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Mr. Simpson founded Gradelta Engineering in 2020 with the intent to help clients better understand the combination of geotechnical and structural engineering that he has worked with for the past 20 years. He earned his B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently provides engineering services to contractors and fellow engineers for earth structure pricing, along with the plans and calculations needed for construction. He frequently consults with clients regarding the optimal structure type and location on the construction site to minimize risk and maximize useable space. He also works in the education sector providing not just seminars such as this one, but also acting as a subject matter expert creating study guide and test prep content for the NCEES Professional Civil Engineer exam. Mr. Simpson has also worked with lawyers and insurance companies during forensic investigation and lawsuits surrounding retaining walls and slope failures. His hope is that through the instructional services that he currently provides, slopes will remain stable and retaining wall failure will be eliminated.

Mr. D’Aloisio is a principal with Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt, a structural engineering, landscape architecture, and building envelope services firm in East Syracuse, New York. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he is a registered professional engineer in New York. He is a member and past president (1997-1998) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Syracuse Section, and a member of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and the Structural Engineers Association of New York State (SEAoNY). 

Mr. D’Aloisio has served on ASCE/SEI’s Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations Committee, the Structural Condition Assessment of Existing Buildings Committee, and the SEI Sustainability Committee. Mr. D’Aloisio received the Order of the Engineer at Syracuse University in 1997. 

His 30-plus years of experience as a consulting structural engineer has primarily involved the design of new building structures, additions, and modifications, and analyses, assessments, and investigations of structures and facades. Mr. D’Aloisio has performed structural condition reviews of over 15 million square feet of buildings, and he has performed over 150 structural forensic investigations. He has presented over 300 times. 

Mr. Iliff has been a certified building official for 10+ years serving communities in Texas, Illinois, and Missouri. He has taught classes on the residential, building, and property maintenance codes with a focus on preparing students for certification exams and effective administration. Mr. Iliff has 30+ years of experience as a city planner, floodplain manager, and code enforcement officer. He earned an undergraduate degree in Urban Planning and Development from Ball State University.

Ms. Blake Salami’s heartfelt mission revolves around supporting families in crafting comprehensive estate plans that not only safeguard their assets but also honor their inherent dignity. With over a decade of dedicated experience in elder law, estate planning, disability rights, and social justice, her passion lies in serving the unique needs of older adults, strategizing with families, and advocating for individuals with psychiatric, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. Beyond her professional pursuits, she finds immeasurable joy in being a devoted wife and mother of two precious children. Family is the bedrock of her values, and this understanding deeply influences her approach to legal practice. Through her journey, she has had the privilege of successfully representing clients in federal and state courts, administrative hearings, and special proceedings. She champions their rights and interests in critical matters, including Medicaid eligibility, guardianship, probate, and civil rights. Ms. Blake Salami is licensed to practice law in both Georgia and New York. She is also a licensed social worker. This multidimensional background allows her to provide a holistic and empathetic perspective to her clients. Together, she wants to build strong families and resilient communities, where every individual’s rights and dignity are cherished.

Mr. Davidson is proud to have a staff that matches his ideals and beliefs in doing whatever it takes to help their clients. Together, they are happy to tackle any concerns you may have for you or your loved ones. He is a devoted father of three grown boys and husband to his lovely wife, Rhonda. Mr. Davidson Christian faith and family are most important to him. He has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of estate planning, elder law, guardianships, probate and administration, trusts and wills, veteran pensions, and special needs planning. Mr. Davidson is dedicated to helping individuals and families plan for the future. He also understands the stress and legal issues involved in dealing with families in the midst of a crisis such as a loved one going into a nursing home or passing away. Mr. Davidson received his J.D. at Cumberland School of Law, Samford University and his Master of Laws in Taxation from The University of Florida Levin.

Ms. Geerdes has established herself as one of the premier trial and asset protection attorneys in the United States. Due to her experience and expertise, She also has extensive management and leadership experience in coordinating state-wide projects for professional legal development related to improving the caliber of attorneys, having trained everyone from novice attorneys to veteran judges on legal practice and the law. Ms. Geerdes highly successful legal career in the state governments also enabled her to develop and maintain close ties with both the local State Legislatures and the State Bars to oversee and litigate the most important legal issues pending in the United States and the local States. She is now one of the most sought-after attorneys to train lawyers across the United States in the area of estate planning, elder law, and asset protection, supervising over 50 attorneys in the United States who specialize in the complex area of asset protection.

