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Policy, Permitting, and the Labor Shortage in Orlando

Brooke Rimmer Bonnett

Brooke Rimmer Bonnett

Director of Economic Development

City of Orlando

Brett Kingstone

Brett Kingstone

President & CEO

Max King Realty

Debbie Rodriguez

Debbie Rodriguez

President

Competitive Edge Partners & Consulting

Lee Steinhauer

Lee Steinhauer

Government Affairs Director

Greater Orlando Builders Association

Brett Kingstone

President & CEO

Max King Realty

Brett Kingstone started his first fiber optic company in his college dormitory at Stanford University at the age of 19. Super Vision (now Revolution Lighting Technologies, NASDAQ: RVLT) was later established in Orlando, Florida where the first of many fiber optic and LED lighting landmarks worldwide were produced for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Universal Studios and the Walt Disney Company. During Mr. Kingstone’s tenure as President and CEO, Super Vision has been honored as one of the Top 500 Fastest Growing Technology Companies in the United States, Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies in the State of Florida, Top 100 Companies for Working Families in Central Florida and was selected as Industry of the Year Award in Orange County.

Brett Kingstone has been awarded 12 U.S. Patents and more than 27 foreign patents on fiber optic and LED lighting technology and has authored three books: The Real War Against America, START Magazine/Specialty Publishing 2005 (Introduction written by Congressman Ric Keller), The Student Entrepreneurs Guide, McGraw-Hill, 1990 (Introduction written by Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics) and The Dynamos, John Wiley & Sons, 1987 (Introduction Written by Arthur Lipper III author and former Publisher of Venture Magazine). He also published during college: Wake Me When the Semester’s Over which he later sold to Ballantine Books, a division of Random House.

In September of 2002, Mr. Kingstone and his company won the largest jury verdict, $42 million, in the history of the State of Florida for an intellectual property crime. The case against a group of counterfeiters based in Shanghai, China took three years to bring to civil trial and was also pursued by the FBI. Mr. Kingstone is a regular lecturer at FBI domain programs on industrial espionage throughout the U.S. and a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Civilian Review Board. He is also the founder of Max King Realty LLC., a developer of industrial and commercial properties in Orlando, Florida where he continues to serve as President. Max King Realty was honored by Governor Jeb Bush as the Top 100 Growth Companies in Florida and by the Orlando Business Journal as one of the Top 20 Commercial Property Developers in Central Florida. Max King Realty/KFLP takes pride its investment in the community which include contributions to the “Castle of Miracles” for Give Kids the World, Gold Sponsorship of the Annual Orange County Law Enforcement (LEO) Awards, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Golden Rule Foundation, FBI Agents Association, Shepard’s Hope Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, Chabad of Southwest Orlando and the Orange County Public Schools. In 2007 Max King Realty donated the world’s largest globe, which formally was a landmark in New York’s Times Square, to Give Kids the World to celebrate their 20th year anniversary.

Brett has been honored by Citibank and Ernst & Young as Orange County Florida Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, the Orlando Business Journal as one of the Top 40 Businesspeople in the Orlando Community under the age of 40, the Central Florida Innovation Corporation with the Dr. W. Judson King Memorial Award for Entrepreneurship and by the Central Florida Society of Financial Service Professionals with the Greater Orlando Business Ethics Award. He enjoys running, surfing, skiing and karate and lives in Orlando, Florida with his son Max and daughter Victoria.

Debbie Rodriguez

President

Competitive Edge Partners & Consulting

Debbie Rodriguez is currently the President of Competitive Edge Partners and Consulting, LLC (CEP),

franchise owner and operator of Quality Labor Management in Winter Park, Florida and Founder of

iBuild Central Florida – a non-profit bringing industry and education together focusing on growing a

skilled workforce in the construction industry. She possesses more than 20 years of experience in

sales, marketing, risk management, training and development as well as human resources.

In her businesses, Debbie’s goals are two-fold: to assist her clients to maximize productivity by

providing the right talent for the clients specified needs AND to help her team members find temporary

jobs using their skills and eventually permanent placement.

