Keynote - 2020 Vision for Construction: Plenty of Work or Plenty of Woe?

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  Ken Simonson

  Ken Simonson has been chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading trade association for the construction industry, since 2001. He provides insight into the economy and what it implies for construction and related industries through frequent media interviews, presentations and the Data DIGest, his weekly one-page e-newsletter that goes to over 50,000 subscribers. Ken has more than 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He currently serves on the Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee. He is a Fellow and past president of the National Association for Business Economics, and he is co-director of the Tax Economists Forum, a professional meeting group he co-founded in 1982. Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago, and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.

  Associated General Contractors of America

  Chief Economist

  Keynote

  Ken Simonson

  Chief Economist

  Associated General Contractors of America

The GC Outlook

On Creatively Combatting Construction Costs and More

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  Lisa Mallory

  Lisa has extensive private, nonprofit, and public sector leadership experience. Under her leadership, DCBIA is now at its highest level of organizational membership and has focused on partnering for results with other major organizations. Previously, Lisa was the Director of the DC Department of Employment Services where she had responsibility for overhauling one of the most troubled agencies netting millions of dollars in savings, increasing customer service, and dramatically decreasing the unemployment rate in DC. Lisa was SVP at ICF International and prior SVP at the Fannie Mae Foundation. She served the Clinton White House as a member of the SES as Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore’s National Performance Review, Special Assistant at HHS and Counselor at SSA and has worked for the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and several federal Independent Counsels. Lisa began her career in the hospitality industry. She obtained a BS in Business and Technology from the University of Maryland, MBA in International Business/Marketing from George Washington University and PhD in Public Administration and Leadership from Walden University. Lisa has completed numerous senior leadership programs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Kennedy School of Business and was trained by the Coaches Training Institute and is a Linkage Inc. certified Master Coach. Lisa is a member of Leadership Greater Washington’s Class of 2007 and serves on the board of the DC Chamber of Commerce, the Washington DC Economic Partnership, Ingenuity Prep Charter School and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Council. Lisa is a native Spanish speaker and is conversational in Italian, Portuguese and French.

  DC Building Industry Association (DCBIA)

  CEO

  Advocating for Improved Building Codes and Construction Costs for DC Developers

  Lisa Mallory

  CEO

  DC Building Industry Association (DCBIA)

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  Bob Milkovich

  Bob Milkovich is the CEO of rand* construction, and is responsible for developing, leading and communicating the company’s short and long-term strategies. This includes oversight of all major operating businesses within rand*. He is responsible for creating and implementing the company’s vision, mission and culture.   Bob brings over thirty years of commercial real estate experience and leadership experience to his role at rand* construction. Prior to joining rand*, Bob was the CEO and Trustee of First Potomac Realty Trust, a publicly traded REIT. His experiences include serving as the President of Spaulding & Slye Investments, a JLL wholly-owned private equity investment merger, as a Regional Director of Goldman Sachs, investing in all aspects of the capital structure in commercial real estate and leadership positions with CarrAmerica, a publicly traded office REIT and its predecessor, the Oliver Carr Company.  His vast knowledge of the industry and active participation in the community over the years has helped him to build deep relationships locally and nationally within the industry. He currently serves as a Director and Vice Chair Investment Committee for the University System of Maryland Foundation, overseeing the endowment. He also serves on the Membership Committee for The Economic Club of Washington, DC and was a past President of The Real Estate Group of Washington, DC.  Bob received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Maryland where he attended on a full-scholarship and played varsity football.

  rand* construction

  CEO

  1 Year Later as Rand's New CEO

  Bob Milkovich

  CEO

  rand* construction

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  Drew Mucci

  With more than 20 years of experience, Drew has made a career managing both the projects and the people that define DC construction. In 2012, after 10 years with HITT as a senior vice president, Drew left to lead the Mid-Atlantic operations for a national competitor. In 2017, he returned to HITT, bringing his signature persistence and passion back to the company where he cut his teeth. As co-president, Drew provides increased leadership for eight key market sectors, working to improve and expand the firm’s operations, preconstruction, and project solutions. Since childhood, he’s been captivated by construction, taking his father’s tools to create and build something special on his own. Today, Drew approaches his work with that same curiosity, wondering how he can challenge the status quo of our industry. A decisive yet diplomatic leader, Drew strikes a balance of being engaged yet empowering his team members, offering guidance while allowing them to grow independently. He sees success as threefold: it comes from empowering the next generation of talent, moving the needle for the company and the industry, and ensuring his family is always the first priority.