Mr. Mullis primarily practices in Elder Law and Estate Planning with Anderson, Walker & Reichert, LLP in Macon, GA, with an additional practice focus on Investigations and Compliance. He received his law degree from Mercer University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tampa. Mr. Mullis served as a Judge Advocate General’s Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring in 2016. His JAG career included estate planning for Soldiers and their family members as well as advice on tax and benefits. Mr. Mullis has unique experience with government benefit programs from his prior concurrent work as a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Special Agent. During his 20+ year career as a DoD Agent, his work often examined Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs disability and healthcare services and billing, as well as other benefit programs such as Social Security and SSI. Mr. Mullis’s seasoned experience with program coverages, cost share, exclusions, and alternatives to insurance delivers an insider perspective to learning government benefits. His practice with Anderson, Walker & Reichert provides clients with advice and planning support for decisions on future funding of medical cost share, long-term care costs, available options, and qualifying for Medicaid and Veteran benefits, as well as tax-advantaged trusts to implement asset protection goals. Mr. Mullis assists clients with understanding Medicare limitations for long-term care and hospice as well as educating clients on its several coverage parts. He also gives clients information to help them choose whether to enroll with Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. Mr. Mullis is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Mr. Curtiss is a lifelong Alaskan. In his time at Pannone Engineering Services, LLC., he has specialized in the permitting, design, and construction of residential and commercial wastewater systems. With years of experience across both rural and urban Alaska, he has been involved in projects ranging from small-scale residential systems to larger commercial operations. Mr. Curtiss experience extends to both water and wastewater system design throughout the state, considering the unique environmental challenges that Alaska presents. In addition to water and wastewater systems, He brings hands on experience and knowledge associated with civil site design and large earthworks projects. Mr. Curtiss’s practical approach to engineering ensures that the construction process is streamlined and tailored to the specific requirements of each site and the contractors involved. With a strong focus on functionality and sustainability, he has played a key role in the success of numerous developments across the state.

Mr. Pannone is a registered civil and Environmental engineer specializing in the planning, design and construction of sanitation facilities. He is a lifelong Alaskan with more than 40 years of engineering and construction experience. Mr. Pannone’s background includes experience in survey, design, construction, testing and monitoring of engineered projects. He has worked all over the state of Alaska, including extensive time in the arctic and remote regions. Mr. Pannone takes a practical approach to design, considering who is going to be doing the construction and how it will be done. He has hands-on experience in the construction of water and wastewater systems, buildings and large earth works projects. Mr. Pannone is a certified ADEC water/wastewater designer and sanitary surveyor. He is the founder of Pannone Engineering Services LLC. This privately-owned company was founded in February of 1991. The company specializes in the design, testing and installation of on-site water and wastewater systems. Pannone Engineering Services (PES) have performed engineering designs, analysis and evaluations of water and wastewater systems throughout Alaska. The types of systems have ranged from small single-family septic systems to large commercial systems serving greater than 100 people daily. PES typically tests between 90 and 150 septic systems a year and designs approximately 50 to 75 new or upgraded systems. PES has an excellent working relationship with the Municipality of Anchorage and the State Department of Environmental Conservation. Mr. Pannone is licensed in
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Florida.

Mr. Adams is CEO of 1UP Aerial Drone Service, which sells drones and sensors, and provides expert consultation & aerial services to a range of industries, including engineering, commercial real estate, land development, construction, insurance, forensic science, & surveying. Mr. Adams is an FAA Part 107 certified pilot, and a tenured information technology and cloud industry veteran who has spent more than 25 years in the high-tech industry: the last 7 in UAS, AI, and machine learning.

