evolving—which siting approaches and collaborative strategies are helping teams stand out and set new standards in today’s competitive landscape?
9:10 AM 9:50 AM	Resilient Risk Management: Building for Volatility From design to delivery, unpredictable risks and shifting markets challenge every data center project. Discover how leading teams use active governance, flexible planning, and innovative build strategies to prevent setbacks and strengthen outcomes. What practical approaches are enabling resiliency and project success—even in uncertain conditions?
9:50 AM 10:10 AM	Networking Break
10:10 AM 10:50 AM	Real-World High-Density Design: Balancing Ambition with Practicality With compute-heavy applications and AI accelerating demands for density, designing for high-density workloads requires both vision and pragmatism. Engineers and architects are advancing cooling solutions, load management, and flexible layouts, yet operational realities—such as floor limitations and energy use—demand practical approaches and incremental change. As projects grapple with real-world constraints, what design principles and lessons learned help teams achieve efficient, reliable capacity without overreaching?
10:50 AM 11:30 AM	Today’s Breakthroughs: Deploying New Data Center Technology at Scale Rapid advances in cooling, monitoring, and infrastructure automation are moving beyond prototypes and pilot programs into large-scale use at data centers worldwide. Operators and builders are integrating liquid cooling, on-site renewables, AI-driven analytics, and advanced DCIM tools to boost efficiency, reduce downtime, and meet new workload challenges. As proven technologies gain traction, what are the adoption barriers and success factors shaping the real impact of today’s data center tech?
11:30 AM 12:45 PM	Lunch & Networking Break
12:05 PM 12:25 PM	From Blueprint to Build: Best Practices for Physical Security Throughout Development
12:45 PM 1:25 PM	Speed to Market: Fast-Tracking Construction, Development, and Design The race to deliver new data centers faster is affecting every phase—from site selection to ribbon cutting. Industry leaders are leveraging modular builds, integrated delivery models, and creative scheduling to accelerate timelines in construction, development, and design while balancing quality and risk. In a landscape marked by supply chain disruption and rising client expectations, what broad strategies and innovations are leading teams to outperform traditional benchmarks and deliver swift results?
1:25 PM 2:05 PM	Adaptive Infrastructure: Revitalizing and Scaling Existing Facilities Modernizing legacy data centers is now a cornerstone of growth as operators face limitations on new builds. Broad infrastructure upgrades, phased expansions, and advanced retrofits are enabling today’s facilities to accommodate everything from cloud to AI workloads. How are industry professionals reimagining existing spaces, overcoming technical barriers, and creating scalable infrastructures that serve growing demands across multiple user segments?
2:05 PM 2:25 PM	Networking Break
2:25 PM 3:05 PM	Building at the Speed of AI: Construction Tech for Next-Gen Data Centers The rapid evolution of AI workloads demands equally rapid construction innovation. Advanced construction technology—including modular delivery systems, robotics, generative design, and cloud-based project management—is enabling teams to build faster and smarter. From virtual mockups that prevent costly field conflicts to IoT sensors that track material logistics, what construction tech breakthroughs are helping teams meet aggressive delivery schedules while maintaining the precision and reliability data center projects demand?
3:05 PM 3:45 PM	Keynote - Construction, Development and Design East
3:45 PM 5:00 PM	Post-Event Cocktail Party!!