Speakers

2026 Speakers

The 2026 Northeast Symposium Planning Committee is working hard to confirm speakers for the upcoming event. Below is our current list, which is subject to change as we continue to lock in speakers: 

Claims and Dispute Resolution (CDR)

  • Comparative Study: Time Impact Analysis (TIA) vs. Window Analysis vs. As-Planned vs. As-Built Methods in Forensic Schedule Analysis, Pushpa Rajashekar (Jois Construction Management)
  • How Unbalanced Risk Transfer is Breaking the Design-Build Model, Mohammed Khalifa (Orascom Construction, USA) and Khaled Aziza EVP PSP (Delta Consulting Group)
  • Concurrent Delays in the Digital Era: Lessons from a Post-Pandemic Construction Landscape, Amanda Grisanti (Exponent) and Minathi Nambi (Exponent)
  • Delay and Disputes: Bridging Technical and Legal Perspectives, Hala Marvan PSP (Vertex) and Karim Nagui CCP (Vertex)
  • Ethics Challenges for Construction Expert Witnesses, Mark Sanders CCP CFCC PSP (QDR International, LLC)
  • Building the Bridge: From Delay Days to Defensible Dollars, Jacob Catt (J.S. Held LLC) and Thomas Weng (J.S. Held LLC)
  • Expert Testimony in the Era of Artificial Intelligence Support, Chris Carson, FAACE, PSP, CEP, DRMP (Arcadis) and Bryan Van Lenten PE, PSP (Arcadis)
  • Enhancing the As-Planned vs. As-Built: The Discrete Progress Delay Method, Javier Arniella PSP (HKA)
  • Construction Law Basics for Project Controls Professionals, Goutam Jois (Jois Construction Management)
  • Forensic Schedule Analysis of the Bar Club Fight Scene in the movie The Equalizer (2014), Pio Rene Y. Tortola PSP (Jois Construction Management)
  • Beyond the Obvious Delay – Modern Techniques for Rapid, Defensible Forensic Schedule Analysis, Brian Leach (Steelray Software)

Cost/Schedule Control (CSC)

  • Resultado Pendiente: Quantifying the Gap Between Executed Work and Recognized Profit, Ruben Bazalar (Bechtel Corporation)
  • Developing a Useable Work Breakdown Structure, Kyle Palmer CCP (K2 Inc.) and Dan Melamed, CCP, EVP, FAACE (Dept. of Energy)
  • Enhancing Project Control Technique Application — Turning Missteps into Mastery, Paul Williams (Pathfinder LLC)

Data Science and Advanced Analytics (DSAA)

  • Empowering Citizen Developers: Advancing Analytics and Automation with Python in Excel, Zelalem Hailu (DC Water)
  • Leveraging AI Enabled Excel for Construction Estimating and Schedule Delay Analysis, Christopher Grove (BRG), Zack Ralli (BRG), and Andrew Barclay (BRG)
  • AI-Assisted Schedule Analysis: Improving Accuracy and Efficiency, Michael Kehoe (IP System 3)

Estimating (EST)

  • Implementing AACE Cost Estimating Frameworks on NNSA Projects, Michael Nosbisch, CCP PSP FAACE (SMSI, LLC)
  • Integrating Estimate Plans and Basis Documents for Higher-Quality Cost Earlier Process Plant Project Estimates, Christopher Kinney (Estimateur LLC)

Planning and Scheduling (PS)

Professional Development (DEV)

Project Management (PM)

  • Planning World-Scale Pharmaceutical Capital Projects in the U.S, Stephen Cabano (Pathfinder, LLC)
  • A Discussion of an Integrated Baseline Review for a Department of Energy Cleanup Site, Dan Melamed, CCP, EVP, FAACE (Dept. of Energy)
  • Building NATO’s Shield: Missile Defense Construction in Poland, Alex Bachowski, P.E., PSP (Long International, Inc.)

Total Cost Management (TCM)

  • Maiden in the Tower: The Intersection of MBSE and Cost Estimating, Stephen Koellner (Augur Consulting, Inc.)
  • Cost Management from Abacus to AI, Allen C. Hamilton CCP (Project Management Associates LLC)
  • Bridging TCM and the 8 Value Drivers: Thinking Like an Owner, Christian M. Blanco (Bureau Veritas North America)

Panel Discussion

  • Rising Professionals Committee (RPC) and Women in Project Controls (WPC) Presents a Panel Discussion for University of Maryland students - Topic TBA