Check in, grab some coffee, and start to meet the other attendees!

Speaker: Josh Vitale (The Weitz Company)

Moderator: Mia Brown (Swinerton)

Speakers: Tom Bethmann (Layton Construction), Chrissie Davis (INCORAGE)

What will the construction market look like in 2027, and where will the greatest opportunities emerge? This panel brings together leaders from the private and public sectors to discuss the capital investment, development, and construction trends shaping California and the broader U.S. market. Panelists will share perspectives on public infrastructure spending, state real estate initiatives, multifamily housing development, project financing, workforce challenges, and emerging market opportunities. Attendees will gain valuable insight into the factors driving construction demand and the outlook for both public and private projects.

Tom Bethmann is a Director with Layton Construction, a nationally recognized builder and a member of the STO Building Group family of companies. With more than 30 years of industry experience, including 13 years with Layton, Tom has built a career spanning operations, preconstruction, and business development, giving him a well-rounded perspective on every phase of the construction process.

Today, Tom leads client development and preconstruction efforts for Layton’s California healthcare division, where he works closely with healthcare providers, design teams, trade partners, and regulatory agencies to plan and deliver complex healthcare projects. His operational background allows him to identify risks, evaluate constructability, and develop practical solutions early in the process, helping clients make informed decisions before construction begins.

Known for his collaborative approach and commitment to building strong teams, Tom is passionate about delivering successful projects and lasting relationships throughout California’s healthcare market.

Chrissie Davis is the founder and president of a value-based general contracting firm, INCORAGE, which stands for Integrity, Collaboration, Regularly Achieving Goals Effectively. INCORAGE focuses on multi-family housing including affordable housing. Chrissie has a civil engineering degree from LMU and a master's from Stanford in Construction Engineering Management. Before starting INCORAGE, Chrissie grew her last organization from a $30M in-house GC firm to a $100M powerhouse. They were named the 25th largest GC in Silicon Valley and the best multi-family general contractor to work for with fewer than 50 employees. In her career, she has constructed and rehabilitated over 3,000 units and managed over $1Billion of work in the Bay Area. INCORAGE is currently more than half women and almost three-quarters people of color. INCORAGE is slated to be a next-generation GC redefining collaboration and proving that values-driven leadership isn't just viable in this industry...it's essential to its future!

Moderator: Misha Homara (Tricore Panels)

Panelists: Nick Colina (Anco Iron and Construction), Genevieve West (Howard Building Corporation), Juliana Choy Sommer (Priority Architectural Graphics), Roy Leyvas (RF10 Inspection)

Securing contracts is only the first step—sustainable growth requires the right strategy, relationships, and operational foundation. This panel brings together successful construction business leaders from general contracting, specialty contracting, and professional services to share practical approaches for winning new work, building strong client relationships, and expanding into new markets. Panelists will discuss business development strategies, procurement opportunities, teaming and partnership models, operational scaling, and lessons learned from growing successful construction companies. Attendees will gain actionable insights on overcoming common growth challenges, increasing competitiveness, and positioning their businesses for long-term success. Whether your goal is to secure larger projects, diversify your client base, or expand your company's capabilities, this discussion will provide valuable guidance from industry leaders who have successfully navigated the path to growth.

Juliana Choy Sommer is the CEO of Priority Architectural Graphics, a San Francisco Bay Area subcontractor specializing in architectural signage, environmental graphics, and wayfinding systems. As a woman leading a specialty construction firm in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Juliana brings practical insight into business growth, project delivery, client relationships, and the challenges facing small and diverse trade contractors. She is passionate about building strong teams, improving collaboration between general contractors and specialty trades, and helping women develop greater visibility and influence within the construction industry. 

Roy Leyvas is the CFO and co-owner of RF10 Inspection and Pacific Meridian Construction (PMC), two Southern California companies he built from the ground up. With over fifteen years of leadership experience, Roy oversees financial strategy and day-to-day operations across both businesses, which he has guided through a pandemic, a recession, and shifting market conditions while growing each year.

Known for honesty, authenticity, and a sharp read on people, Roy leads by example and holds himself to the same standard he sets for his teams. He pairs instinct-driven decision-making with a disciplined focus on building durable, well-run organizations — and values genuine relationships and stewardship over status or recognition.

Lunch at the Marriott is hosted by GovContractPros (GCP)

Strengthen the connections you already have and start building new ones over lunch!

