2024 Design and Construction Conference Presenters

Keynote Speakers

Baiju Shah - Morning Keynote

“The All In Plan Towards a Great Region on a Great Lake”

Baiju R. Shah is the President & CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership, the region’s leading economic development organization and with over 12,000 members, the nation’s largest metropolitan chamber of commerce. Guided by a board of CEOs, GCP focuses on accelerating growth and prosperity through strategic initiatives, business services, real estate development, and advocacy. Previously, Shah was CEO of BioMotiv, CEO of BioEnterprise, a Senior Fellow of the Cleveland Foundation; he began his career at McKinsey. Throughout his career, he has developed strategic alliances with pharmaceutical companies, health institutions, universities, and foundations. Mr. Shah serves on numerous civic boards and is recognized as one of Cleveland’s most influential leaders. A Cleveland native, he received a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Yale University.

Christine Nelson - Afternoon Keynote

“Developing Opportunities: Aligning Economic Growth with Smart Infrastructure Development”

Christine Nelson leads project management and site strategies at Team NEO. Under her leadership, Team NEO attracted over 200 companies to the region and helped over 1000 existing companies grow. In the past 4 years, the team assisted in the construction of over 3 million square feet of new industrial space. Christine believes in the unlimited potential of northeast Ohio. She resides in Lakewood with her husband and twin sons.

Bryce Sylvester - Afternoon Keynote

“Developing Opportunities: Aligning Economic Growth with Smart Infrastructure Development”

As the Managing Director of Site Strategies, Bryce Sylvester leads the site strategies team in developing and managing real estate projects for competitive investment, Job Hub projects, JobsOhio, and Team NEO site programs. Before joining Team NEO, Bryce was Lakewood's Director of Planning and Development, leading economic, real estate, and housing development strategies and projects for the city. Bryce holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Marketing from Baldwin-Wallace University and a Master of Urban Planning and Development from Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University. He earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt in 2014 and is a Lean Ohio Boot Camp instructor at Cleveland State University. Bryce serves on the Gateway Economic Development Corp Board, and the Cleveland State & Case Western Reserve Internet of Things Collaborative (IoTC), Public Sector Advisory Committee.

Construction Panel “Leveraging BIM/VDC and Technology to Create a Seamless Transition from Design to Construction”

  • Barry Rogers

    (The Austin Company)

  • Brian Zuzik

    (The Austin Company)

  • Tim Buma

    (The Austin Company)

  • Tom Morris

    (The Austin Company)

Energy Panel “Power at the Helm”

  • Tim Ruffner

    (NASA Glenn Research Center)

  • John Alexander

    (GPD Group)

  • Chuck Hayes

    (Swagelok)

  • Shawn Bennett

    (Battelle)

Breakout Sessions “Energy and Mobility” Track

  • Alexis Omillion

    (Corix Cleveland Thermal)

    “District Energy: Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future”

  • Dr. Rodger Dyson

    (NASA Glenn Research Center)

    “Advanced Thermal Energy Conversion and Transport”

  • Shawn Bennett

    (Battelle)

  • Matt Moran

    (Moran Innovation LLC)

    “Liquid Hydrogen Systems for Stationary & Mobile Applications”

  • Ray Beach

    (Retired Engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center and Chairperson for the CES Multigrids Working Group)

    “NASA Microgrid Power Systems - ISS and Lunar Surface”

Breakout Sessions “Going Coastal” Track

  • Joe Ferenczy

    (Osborn Engineering)

    “Sailing Towards Stability: Irishtown Bend Stabilization and Redevelopment”

  • Linda Sternheimer

    (Port of Cleveland)

    “Sailing Towards Stability: Irishtown Bend Stabilization and Redevelopment”

  • Mark Cencer

    (KS Associates)

    “Reeling In Resilience: CHEERS Casts a Wide Net for Equity, Sustainability, Coastal Resiliency”

  • Kelly Coffman

    (Cleveland Metroparks)

    “Reeling In Resilience: CHEERS Casts a Wide Net for Equity, Sustainability, Coastal Resiliency”

  • Phil Nagle

    (Welty Building Construction)

    “Improving Project Data Visibility to Improve Design and Construction Decisions”

  • Neale Whitehead

    (Welty Building Construction)

    “Improving Project Data Visibility to Improve Design and Construction Decisions”

Breakout Sessions “Know the Ropes” Track

  • Eric Pempus, FAIA, NCARB

    (DesignPro Insurance Group)

    “Ethics and Professional Conduct”

  • Michael Crall

    (Specified Technologies Inc.)

    “Firestopping within Existing Building Code: Fire-Resistance-rated Barriers, Base designs, Repairs and Archaic Materials”

  • Gerald Voltz, PhD

    (NASA Glenn Research Center)

    “NASA Capstone Projects & STEM Education”

Breakout Sessions “Sustainability on the Horizon” Track

  • Donald Davis

    (Kent Displays)

    “Sight Unseen: Switchable Film and Reducing Energy Consumption in Advanced Mobility Applications”

  • Trisha Brown

    (Great Lakes Biomimicry)

    “Biomimicry: Biologic Strategies of Nature’s Sustainable Benchmarks”

  • Carol Thaler

    (Great Lakes Biomimicry)

    “Biomimicry: Biologic Strategies of Nature’s Sustainable Benchmarks”

  • Ali Makarachi, PhD

    (NOACA)

    “Northeast Ohio Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging Station Site Plan”