Mr. Montezuma leads Wanu Organics PLLC, a consulting firm focused on organic waste recycling and composting, working with clients to develop and improve programs and infrastructure. He has over 13 years of experience working in the public and private sectors. Before Wanu, Mr. Montezuma led the engineering team for Atlas Organics, overseeing design, permitting, compliance, and technical assistance for 13 composting operations across 7 states. Additionally, he worked for NC DEQ, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Smith Gardner, and Peace Corps. He has worked on more than 30 and visited over 100 small and large composting operations across the country. Mr. Montezuma served on US Composting Council (USCC) and NC Composting Council Board of Directors and was an active member of the CA and MD/DC USCC state chapters. He participated in the development of the USCC Model Zoning Template and Guidelines and is a contributor to BioCycle Magazine. Notably, for over a decade, Mr. Montezuma has trained composting professionals through the NC Compost Operations Training Course. He is also a USDA-APHIS Composting Subject Matter Expert assisting in emergency animal mortality events. Mr. Montezuma holds a B.S. in environmental engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a Master’s in agricultural and biological engineering from NC State University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in NC, SC, MD, FL, and CO and lives in Hillsborough, NC.

Mr. Sivigny has over 32 years of work experience in enforcement of the Minnesota Building Codes in both rural and metropolitan settings. He has spent many years in the industry as a code official and a construction manager. Mr. Sivigny is known nationally for his work in residential building codes, building durability issues, building science, air quality control, radon, energy and green building issues. He has traveled the country teaching these topics and has often been a featured speaker both locally and nationally on these topics as well.

Prior to his service at TVA, Mr. Savage was in private survey practice for 10 years specializing in dispute resolution and expert witness services. He has surveyed several disputed state boundaries to resolve jurisdictional conflicts. Mr. Savage is an adjunct professor at Cleveland State Community College where he teaches courses in boundary law, geodesy, GIS, and surveying fundamentals. He has researched and retraced the historical surveys of Henry David Thoreau and has published several articles on the subject. Mr. Savage teaches exam review and continuing education seminars at various state and local conferences across the country.

Mr. Spalding is a Member at Stoll Keenon Ogden, joining the firm in 2019 and working out of the Louisville, Ky., office. He is highly skilled in zoning matters, including changes to district development plans, variances, conditional use permits, waivers, and other administrative approvals. Additionally, Mr. Spalding has appeared on behalf of clients before zoning authorities in multiple counties in Kentucky on a variety of real estate classes, including retail, educational, and residential. As a member of the firm’s Real Estate, Corporate Finance & Lending, and Business Services practice groups, he is experienced in a range of complex real estate transactions. Prior to joining Stoll Keenon Ogden, Mr. Spalding worked in private practice at a large regional law firm, where he assisted institutional lending clients in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loan originations and warehouse line financings throughout the United States with interests of more than $250 million. He also served as in-house counsel for a regional real estate development and management firm.

Ms. Wimberly has been with the firm since 2016. She focuses on Utility & Energy law and has over five years of experience representing utility companies throughout Kentucky and Virginia. Ms. Wimberly assists electric, gas, and water utilities in a range of regulatory matters, including rate cases, certificate of public convenience and necessity proceedings, change of control proceedings, fuel filings, and environmental surcharge cases. She also has significant experience representing utilities in eminent domain lawsuits to secure property rights to construct utility infrastructure.

Ms. Kay assists Florida’s families as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law and Appellate Mediator and a collaborative attorney. She also extends her expertise to solo and small firms throughout Florida with freelance research, writing, and consulting services. Ms. Kay served as the chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar during its 50th anniversary year (2023-2024), as president of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (2017-2018), president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Leadership Institute Class of 2013, and the co-chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association 5k Pro Bono River Run Committee in 2013 and 2014. Ms. Kay is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She holds a J.D. degree, a master’s degree in Education and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

Ms. Kopp has been the managing attorney of multiple PIP departments at several prominent law firms in Palm Beach County, running both the prelitigation and litigation departments. As Managing PIP attorney at this firm, she and her team have represented prominent hospitals, orthopedics, chiropractors, urgent care facilities, radiologists, and physical therapists throughout the State of Florida in the recovery of unpaid PIP claims, resulting in millions of dollars being recovered in judgments and settlements against insurance companies. Ms. Kopp’s involvement in litigating PIP claims has resulted in creating leading Case Law in the area of PIP. Her knowledge and expertise in complicated PIP issues has been published under Florida Law Weekly to be relied upon and followed when applying the PIP law. Ms. Kopp was the first attorney in Florida to create case law on a specific topic in PIP, and led a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) hosted by Palm Beach County Bar on the topic of, “Navigating Billing Issues Involved in PIP Claims.” She continues to focus on teaching attorneys who represent both Plaintiffs and Defendants on how to properly calculate the amount owed in reimbursement of PIP bills and how to properly adjust the remaining balances on bills. Graduating from Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law at the top 5% of her graduating class, Ms. Kopp was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2009. She first served as a Judicial Clerk for Judge Peter Evan in the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, before specializing in the areas of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) litigation and first party litigation. Ms. Kopp is a member of the Palm Beach County Justice Association, and the Palm Beach County Bar Association.

