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Dr. Jairo Garcia develops innovative policies and educational programs to make communities and cities cleaner, sustainable, resilient, and equitable. He is the lead author of Atlanta’s Climate Action Plan, and he led a collaborative effort with more than 40 stakeholders to the 100 Resilient Cities application, awarded to the City of Atlanta in 2016. Dr. Garcia is a member of the Georgia Research Roadmap steering committee, an initiative of the Georgia Climate Project lead by University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Emory University, which has a goal of improving understanding of climate impacts and solutions in Georgia. He received the Individual Climate Leadership Award by the EPA in 2017 and the Green Ring Award by the Climate Reality Project. These awards recognized Dr. Garcia’s leadership in addressing climate change and engaging organizations, peers, and partners. He represented the Mayor of Atlanta at COP23 in Bonn, Germany, and he presented at an event organized by the International Urban Cooperation Programme related to global cooperation to address climate change. Dr. Garcia’s publications on urban sustainability, climate change and sustainability education are numerous. His academic experiences include a position as a research assistant and two teaching assistant positions at Columbia University, a faculty adjunct and thesis advisor position at Concordia University, and faculty adjunct positions for the UCLA-Extension Program, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Garcia holds an engineering degree, an MSc degree in Management of Information Technologies, an MSc degree in Sustainability Management, and a doctoral degree in Educational Technology and Sustainability.

Dr. Hindman serves as associate professor in the Sustainable Biomaterials department at Virginia Tech, where his research program focuses upon the efficient use of low-carbon, biological-based materials for construction. His research philosophy revolves around three principles related to wood materials: structure, safety, and sustainability. Dr. Hindman is a member of several professional organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Forest Products Society, and the National Frame Building Association. He holds a professional engineering license in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Moormann, PE, RA, earned a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is dually a licensed as a registered architect and a licensed Professional Engineer in the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other states and holds multiple professional affiliations and certifications. Mr. Moormann has spent a large portion of his 18+ year career involved in heavy construction and new building development in the New York City market under various capacities of geotechnical, excavations, demolition, remediation, and structural design works. Notable projects include MoMa Tower Verre; 432 Park Avenue; World Trade Center Towers 2, 3 & 4; 220 Central Park; Nordstrom Tower; and currently under construction 740 8th Avenue. Mr. Moormann has been directly involved with over 750 construction projects in the tri-state region. Additionally, he has held a technical director position in multiple engineering companies overseeing all special inspection operations. He is co-owner and principal of Ancora Engineering based out of mid-town Manhattan. Mr. Moormann also has his own private architecture and engineering practice focused on the local market around his New Jersey home.

CLM Engineering is a multi-faceted engineering firm offering construction management and engineering, and forensic investigations. Mr. Moskowitz is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Moskowitz earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine, his Master of Business Administration from the University of Bridgeport, his Master in Construction Administration from Columbia University, and his Certificate in Mediation from Quinnipiac College School of Law.

Ms. Boyd is a National Color & Design Manager for the commercial architectural & design industry. She is a subject matter expert on color theory, relationships of design & human behavior as it relates to color applied to the built environment; in addition to studying cultural trends as they inform the design industry. Ms. Boyd is a certified CEU & keynote presenter with hundreds of hours presenting to architectural & design industry professionals. In addition to working with PPG, she has been an adjunct professor at local colleges in their interior design programs for almost a decade now. She holds an Interior Design degree from the University of Missouri, a Masters of Architecture from the University of Kansas and an Art’s Certificate from the Kansas City Art Institute’s Graphic Program with a focus on environmental graphics.

Mr. Dupra has been in the wood flooring business his entire life. Growing up, his summer job was helping his father who was a flooring contractor. After college, he traveled the country as a sales engineer for Saint-Gobain, a company that made products for flooring contractors. His father started a wholesale distribution company and he decided to move home and join the family business. It was there that the idea for Revel Woods was born – the industry’s first virtual distribution business. Mr. Dupra has held several leadership positions within the National Wood Flooring Association, and has been featured in a number of publications and podcasts, including being recognized in Hardwood Floors Magazine’s first ever 40 under 40. He is a highly sought after speaker and presenter on the topic of flooring and the flooring industry.

Ms. Enaharo  is the Global Sustainability Director at Milliken & Company and is responsible for advancing their global sustainability strategy. She has a decade of experience shaping strategies, activating change to embed sustainability into operations across industrial, manufacturing, NGO, and government sectors. Ms. Enaharo  secures opportunities to mitigate risk, aligns cross-functional teams, and builds strategic relationships with senior leadership and partners to drive ESG performance. Recognized as a Greenbiz 30 under 30, she serves in leadership roles on the Ohio Advisory Board for Trust for Public Lands and ASID DEI Committee. Ms. Enaharo  previously served on USGBC LEED Steering Committee, IWBI Health Equity Advisory Board, and National Center of Healthy Housing board. Ms. Enaharo has spoken at over 25 roundtables and industry events on circular economy, material health, and indoor air quality including Greenbiz, WELL Summit, FUSE, USGBC Greenbuild and Refocus. She earned a Master of Science in Engineering & Technology Management from The George Washington University in Washington, DC and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Syracuse University. Ms. Enaharo enjoys gardening and spending time outdoors with her family.