Presented by Secretariat

Speakers:

Brenda Radmacher is a sought-after construction attorney with 30 years of experience handling construction disputes, risk management, and transactions. Brenda is a Partner with Seyfarth Shaw, LLP’s Construction Practice Group based in the firm’s downtown Los Angeles office. Brenda is also a mediator and arbitrator serving on the American Arbitration Association’s panels including the Mega Projects Panel. Her practice focuses on risk management, dispute resolution, and advice and counsel for developers, owners, builders, and design professionals to find creative solutions to the challenges in the built environment. Brenda has been recognized as a leader in the legal field and the construction industry where she has been an authority on issues including delay and disruption claims, COVID-19 compliance, indemnity and risk transfer, impacts of technology use in the construction industry, and negotiation and litigation strategies. She also has experience in developing creative solutions for complex disputes including building collapses, water-intrusion and building envelope problems, civil and highway construction, and multi-family developments. Brenda also deploys her litigation background to draft stronger contracts and to assist in negotiation of deals for her clients in both the private and public arenas. Brenda brings a broad spectrum of perspectives from working on construction projects across the United States as well as internationally.

Meera Wagman, Managing Director
Meera Wagman has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry specializing in providing independent expert services to owners, contractors, designers, and developers on complex construction disputes. She focuses on dispute resolution, delay and disruption analyses, productivity, scheduling, claims, cost analyses, project controls, construction, and project management. Meera has provided services across a wide range of industries, including heavy civil, oil & gas, infrastructure/transportation, power/energy, petrochemical, medical facilities, and vertical construction. She has consulted on many complex construction projects worldwide, including high-profile disputes such as the Panama Canal and the Burj Khalifa.

Kelsey Bishop, Director
Kelsey Bishop specializes in providing independent expert advice on construction projects in programming/scheduling (delay and disruption), contract review, cost/damages, and productivity/inefficiency. Kelsey has a decade of construction industry experience specializing in dispute resolution, delay analyses, scheduling, claims, project controls, and construction and project management. In addition, she has experience reviewing and analyzing the feasibility and technical requirements of schedule updates.

Kristina Pascoe, Associate Director
Kristina Pascoe has a background in civil engineering and specializes in construction scheduling and forensic delay analysis. Kristina has supported experts in resolving construction schedule and damages disputes for an extensive portfolio of projects. She has experience collaborating with clients, legal teams, and witnesses from the onset of claims through the completion of arbitration proceedings.

Presented by Megan Shapiro (Radoslovich Shapiro, PC)

Women make up just 11% of the construction industry, the "pink ice cubes" in a very large bucket. In this fast, funny, and unapologetic keynote, construction attorney Megan Shapiro shows what happens when we stop shrinking to fit other people's perceptions and start taking up the space we've earned. Through three true (and unforgettable) stories from her career in two male-dominated industries, including the day opposing counsel called her a "magenta parrot" on the record, Megan reframes every "you're too much" as someone else's insecurity, not your ceiling. You'll leave knowing that when women show up as their full selves, we don't just add to the industry. We make it stronger.

Moderator: Joy Dow (Northwestern Mutual)

Panelists: Ryan Berry (Providence), Yuhi Kamimura (Prairie Capital Advisors), Gerri DeRubeis‍ (CFO Mindset), ‍Jean Bjork (Bjork Construction)

When growth is the goal, there’s a lot to consider when planning how to get there. This panel will explore how construction leaders evaluate risk when pursuing growth opportunities, expanding into new markets, and taking on larger or more complex projects. Panelists will discuss the key financial and operational factors that should inform decisions about when to grow, when to be cautious, how to balance opportunity with risk, and positioning your company for long-term success. The conversation will also focus on managing capital effectively, including financing growth, maintaining profitability, and preserving financial flexibility during changing market conditions.

Ryan Berry, Executive Director, Design & Construction Management of Providence Hospitals. Passionate and solution-driven director with 25+ years of experience in project management for leading healthcare organizations. Expertise includes construction oversight, client relations, and strategic planning. Proven track record of leading diverse teams and exceeding performance targets workflows while promoting a positive culture in fast-paced work environments. Adept at cultivating relationships with team members and multilevel stakeholders to drive organizational growth.

Gerri DeRubeis, CMA, CCIFP, CEPA, is the Founder of CFO Mindset, where she works with privately held, owner-led businesses and their teams to prepare for growth or transition. She specializes in exit planning, guiding owners — many in the construction industry — to build business value long before a sale is on the table, rather than scrambling to manufacture it in the final stretch. Her background combines two decades of financial leadership with hands-on advisory work, including mentoring high-growth entrepreneurs through Stanford University's LBAN Scaling Program.

Jean Bjork is the Owner and CEO of Bjork Construction Company, a WBE/ WOSM certified commercial builder based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With more than 37 years of construction experience, beginning her career as a welder, Jean co-founded the company in 1988 and today leads the business alongside her daughter Jessica Madrigal. Under her leadership, Bjork Construction has grown from a premier custom home builder into a trusted commercial, union construction company.  Bjork Construction is a partner for Fortune 500 companies and influential clients, earning repeated recognition among the San Francisco Business Times’ Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses, the WBEC Pacific WBE Excellence in Growth Award, Regional Star Award, and Jean’s induction into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame. A dedicated advocate for diversity, mentorship, and opportunity, Jean actively supports and advances women in construction through industry engagement, education, and community involvement.

Yuhi Kamimura joined Prairie Capital Advisors in 2024. Yuhi’s work focuses on advising company boards of directors, shareholders and trustees on employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) transactions, valuation matters and ownership transition planning.

Yuhi frequently participates in industry discussions and professional forums related to ESOP transactions, fairness opinions, leveraged buyouts, capital raising and mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”). Thought leadership topics include ESOP structuring, valuation, transaction opinions and corporate finance strategy.

Prior to joining Prairie, Yuhi served as a Vice President at Kroll, LLC, where he specialized in generating fairness and solvency opinions for publicly traded and privately owned companies across transactions including M&A, dividend recapitalizations, spin-offs, take-private acquisitions, management buyouts, debt issuance and fund-to-fund transfers.

At Kroll, Yuhi was part of the Valuation Advisory Services business unit in the firm’s Tokyo office, where he worked on engagements including purchase price allocation, goodwill impairment testing, business valuation and support for cross-border M&A outreach to Japanese buyers.

Earlier in his career, Yuhi was a consultant with KPMG. His transaction experience spans a range of industries including automotive parts, consumer products, energy, food and beverage, healthcare, industrial machinery, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and technology.

Presented by Trevor Skelly (GCP), David Mullis (GCP)

Owing the tremendous amount of regulatory changes occurring in the federal marketplace, staying abreast of these changes and advocating for your interests is arguably more critical than ever.  In this session, GovContractPros (GCP) will discuss various advocacy methods, including federal register monitoring, Executive Order 12866 meetings, rule making comment writing, and agency and congressional engagement strategies to ensure that your voice is heard and listened to by policy makers.  Participants will learn about actionable strategies and best practices to monitor policy changes and make an impact.  This session will also present current and relevant regulatory rulemaking efforts including those at the SBA, for CMMC, and the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”.  By attending this session, participants will learn the impacts of these proposed changes on their business and current efforts to influence changes in federal contracting.

David Mullis supports GovContractPros (GCP) in regulatory affairs, bringing experience at the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, where he worked on issues involving government contracting, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and intellectual property policy. Throughout his career, he has helped build coalitions and engage federal agencies to ensure that small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments have a meaningful voice in the regulatory process. David leverages this expertise to help GCP clients navigate complex policy and regulatory environments while advancing their strategic objectives.

Trevor Skelly leverages a unique blend of legal expertise, procurement experience, and military service to support clients navigating the Federal marketplace. Prior to GCP, Trevor served in the Office of General Counsel at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and as a Contracting Officer in the U.S. Navy. In these roles, he advised on appropriations, procurement policy & source selection procedures, ethics, and personnel matters.

He began his legal career as a tax associate at Goodwin, specializing in real estate and venture capital transactions. His global perspective is shaped by military service in Japan, Italy, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Washington, D.C., experiences that continue to inform his strategic approach to advising clients. Trevor holds a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He also completed executive education programs at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and is DAWIA Level III certified in Contracting. Trevor splits his time between Miami, Florida, and Madrid, Spain.

Hosted by WCOE Resource Center and Contractor Compliance and Monitoring, Inc.

Hosted happy hour at Peohe’s on the beautiful outdoor deck before dinner.

Hosted by Shames Construction

Dinner at Peohe’s within walking distance of the Marriott. Eat, drink, and relax with your new and old connections!

Presented by Roger Kleckner

Your money can take you places! Learn how to make your money actually work for you and create a strategy to maximize your points, miles, and cash back.