She began her career in 1993 as a claims adjustment auditor working for Prudential Insurance

Company and over the next 7 years gained experience as a Credentialing Specialist and Human

Resource Manager. In November 2000 she joined Workers Temporary Staffing (WTS) as the

Jacksonville branch manager and because of her drive and knowledge of the industry, soon became

the trainer for all WTS locations. Debbie specializes in superior level of customer service through

building relationships with her clients and as a result was again promoted to district manager for 8

Central Florida branches.

After the sale of WTS in 2008 she partnered with Mark Lang – former CEO of WTS, to create Quality

Labor Management – a company that would provide skilled supplemental manpower for the

construction industry. Her responsibilities were to manage day-to- day operations as well as training

and development, risk management, safety and human resources at all 8 locations throughout Florida,

Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas. In 2012 Debbie became an owner of the Winter Park and

Jacksonville locations and since then her sales have allowed QLM to exceed 50 million in revenue.

Most recently she has added Gainesville and Tampa locations to her portfolio.

While steadily growing QLM, Debbie started another supplemental staffing company in 2009 called

Competitive Edge Partners, allowing her to have all minority certifications as a woman-owned business,

currently at 5 million in sales. Not only does she have the Midas Touch when it comes to business, she

is passionate about giving back to her industry. Her most recent venture is ibuildcentralflorida.com –

a website that offers information on all resources available to anyone needing education or career

opportunities in the construction field. She has built a coalition of industry associations, general

contractors, subcontractors, educators and career support specialists in an effort to centralize

marketing efforts as an outreach to the Central Florida community.

Lee Steinhauer

Government Affairs Director

Greater Orlando Builders Association

Raleigh "Lee" Steinhauer, Esq. has been the Government Affairs Director for the Greater Orlando Builders Association (GOBA) since 2016. Lee obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Delaware, and his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law in New Jersey.

Prior to working at GOBA as an advocate for the Central Florida homebuilding industry, Lee practiced land use and real estate law for several years as an attorney in New Jersey and New York where he successfully represented individual and organizational clients before land use and zoning boards. Lee is also currently licensed to practice law in Florida.

Lee lives in Winter Garden with his wife Allison and two year old son, Alexander.

Major Projects & Construction Trends Changing the Region

Chuck Whittall

Chuck Whittall

President

Unicorp National Investments

Steven McCraney

Steven McCraney

President & CEO

McCraney Property Co.

William Finfrock

William Finfrock

President

FINFROCK

Eddy Moratin

Eddy Moratin

Executive Director

LIFT Orlando

Raul Socarras

Raul Socarras

CEO & Founder

Upshot Capital Advisors

Eran Landry

Eran Landry

Managing Director, Multifamily

Ram Realty Advisors

Lisa Neumayer
Moderator

Lisa Neumayer

Area Vice President

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co

Chuck Whittall

President

Unicorp National Investments

Chuck Whittall, the son of a fireman, came from very modest beginnings. As a lifelong resident of Central Florida he developed the heart and mind of an entrepreneur at a very young age. When he was the tender age of 12, Mr. Whittall, started his own lawn mowing business and at 18 opened a successful teenage nightclub. With a strong interest in construction he pursued and received his Class-A General Contractors License and formed a construction company that he owned and operated for several years before venturing into the world of real estate development.

In 1998, Mr. Whittall founded Unicorp National Developments, Inc. which has designed and constructed numerous retail developments, over 100 drug stores, Town Centers and Luxury Apartment complexes, and the extremely iconic Orlando Eye. His projects to date have an aggregate value of over 2.5 Billion dollars.

With great poise and vision, Mr. Whittall has built a great company with a tremendous team and is often recognized by the Orlando Business Journal and The Orlando Sentinel as the premier development company of Central Florida.

Chuck Whittall has received numerous recognitions such as Game Changers of the Year, noted as top CEO in Central Florida, top 50 Most Powerful Business Men in Central Florida 2015 and 2016 & one of the top privately held companies in Central Florida.