Mr. Ricci was born and raised in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He is a graduate of The Benjamin School (1997), Georgetown College (2001), and Georgetown University Law Center (2006). Since joining the firm in 2008, Mr. Ricci has successfully tried numerous personal injury and wrongful death cases to verdict and obtained significant settlements on behalf of his clients. He has advocated for his clients in complicated cases involving product defects, medical malpractice, automobile negligence, and premises liability. Mr. Ricci is a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. Board certified lawyers have met The Florida Bar’s highest standards for special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in the practice of law. Before attending law school, he worked in Washington, D.C. as an auto safety policy analyst at Public Citizen, the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit consumer advocacy organization. While working for Public Citizen, he worked to strengthen federal motor vehicle safety standards and other consumer protection laws. Mr. Ricci is admitted to practice in the Northern, Middle, and Southern Federal District Courts in Florida. He is a member of The Florida Bar, Palm Beach County Bar Association, Palm Beach County Justice Association, Florida Justice Association, American Association for Justice, and Attorneys Information Exchange Group. Mr. Ricci is an emeritus member of the Craig S. Barnard Inns of Court. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© from 2012 through the present.

Mr. McConnell’s parking design and consulting experience encompasses nearly 30 years of work with airports, government, military, transit, higher education, resort, healthcare, and corporate clients. He is a member of the National Parking Association’s Parking Consultants Council and a founding member of ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute. He is well-versed in precast concrete, cast-in-place concrete, and steel construction. Mr. McConnell’s experience includes numerous restorations, parking study, and programming projects. Several of his projects have received LEED certification, and he is an accredited GBCI Parksmart Advisor.

After working in engineering and design management with award-winning structural and construction firms for nearly 10 years, Mr. Woods founded his own firm, Woods Residential Engineering & Inspection. Mr. Woods is a licensed professional engineer in multiple states, and he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering (with a focus on structures) from Washington University in St. Louis. He has earned “Accredited Professional” status from the U.S. Green Building Council. Mr. Woods is a member of the Woods Educational Enrichment Foundation, The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) (director of programs for the Chicago professional chapter), The American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois.

Ms. Bowman is a sole proprietor, practicing in dispute resolution, estate planning, civil engineering, real estate, legal services, strategic development, and training. She is experienced in dispute resolution, estate planning and administration, engineering design and forensic analysis, construction/project management, real estate, small business start-up, employment law, and nonprofit support. She is a registered professional engineer and a certified arbitrator and mediator. Mrs. Bowman writes a column for the PE Reporter, “Risky Business,” and she lectures for the Community College of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania State University, the Washington County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, and others. She earned her B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of North Dakota, her M.B.A. degree from Oklahoma University, and her J.D. degree from Duquesne University. She recently joined the National Society of Professional Engineers as their Senior Director of Ethics and Professional Practice.

Ms. Baker practice focuses on elder law (including Medicaid and asset protection planning), disability law (including special needs trust law), and estate planning. She is licensed in Minnesota. Ms. Baker earned her B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Mr. Estle is practices in the areas of elder law, Medical Assistance planning, probate and trust administration, and general estate planning. He routinely represents clients with elder law issues, focusing on the costs and considerations of long-term care and elder health. Mr. Estle practices with an exclusive estate planning and administration and elder law focus. He received his B.A. from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and his J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Estle is admitted to practice in Minnesota and is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association. He is a Board member on the Minnesota Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

Ms. Frasier practices and counsels clients about elder law issues, such as long-term care and asset preservation planning, medical assistance and veterans benefits, as well as guardianship and conservatorship, special needs and disability planning, estate planning, and probate and trust administration. She received her B.A. from Carleton College and her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Ms. Frasier is licensed to practice law in Minnesota State Court and is an accredited attorney for veterans benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In his thirty years of practicing law, Mr. Rephan has focused his practice primarily in the areas of elder law, disability law (including special needs trust law), government benefits law, and veterans law. He has successfully litigated class actions and individual actions on behalf of government benefits recipients. Mr. Rephan has also participated in successful legislative initiatives to increase the rights of persons appealing to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, as well as other rights of government benefits recipients.