  HITT

  Co-President

  Eaton Hotel, The Hay Adams Hotel

  Drew Mucci

  Co-President

  HITT

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  Jerry Scanlan

  EVP

  BOLAND

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  Ryan Riel

  Ryan Riel has worked in Commercial Real Estate with EagleBank for more than 20 years and currently oversees the Bank’s $5 billion CRE lending portfolio. Throughout his tenure, he has worn multiple hats and participated in originating more than $6 billion in real estate transactions of various types across the DC region. Since February 2025, in addition to CRE Lending, Mr. Riel oversees more than 200 employees across retail banking, small business lending, loan and deposit operations, and information technology. Mr. Riel sits on the Board of Directors of the EagleBank Foundation, and on the Board for George Mason University’s Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship. He is a current Trustee for The Children’s Inn at NIH and previously served on the Board of Directors at the Inn for ten years. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from West Virginia University.

  EagleBank

  Chief Real Estate Lending Officer

  Whitman Walker HQ Redevelopment, Grimke School Redevelopment

  Ryan Riel

  Chief Real Estate Lending Officer

  EagleBank

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  Michael Wildey

  Michael Wildey has over 30 years of construction industry experience with emphasis on management, finance, and operational functions. His experience includes multi-family, commercial, technology, and single-family design, development, preconstruction and construction. He has a proven track record in the development and implementation of best practices, tactical and strategic planning, and effectively managing resources in challenging environments. Michael is recognized as an energetic, results-oriented, collaborative team leader. Michael joined Chesapeake Contracting Group, a commercial and multi-family general contractor serving the Mid-Atlantic region, in 2019 after decades in the Northern Virginia market.

  Chesapeake Contracting Group

  VP

  Michael Wildey

  VP

  Chesapeake Contracting Group

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  Adrian Conforti

  Adrian leads the Project and Development Services team in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions and is a Senior Managing Director of the firm with 25 years in the Real Estate and Construction industries. Adrian manages a team of 50 professionals developing and managing institutional, commercial and government projects. In 2019, Adrian and the Project Management Team managed over $850 million in design and construction. He has also served as General Contractor on large base building and development projects and has worked for Clark Construction and Turner/Tompkins in Washington, DC representing developers, tenants and building owners in new construction, and the relocation of tenants into space totaling over 10 million square feet.

  Cushman & Wakefield

  SMD

  Moderator

  Adrian Conforti

  SMD

  Cushman & Wakefield

What Developers Want

A Major Projects Update, and How DC's Top Owners Choose Their AECS on Top Projects

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  McLean Quinn

  McLean Quinn is President of EYA, LLC. He oversees corporate management and strategy, investor relations, acquisition and development strategy and project stewardship, and chairs the Partnership Committee. Before being named President in February 2019, McLean served as Vice President of Acquisition and Development, leading acquisition, negotiations, entitlement, underwriting and project stewardship for numerous projects at EYA. McLean is active in ULI and is past participant in the ULI Washington Regional Land Use Leadership Institute and Leadership Montgomery. Before joining EYA, McLean evaluated opportunistic real estate investments for Morgan Stanley's Real Estate Fund (MSREF) in New York and worked in private equity and investment banking at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. He earned a BA in Political Science from Davidson College and an MBA with Distinction from the Kellogg School of Management, where he was an Austin Scholar. McLean lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and two children.

  EYA

  President & CEO

  Redeveloping Bethesda Historic Farm Women’s Cooperative Market

  McLean Quinn

  President & CEO

  EYA

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  Maria Thompson

  Maria Thompson joined Hoffman & Associates in 2015 and as Executive Vice President of Construction oversees construction for all projects including The Wharf Phase 2, Waterfront Station, Seaboard Station, and West Falls Church, representing over $3B of Hoffman’s expanding portfolio. With nearly three decades of industry experience, Thompson has managed projects totaling nearly $4B in the DC Metro Area. She previously served as Vice President of Business Acquisition at Balfour Beatty and started her career as a Project Engineer at Clark Construction. Maria is a LEED® Accredited Professional and earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Morgan State University and M.S. in Management from the University of Maryland University College.

  Hoffman & Associates

  President

  Overseeing the Construction of the Wharf Phase I and II

  Maria Thompson

  President

  Hoffman & Associates

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  Matt Robinson

  Matt Robinson has 17 years of experience in the real estate industry and pursues multi-family residential, mixed-use acquisition and development opportunities for MRP Realty. Since joining the firm in 2007, Matt has overseen the entitlement, development, and repositioning of over 3.2 million square feet including over 1,100 units. In his seven years at TCC prior to joining MRP, Matt developed a total of 1.5 million square feet comprising 924 residential units and 542,000 square feet of retail and commercial space totaling over $654 million. Before joining TCC, he was an architect with Dimella Shaffer Associates in Boston, Massachusetts focused primarily on age-restricted residential and hotel projects. Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and received his MSRED from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