Mr. Whittall has been involved in many charities and has a philanthropic heart and believes strongly in giving back to the community. He is the appointed Chairman of the American Heart Association for 2017 and expects the Association to have a banner year.

Steven McCraney

President & CEO

McCraney Property Co.

Steven E. McCraney, President & CEO of McCraney Property Company, has offices

in West Palm Beach, Orlando, FL. and Charlotte, NC. A self-made entrepreneur, he

and his team have developer of Industrial/distribution and office-flex properties.

Additionally, the company has developed and operated some 24 company-owned fuel

properties within the Florida markets. The company's present active Industrial /

distribution developments in South Florida, Orlando (Central Florida), Charlotte

and Atlanta total 6,600,000 sf for 2017 / 2018.

Mr. McCraney is an active member of The Florida Council of 100, The Orange Bowl

Committee, NAIOP’s National Board of Directors, and past President of NAIOP

South Florida. National Real Estate Investor magazine acknowledged McCraney to

its Top 50 list of US Industrial Developers for 2017. He was Developer of the Year

for Central Florida in 2013, 2014 and 2016. He was the former Chairman of the

YPO Florida, and serves on its Southern US Executive Board. He serves on the

University of Florida’s Bergstrom Real Estate Advisory Board, Place of Hope

Children's Charity, Villanova University DiLella Center for Real Estate, and was

honored by the South Florida Business Journal as an Ultimate CEO. He holds the

CCIM Designation and is a delegate member of SIOR.

Mr. McCraney earned his degree from Villanova University, Villanova,

Pennsylvania, and has completed additional post graduate work at Harvard

Business School and Duke University.

He is an active alpine mountain climber, having scaled many of the world’s tallest

peaks for Children’s Charity "Place of Hope". Recent climbs include: The Avenue of

Volcanos, Cayambe, Ecuador 19,000', Elbrus, Russia – 18,510', Aconcagua,

Argentina-22,241', Kilimanjaro-Tanzania, Africa-19,340', Mt. Rainier14,411', the

Grand Canyon 48 Mile-24 Hour Challenge, and ran the Marine Corp Marathon –

Washington, DC.

William Finfrock

President

FINFROCK

William A. Finfrock is the president of FINFROCK, a vertically-integrated, single source Design-Build firm

based in Apopka, Florida – one of Central Florida’s largest employers and ranked #9 of the 100 largest

privately held companies in Central Florida by the Orlando Business Journal in 2019.

Bill is part of the third generation of the Finfrock family to lead the 75-year old company founded by his

grandfather and has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry. He has played a

significant role in FINFROCK’s growth through a multitude of various business activities from executive

oversight to real estate development. Under his leadership, the company has more than quadrupled in

size due to significant projects including hotels, student housing and luxury multifamily residential

properties. Between 2016 and 2022, FINFROCK will deliver hotel and student housing projects totaling

over 6,200 rooms.

As the president, William ensures project goals and initiatives are met – from conceptual architectural

and engineering design, through manufacturing and construction to a final certificate of occupancy. He

is the key point of contact for the customer and works with all FINFROCK departments to ensure

projects are running smoothly and the customer is satisfied.

Bill is a 1992 civil engineering graduate of Vanderbilt University and received his MBA from The

Crummer Graduate School of Business in 1997.

He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Florida and a certified general contractor in Florida

and Virginia. Bill is also an active member of the community, having served as Chairman the Board of

Habitat for Humanity/Seminole County & Greater Apopka, Inc and Chairman of the Florida Hospital

Cancer Institute Board. In 2009, he was an Orlando Business Journal Honoree for the 40 Under 40. He is

also a graduate of Leadership Orlando.

Bill is a native of Winter Park, Florida and resides there with his wife Jennifer and two children.

Eddy Moratin

Executive Director

LIFT Orlando

Eddy Moratin is the Executive Director of LIFT Orlando, a non-profit organization founded by business

leaders to partner with neighborhood residents and accelerate community transformation. Its mission

is to break the cycle of poverty through holistic neighborhood revitalization, mixed-income housing,

cradle to career education, wellness and economic opportunity.

Prior to joining LIFT Orlando, Eddy spent seven years as the Executive Director of Lifework

Leadership Orlando, a premier leadership development organization. During this time he also served

as Senior Fellow at PathNorth in Washington D.C. helping senior leaders around the country broaden

their definition of success. As a social-entrepreneur, he believes in the power of creating jobs to

transform lives and entire communities. He was the co-founder of BAM, LLC, a holding company for

shared officing and remote receptionist franchises in Central Florida and helped launch a minority-

certified call center enterprise employing hundreds domestically and abroad.

Eddy has a passion for encouraging others to realize their full potential and to use their individual gifts

and influence for the betterment of the whole community. Eddy lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife,

Giselle and their two children, Isabella and Kristopher.

Raul Socarras

CEO & Founder

Upshot Capital Advisors

Mr. Socarras is the CEO and Founder of Upshot Capital Advisors, LLC. He has over 20 years of combined experience in the areas of commercial real estate, investment management and advisory services, and in the operations and management of global operating businesses.

Before Upshot™, Mr. Socarras served as the operating partner of many commercial real estate development and construction projects within the United States, while simultaneously serving as an Executive of a global manufacturing and technology company serving customers in 32 countries. Prior to this, Mr. Socarras was a practicing attorney in Florida, representing governmental entities and corporate clients on various, complex real estate, land-use, corporate and commercial transactions. Mr. Socarras remains an active member of the Florida Bar. Mr. Socarras has participated in the acquisition, development, construction or representation of over $1 billion of real estate and corporate transactions throughout his career. Mr. Socarras also has various investments and stakes in other operating companies and start-ups throughout the United States.

Mr. Socarras has had the pleasure of serving on various local and national community and corporate boards and has participated in many other civic activities throughout his career.

He was also a NCAA collegiate athlete in multiple sports, including playing and being a member of the Florida State University Football Team in the 95'/96' football season (during these years FSU won the ACC Championship twice and the Orange Bowl Championship). Mr. Socarras is also a licensed Private Pilot with over 500 hours of flying experience and holds an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) rating.

Lisa Neumayer

Moderator

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co

Since 2015, Lisa Neumayer has emerged as a risk management consultant leader within the

Gallagher Real Estate and Construction practice. Working closely with specialty team members

throughout Gallagher’s global network, she delivers niche expertise, products and services to real

estate developers, contractors and property owners/managers. Her specialty provides experience

for large Owner and Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP/CCIP) Wrap Ups and

Builder’s Risk for construction projects and permanent placement risk management programs

involving multiple asset classes ranging in values from $50 million to upwards of $500 million+.

In less than 4 years, she has provided the risk financing and security for major real estate

developments totaling over $1 billion in values, placing nearly $5 million of premium into the

global insurance marketplace. Quickly building a reputation in the market as a creative thinker

and problem solver, she has worked with a number of clients to tackle their supply chain trade

credit risk domestically and abroad and provided alternative risk solutions for unique exposures

worldwide.

Summary

1. How does the country's immigration policy feed into its construction worker shortage? 

2. What new projects along Orlando's booming i-4 Corridor will have the greatest impact? and what have been the challenges with each?

3. How will new tech and construction methods such as Building Information Modeling, VR & AR, Drones, and Modular Construction impact the industry?

4. How can environmental hazards, like protected species on the job site and major disasters, affect construction and development? and how can you prepare for them?

5. What new policies in planning and permitting, like the Transportation Impact Fee Change and Orlando Opportunity Zones, should you be aware of?

Make sure you bring extra business cards because we will be hosting new structured networking activities during the event!

Agenda

Time Activity
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Coffee, Breakfast & Networking
1:00 PM
1:40 PM
Policy, Permitting, and the Labor Shortage in Orlando
1:40 PM
2:35 PM
Major Projects & Construction Trends Changing the Region
2:35 PM
3:00 PM
More Networking!

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