Mr. Simpson founded Gradelta Engineering in 2020 with the intent to help clients better understand the combination of geotechnical and structural engineering that he has worked with for the past 20 years. He earned his B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently provides engineering services to contractors and fellow engineers for earth structure pricing, along with the plans and calculations needed for construction. He frequently consults with clients regarding the optimal structure type and location on the construction site to minimize risk and maximize useable space. He also works in the education sector providing not just seminars such as this one, but also acting as a subject matter expert creating study guide and test prep content for the NCEES Professional Civil Engineer exam. Mr. Simpson has also worked with lawyers and insurance companies during forensic investigation and lawsuits surrounding retaining walls and slope failures. His hope is that through the instructional services that he currently provides, slopes will remain stable and retaining wall failure will be eliminated.

Mr. Arendsen is the Founder & CEO of On the Level General & Factory Built Home Contractors INC. dba Crest Homes. They provide factory-built ADUs. Their services include but are not limited to site evaluation and feasibility, engineering, site preparation, grading, excavation, drainage, utilities, permitting, transportation, and installation of Manufactured ADUs. Additionally, they provide the construction of ancillary items i.e. driveways, walkways, stairs, patios, decks, garages, etc. They also offer consulting services throughout San Diego County. He is also a dealer for Crest Backyard Homes and a broker for TAG Real Estate Sales and Investments. Crest Backyard Homes is a full-service, one-stop, turnkey, family-owned and operated design, build, Manufactured Home Dealer. They offer planning, layout, design, factory order facilitation, and liaison services between our client, the factory, contractors, transporters, crane, and utility services when required. They also work in conjunction with On the Level to coordinate and facilitate our projects. TAG offers real estate services for home buyers and investors seeking backyard homes aka ‘ADU’ viable properties and/or properties with existing backyard homes. This service can save you a tremendous amount of time and money when looking for a property that you can add an ADU to. We also provide Investment, development, and Property Management services. On the Level, Crest Homes, and TAG Real Estate also offers Consulting, and Troubleshooting services in the Manufactured Home industry. Combined, our family-owned businesses provide a one-stop, turnkey solution for most residential construction and ADU projects. With over 100 years of experience in real estate, construction, design, development, and property management there is virtually nothing we can’t provide our clients with.

Mr. Brinker is responsible for all operations at Griham Living. He brings a unique blend of hands-on real estate development and underwriting experience. Mr. Brinker has led the underwriting and acquisition of over 5000 single family homes and designed a proprietary neighborhood investment rating (NIR) to calibrate risk/reward on real estate investments. He has also led the design of a scalable platform to deploy capital and directed the full investment cycle from sourcing, underwriting to acquisitions and closing. Mr. Brinker enjoys traveling around the world and playing beach volleyball at Huntington Beach where he lives.

Ms. Christian is a nationally recognized ADU expert, speaking at ADU events for planning departments, real estate boards and recently at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. She is a licensed instructor for the requisite course for the ADU Specialist designation through Earth Advantage. Additionally, Ms. Christian was an instructor at the national ADU Academy 2022. She has served on a number of committees at the Casita Coalition to further small housing legislation, building code and lending opportunities. Ms. Christian combines her professional leadership experience in the fields of real estate, architecture, engineering and construction in her endeavor to tackle California’s housing crisis one Sidekick at a time. In this endeavor, she returns to her building roots where she began working with the family construction business at age 14. By the time she graduated high school, she had experience in all aspects of residential home building from foundations to final finishes. Ms. Christian holds a master’s degree in organizational systems with a certificate in Building a Sustainable World from Saybrook University. When she is not helping homeowners with their ADU projects, she enjoys playing urban farmer in her backyard garden with her four-legged companions, Zuri and Mister.

Mr. Peterson is an ADU expert based in Portland, Oregon, who has helped catalyze the exponential growth of ADUs in Portland over the last decade through ADU advocacy, education, consulting, policy work, and entrepreneurship through his company, Accessory Dwelling Strategies LLC. He also edits and manages AccessoryDwellings.org and BuildinganADU.com. Mr. Peterson is the author of Backdoor Revolution-The Definitive Guide to ADU Development. He consults with homeowners about ADUs on their property, and teaches ADU classes for homeowners and for real estate agents in Oregon, Washington, and California. Mr. Peterson served on the technical and rules advisory committees for Oregon’s House Bill 2001 to overhaul municipal residential zoning standards to allow for middle housing throughout Oregon. He also co-runs ADU Academy and the ADU Specialist designation for professionals with Earth Advantage. Mr. Peterson founded Caravan- The Tiny House Hotel, the first tiny house hotel in the world, and operates Tiny Hookups LLC, a general contracting company that installs RV hookups on residential properties, which are a permittable form of dwelling in Portland. He developed and lived in a detached new construction ADU in 2011, and developed a basement/garage conversion ADU in 2018. Mr. Peterson has a masters degree in environmental planning from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Prior to his ADU work, he worked in the federal government for ten years in Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon.

Ms. Silva is a seasoned marketing and sales professional with over 20 years of experience across various industries. As the Owner and CEO of Little Home Builder in Denver, CO, she leads a firm specializing in accessory dwelling units (ADUs), focusing on creating affordable and flexible housing solutions. She manages all aspects of the business, from vendor selection to sustainable design and customer satisfaction, ensuring the company’s alignment with its mission and goals. Before founding Little Home Builder, Ms. Silva held senior roles at Bright Horizons and Right Management Talent Solutions (Manpower Group). As Senior Director at Bright Horizons, she transformed business development, tripling the B2B pipeline value. At Right Management, she excelled as VP of Sales, where her team doubled new enterprise logo wins in the first year, and as Director of Client Services, driving significant client portfolio growth. Earlier in her career, She gained valuable experience in sales, training, and leadership through roles at Virtual Offices, Robert Half International, and Nord Capital Group. Ms. Silva holds a Master of Business Administration from West Texas A&M, where she was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Scholastic Honor Society, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Colorado, In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is dedicated to community service, volunteering as a Career Coach for disadvantaged adults in Colorado and as a delivery driver for Meals on Wheels. Known for her strategic vision and collaborative leadership, Ms. Silva is a dynamic and impactful leader in the construction and marketing industries.

Ms. Anderson earned her BBA degree from the University of Iowa, her MBA degree from Drake University and her J.D. degree from Drake University Law School.

Michael Gau earned his J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Ms. Hess’s practice areas include Litigation, Family and Divorce Law, Personal Injury and Corporate Defense. She earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Loras and her J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Ms. Wordehoff is an Adjunct faculty with Des Moines Area Community College teaching paralegals students Introduction to Technology and eDiscovery and Legal Research and Writing I. She is also a freelance independent legal consultant in which she consults and performs litigation support on legal writing and research, deposition preparation, document review, e-discovery, drafting of discovery requests, drafting complaints//petitions, answering complaints/petitions, motions for summary judgment and client relations. Ms. Wordehoff earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, her Master’s degree from Syracuse University-Maxwell School, and her J.D. degree from Syracuse University School of Law.

Ms. Bowman is a sole proprietor, practicing in dispute resolution, estate planning, civil engineering, real estate, legal services, strategic development, and training. She is experienced in dispute resolution, estate planning and administration, engineering design and forensic analysis, construction/project management, real estate, small business start-up, employment law, and nonprofit support. She is a registered professional engineer and a certified arbitrator and mediator. Mrs. Bowman writes a column for the PE Reporter, “Risky Business,” and she lectures for the Community College of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania State University, the Washington County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, and others. She earned her B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of North Dakota, her M.B.A. degree from Oklahoma University, and her J.D. degree from Duquesne University. She recently joined the National Society of Professional Engineers as their Senior Director of Ethics and Professional Practice.

Mr. Moore is a Certified Insurance Counselor and Licensed Insurance Counselor who has specialized in insuring architects, engineers, environmental consultants, and surveyors for nearly 30 years. He is past president of a/e ProNet, previous chair of the City of Hillsdale Planning Commission, and trustee on the Hillsdale Community Schools Board of Education from 2019-2025 and was active with the Exchange Club of Hillsdale for nearly 25 years. Moore Insurance Services was founded in 1894 as the W.D. Taylor Agency, Charles L. Moore purchased the agency in 1968, and the Moore family has continued providing the professional and personal insurance service that William Dempster Taylor started 132 years ago.

Mr. Pempus has been a risk manager for more than 18 years, with experience in architecture, engineering, land use, law and professional liability insurance, and a unique and well-rounded background in the construction industry. Prior to risk management, he has 25 years of experience in the practice of architecture and engineering, and as an adjunct professor teaching professional practice courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels for the last 37 years. As a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and AIA National Ethics Council 2021 chair, he has demonstrated his impact on the architectural profession. He is a licensed architect, attorney and property and casualty insurance agent. 

Mr. Sherman is a member of Prince Lobel’s Construction and Business Transactions practice groups. He is an experienced construction attorney with significant construction transactional, consulting, and litigation experience. In this capacity, Mr. Sherman assists construction project owners, developers, general contractors, construction management firms, subcontractors, and material suppliers with realtime project consulting, drafting and negotiating all manner of construction agreements and forms, and with prosecuting and defending construction disputes. Mr. Sherman advises clients during the construction delivery process, assisting with the drafting and review of all forms of design, construction, and consultant agreements. He has experience preparing, negotiating, and amending the standard suite of industry form agreements (e.g., AIA, DBIA, and ConsensusDocs) and preparing other forms of agreement like EPC agreements, construction management agreements, surety forms, guaranteed maximum price contracts, purchase orders, master service agreements, and other ancillary documents used for, by, and with construction project owners and developers, construction management firms, subcontractors, design professionals, and material suppliers.

Mr. Stoner has successfully defended claims against design professionals for design defects, tortious interference, failure to inspect, and damages for delay, and he has handled contractor claims and surety and lien claims. In addition, he frequently represents shareholders in various business disputes, including breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and usurpation of corporate opportunity. Mr. Stoner has successfully tried cases in both state and federal courts. His contributions to the legal profession are not limited to the courtroom. He has lectured extensively on various risk management issues for design professionals on areas such as contract drafting, project documentation, claims handling, and other issues that typically arise during a construction project. Mr. Stoner earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Political Science from Indiana University and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Toledo College of Law. 

At the firm, Mr. Vyas handles legal matters in the realm of construction, contracts, patents, and more. In the construction law world, he represents a wide variety of clients ranging from contractors and owners to engineers and subcontractors. Mr. Vyas has garnered the attention of many attorneys and engineers alike in a short time since opening his own law firm in 2018. This has brought him recognition on a national and global scale with his handling negotiations, mediation, and arbitration internationally in addition to his domestic law practice. Mr. Vyas has organized symposiums to discuss construction law issues and spoken at various conferences and internal construction company events about how to best manage and mitigate legal risk in engineering and construction projects. In 2018, the same year He opened his law firm, he was awarded the Clients’ Choice Award. Since becoming an attorney, Mr. Vyas has collected numerous accolades including consecutively being selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. He enjoys the life of being a true solo attorney law firm. It allows him to truly connect to each of his clients and address their needs directly. Mr. Vyas regularly posts to his law firm’s blog and on social media channels @SAVLawFirm. While connecting with clients is his favorite activity, he also stays regularly connected with his peers and new topics in the field of engineering and law as he is a member of over a dozen unique associations, institutions, bars, and programs across the globe.

Mr. Gallo is a civil engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the areas of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure design, rehabilitation, and construction. He has worked in both consulting and government and is currently a consulting engineer with Mead and Hunt. He is skilled in the design of wastewater and storm water conveyance systems, USACE levee systems, combined sewer overflow (CSO) design, water and sewer rehabilitation, construction, and contract management. He is a past NASSCO certified CIPP inspector, and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC.

Mr. Simpson founded Gradelta Engineering in 2020 with the intent to help clients better understand the combination of geotechnical and structural engineering that he has worked with for the past 20 years. He earned his B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently provides engineering services to contractors and fellow engineers for earth structure pricing, along with the plans and calculations needed for construction. He frequently consults with clients regarding the optimal structure type and location on the construction site to minimize risk and maximize useable space. He also works in the education sector providing not just seminars such as this one, but also acting as a subject matter expert creating study guide and test prep content for the NCEES Professional Civil Engineer exam. Mr. Simpson has also worked with lawyers and insurance companies during forensic investigation and lawsuits surrounding retaining walls and slope failures. His hope is that through the instructional services that he currently provides, slopes will remain stable and retaining wall failure will be eliminated.