  MRP Realty

  Principal

  Dock79 at Capitol Riverfront, Washington Gateway

  Matt Robinson

  Principal

  MRP Realty

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  Bob Schofield

  Bob Schofield, Senior Vice President of Development and Director of Design and Construction, oversees the design and construction of all development projects. His responsibilities also include project feasibility evaluation, acquisition, entitlement, and finance. With over 25 years of experience in real estate, Bob has managed $1.95 billion of construction and development work, including over 3.5 million square feet of office space and over 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use space. Bob has a passion for architectural design as well as construction. Since joining Akridge in 2000, he has been responsible for the execution of all of Akridge’s large commercial real estate projects such as Gallery Place, 1201 Eye Street, 900 Seventh Street, Carroll Square, 700 Sixth Street, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, and 1200 Seventeenth Street. He has also been responsible for the acquisition and planning of Burnham Place, a 3 million-square-foot development to be built over the tracks at Washington’s Union Station. Bob manages the execution of over 9 million square feet in Akridge’s development pipeline. Prior to joining Akridge, Bob founded the Washington office of Construction San Jose, S.A., and developed the company into a $35 million-a-year contractor. He was also Vice President of Operations for Pavel Enterprises, Inc., and spent the first eight years of his career as a general contractor working for Clark Construction. Bob is a member of many professional organizations such as the Washington Building Congress, the Urban Land Institute, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He participates in the Leadership Committee of the District of Columbia Building Industry Association, is the Past Chapter President of NAIOP, and currently serves on their Board of Directors. Bob received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, with a focus on Structural Engineering, from Bucknell University.

  Akridge

  SVP

  Overseeing the Construction of 2100 L, the Milken Museum and Conference Center

  Bob Schofield

  SVP

  Akridge

• Overseeing Development of Collection 14

  Barry Madani

  Co-Founder & CEO

  Madison Investments

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  Jamie Bobotek

  Pillsbury partner James Bobotek concentrates his practice on a variety of construction and insurance matters. Jamie guides clients through all phases of development and construction of commercial properties, including preparation, review and negotiation of development, design, construction, design-build, and related agreements. Jamie also counsels clients in analyzing insurance coverage claims, formulating risk management strategies, and developing contractual insurance requirements. Jamie has secured many favorable outcomes for commercial policyholders on CGL, builder's risk, commercial property, business interruption, E&O, cyber, professional liability, D&O, pollution, fidelity and other claims. Representative Experience Drafted and negotiated construction, design, and development contracts for projects totaling billions of dollars. Represented public-private partnerships with respect to construction, design, and ancillary agreements relating to United States military housing privatizations across the country, including projects in California, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Nevada, Georgia and Missouri. Drafted form construction and design contract packages for owners, developers and contractors for use throughout the United States. Achieved partial summary judgment against AIG entity in connection with property insurance coverage dispute for multinational university arising from the 2010 earthquakes in Chile. Obtained a summary judgment ruling in a Student Financial Corp. bankruptcy legacy case for an additional insured/policyholder under a fidelity bond (financial institution bond) in connection with alleged Ponzi-scheme losses. Obtained a dismissal of first-filed insurance carrier declaratory judgment action, allowing an iconic brand company's $18 million flood loss claim to proceed against carrier in carrier's home forum of Tennessee. Deployed novel theory to defeat insurance carrier effort to align parties to create federal court jurisdiction, creating favorable new law in removal disputes with insurance carriers. Represented a telecommunications provider in successful prosecution of its claims against its E&O insurer confirming coverage for class action claims alleging cyber-related activities. Obtained significant recovery under a builders risk policy on behalf of a contractor for a delay claim arising out of a subcontractor's provision of defective materials. Procured multi-million dollar defense and indemnity recovery under "personal injury" CGL coverage relating to a discrimination suit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of multiple claimants. Obtained recovery under an event cancellation policy for two class action suits brought as a result of logistical difficulties in connection with a client's presidential inauguration-related experiential student conference. Obtained full property loss and business interruption coverage, as well as defense and indemnity coverage for third-party suits, arising out of a catastrophic fire at a defense contractor's warehouse facility. Attained defense and indemnity coverage for an international construction company arising out of concrete plant emissions. Obtained defense and indemnity coverage under a professional liability policy for an engineering company faced with excess exposure. Recovered full pre-suit indemnity for a government contractor in a construction claim related to faulty subcontractor work. Protected a commercial developer's interests under a builders risk policy in connection with a faulty workmanship claim. Represented clients in various industries in structuring and negotiating the terms of their cyber insurance programs. Professional Highlights Member of the Insurance Recovery & Advisory practice, named by Law360 as a Practice Group of the Year in 2015 and 2016. Member of the ABA's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, co-chair of its Construction Subcommittee and appointed vice-chair of the Committee's 2017 Annual CLE Seminar and Meeting. Authored "Builders Risk Insurance," New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition, Chapter 50 (updated 2016) and "Understanding Product Liability Insurance," New Appleman Insurance Law Practice Guide, Chapter 30B (2013). Presented "Mind the Gaps: Potential Gaps Between Cyber and Other Commercial Policies," at the ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation CLE Seminar, March 2016.

  Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

  Partner

  Moderator

  Jamie Bobotek

  Partner

  Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman