REGISTRATION

EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The educational breakout sessions will take place in the Palo Verde ballrooms starting at 11am. The Palo Verde ballrooms are adjacent to the main EXPO spaces. Look for signage to direct you to the right places. Separate registration for the educational sessions is not required. Simply walk over and attend the topics that will be the most helpful! Topics and speakers are shown below.

1. Strategies for Doing Business in an Uncertain Market (11 - 11:45 a.m.)

The Arizona transportation and construction markets are experiencing significant uncertainty due to forces well outside our control. From tariffs to funding challenges, the high cost of capital and more, come hear from high level experts on how very sophisticated firms are preparing and handling the volatile market. Topics to include: tariffs, contingencies, contract language and a fair balance of sharing risk.

Topics to include:
Tariffs, contingencies, contract language and a fair balance of sharing risk.

TED CHAMBERLAIN

Project Director | Sundt Construction

Ted has over 30 years of industry experience in construction. Ted currently works as a Project Director for Sundt Construction in Tempe, AZ where he pursues large alternate delivery projects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction and will receive his MBA this fall. Ted is a state licensed construction manager (ID), a Certified Professional Constructor and Fellow of the American Institute of Constructors, a Certified Construction Manager by the Construction Management Association of America, and a Designated Design Build Professional by the Design Build Institute of America. During his career Ted has worked on a variety of projects including roads, highways, buildings, water/wastewater, rail, airports, mines, and broadband infrastructure. His work history includes estimating and managing projects throughout the Western U.S. including several high-profile, design-build mega projects.

RICH GOHL

Vice President, Preconstruction Manager | Sundt Construction

Rich Gohl has 37 years of vertical construction estimating, pre-construction management, construction management and project leadership experience, the majority of which has been building and leading high-performing preconstruction teams and developing preconstruction professionals. In his current role as vice president and preconstruction manager of Sundt’s Building Group in the Southwest District, Rich’s genuine enthusiasm for construction, combined with his experience and depth of knowledge, makes him a natural leader in his field. He believes the greatest opportunity to create project value is in harnessing and focusing the creative expertise of the design professionals, the construction savvy of master-builders, and the technical knowledge of strategic specialty trade partners on fulfilling the client’s goals during the design phase. Rich says, “seeing my teams thrive, like receiving perfect 10 out of 10 client preconstruction-phase satisfaction surveys and seeing an estimator that I hired out of college being promoted to vice president, the position that I held when I hired him, are the accomplishments that I am most proud of.”

Rich’s preconstruction project experience encompasses a wide range of industries and project types including warehouses, manufacturing, retail, datacenters, hospitality, residential, healthcare, class A office, mega resort, gaming, and sports arenas. Highlights include City Center and Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Gila River Arena in Glendale Arizona, Phoenix Downtown Sheraton, Marriott Renaissance Las Vegas, The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, Hudson Yards New York, and Union Tempe Apartments

2. Do This, Not That—Review of Marketing Materials from the Experts (11:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)

Have you ever wondered what makes a good marketing piece? Do you want to know how your website or resume could be improved?
If so, you don’t want to miss this breakout session!

Marketing experts Brandi Barr and Tonia Swanson will showcase good and bad examples of the following common marketing materials:

  1. A simple company website
  2. A key person’s resume
  3. A project profile used in a proposal

They will talk through what elements are present in both the good and bad examples shown so attendees can walk away with substantial advice on some of the most commonly used marketing pieces in the Arizona Transportation industry.

BRANDI BARR

Chief Creative Marketing Strategist | Above Barr Marketing

Brandi has 25+ years of marketing experience. She is recognized for winning work and bringing out the best of a pursuit team while driving teams towards the deadline. Experienced Strategist, Outside-the-Box Thinker, Skilled in Marketing Management and Operations, Research, Strategy, Proposals, Presentations, Business Development, Coaching, and Graphic Design. Award-winning Marketer of the Year, Best Pursuit and Best Proposal from SMPS Arizona.

MARGARET KINSEY

Director, Design & Pursuits| Small Giants

Margaret Kinsey is the Director of Design and Pursuits at Small Giants, where she merges design expertise with strategic marketing to support clients. With a degree in graphic design and a deep understanding of the AEC industry, Margaret leads the development of compelling proposals, presentations, and marketing materials that elevate brand visibility and win work.

Margaret’s dedication to her work is evident in her nearly 10 years of specialized experience in the AEC industry. At Small Giants, Margaret leads teams in designing branded collateral and contributes to strategy, messaging, and project planning for key deliverables. 

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

TONIA SWANSON

Creative Director, Owner | Dovetail Design

A passion for creative design with functionality, Tonia brings over 20 years developing, designing, and producing a variety of print and digital collateral to Dovetail Design. She brings a unique perspective to marketing collateral, branding, newsletters, presentations, and RFP/proposal graphics. Tonia works with both large and small AEC companies on developing and executing winning proposals and interview collateral. She continually brings a fresh and new perspective to presenting proposal and interview layouts and graphics. 

3. Learn from the Pros—Advice from Certified DBE Firms Who Have Been There and Done That (11:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)

Learning from those that have already blazed a trail for themselves is one of the most impactful ways to learn as a small business owner.

Come to this breakout session if you are in need of a little bit of inspiration and maybe even a little bit of candor and blunt advice for your business. This informal roundtable-style discussion will have longtime certified DBE firms tell their story, imparting lessons learned along the way.

ANNEMARIE HAENFLER

Principal | ACS Services, LLC

Annemarie Haenfler is Principal of ACS SERVICES LLC. She was born in Germany, has a law degree from the University of Tübingen and gained American Citizenship in 2008. She and her husband Tom founded ACS SERVICES LLC in 2009 with Annemarie as the majority owner. The firm provides Geotechnical Engineering, Materials Testing and Drilling Services. As the primary owner, Annemarie is the qualifying party for the firm’s general contractor’s license and drilling license and holds several material testing certifications.
Annemarie has been recognized for her business acumen with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) DBE Trailblazer Award in 2015, the ADOT Shining Star Award in 2017 and received the ADOT Distinguished Service Award in recognition of dedicated service and advocacy as the DBE Taskforce Chair from 2015 to 2019. The firm received the Building Excellence Subcontractor of the year award in 2023 by AMCA and Annemarie received the SBA Arizona district Award in 2024.

CASSANDRA JOHNSON

Owner | CLJ Construction Consulting Services, LLC

Cassandra Johnson, an Arizona native and owner of CLJ Construction Consulting LLC, brings over 35 years of experience as a former ADOT employee, general contractor, subcontractor and as a consultant working on Federal projects. For over 25 years, she has held both supervisor and manager roles, overseeing construction administration documentation, record keeping, and contractor compliance. She has worked closely with multiple stakeholders, including ADOT, LPA/Sub-recipients (MCDOT, City of Phoenix, Other Municipalities), contractors, and federal agencies. Cassandra has extensive experience ensuring Contract Compliance. Cassandra is an expert in her field. Cassandra has a unique perspective since she has been on both sides of the contract.

ALICIA MENDOZA

Business Development Manager | AeroTech Mapping

Alicia is the Business Development Manager at AeroTech Mapping, where she leads geospatial business growth focusing on exceptional client service. With over 23 years of experience in sales and project management, she brings strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills. Alicia holds a Bachelor of Science degree, an Arizona real estate license, and is a certified PMP, with a deep understanding of risk, opportunity, and delivery in the A/E/C industry.