Ms. Friederichs started her career as a Designer in 2017 when she founded Third Chapter Designs. Her role as Owner and Lead Designer encompassed all aspects of design and business management. Ms. Friederichs quickly grew the business and enjoyed helping clients build, renovate, and decorate their homes. Her clients included both homeowners and contractors. By 2019, Third Chapter Designs was a consistent subcontractor for Ashley Construction. In the subcontractor role, Ms. Friederichs provided a subset of design services that provided a structured and documented approach to completing all new home selections. After completing over 40 new custom homes together, She and Adam identified an opportunity to combine their efforts, create a true design-build company, and subsequently elevate the customer experience. In 2022, Jessica joined Ashley Construction full-time. Since then, design services have expanded and fully integrated into the custom home-building process. Ms. Friederichs design work won first in the category for three parade homes and Volume One’s Best in the Chippewa Valley for interior design twice. Her design work was also featured by Atmosphere Commercial Interiors. Since being with Ashley Construction, she has shared the “Best of the Chippewa Valley” award for New Home Construction. In addition to her experience, She holds a certificate in Kitchen and Bath Design from Century College and is a nationally accredited kitchen and bath designer. Ms. Friederichs diverse educational background also includes a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UW-Eau Claire, and certificates in Management Information Systems and Advanced Business Communication. She is also a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and the Polka Dot Powerhouse.

Ms. Jones, was born and raised in Europe. Her intuitive sense of style started at a young age. European architecture and fashion are rooted in her design style. She studied studio arts in her home country of Montenegro where she learned principles of art and design. Ms. Jones, continued her design journey in Chicago, where she obtained a degree in Interior Design. Home has a special meaning to her. As she moved from Bosnia to Montenegro to the United States, home became more than the place where you live. She believes that home is a space where you feel safe, where all the visual appeal tells a story and where you love to be.

Ms. Ryan Pluer expertise is in business development, marketing, and advertising. Over her 20-year professional career, she has used her skills to promote and grow business across several industries including interior design, finance, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. She has bought and successfully sold several businesses including (4) uBreakiFix stores and Sign Gypsies MKE. Ms. Ryan Pluer has had the honor and privilege of serving on development committee for Nia Imani, the Board of Woman for MACC and as the Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council at Lueder Financial Group of Northwestern Mutual. She has a passion for service and a love for Milwaukee. Ms. Ryan Pluer was raised in a culture of caring for those in need, and volunteering as a way to make an impact on the community. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of WI-Madison.

Ms. Taylor is the magic behind Alisha Taylor Interiors, a luxury residential design studio in Arizona. She has been recognized for her award-winning designs locally and nationally. With a B.A. in Interior Design and extensive CAD training, Ms. Taylor enjoys combining the technical aspect of construction with the creative side of interior design to create stunning homes incorporating everything from tile designs to gorgeous furniture. She and her team work with each client through a personalized design process to create homes that are unique, timeless, and reflective of the people who live in them. After 25 years in the design industry, Ms. Taylor loves to teach and mentor younger designers to share her knowledge of the industry from technical aspects to creative processes and the psychology of working with luxury clients. She is excited to share her knowledge and love for tile and natural stone with the Halfmoon Education audience.

Mr. Breedlove focuses his practice on water rights transactions and permitting, state and federal land permitting, mining, administrative law, and governmental relations. His experience includes a wide variety of water rights transactions (groundwater, surface water, and Colorado River entitlements), assured water supply permitting, consultation on compliance with active management area management plans, water rights due diligence and permitting, state land acquisition, and National Historic Preservation Act compliance. Mr. Breedlove has represented land developers, landowners, golf courses, ranchers, farmers, private water and energy utility businesses, government agencies, and private equity investment firms. He also served for five years as the legislative liaison for the Arizona Department of Water Resources, during which time he managed several bills that were enacted, including the 2007 Water Adequacy Amendments. Mr. Breedlove has experience with the Arizona legislative process, bill drafting, and government relations. He earned his B.S. degree from Western Washington University, his Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and his J.D. degree from Vermont Law School.

 Mr. Burnside covers water rights and water quality as part of a broad-based environmental and natural resources law practice at Snell & Wilmer. Mr. Burnside regularly counsels and represents significant water interests in the State of Arizona, with a particular focus on mining and energy. He has extensive experience litigating contested water rights claims in Arizona’s Gila River General Stream Adjudication, including multiple arguments and trials before the Special Water Master. Mr. Burnside has in-depth experience with the complex legal and technical issues surrounding Arizona water rights at the intersection between groundwater and surface water.

Mr. Snow represents clients in Arizona and Utah on matters related to water rights, real property, and resource development. He regularly appears before land and water agencies and in state and federal court. Mr. Snow’s clients include governmental entities, national and multi-national corporations, water companies, cooperatives, partnerships, and individuals. He has litigated numerous general adjudication claims in Arizona and Utah. Mr. Snow has also litigated quiet title, easement, right-of-way and condemnation claims in both states.

Mr. Klaas is a partner at Friedman + Huey Associates, LLP. He specializes in fiduciary, estate and individual income taxation and working with large family groups. Mr. Klaas taught as an undergraduate/graduate tax instructor at Purdue University Northwest. He received his B.S. degree with concentrations in Accounting and Finance from Purdue University Northwest and received his M.S. degree in Taxation from DePaul University. He has spoken on various occasions presenting on taxation of decedents, estates and trusts. Mr. Klaas serves as a 1041 subject matter expert for a national tax software development firm, has edited various professional publications and is an active member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, Illinois CPA Society, and AICPA.

Mr. Wirtz is a partner at Friedman + Huey Associates, LLP. He specializes in fiduciary, charitable and individual income taxation and working with large family groups. Mr. Wirtz received his B.S. degree in Accounting from Purdue University Northwest and received his M.S. degree in Taxation from DePaul University. He also is member of the Illinois CPA Society.

Mr. Brady is a seasoned attorney with a focus on business, construction and real estate law. Based in Kennebunk, Maine, he brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished track record of success to his practice at Bergen Parkinson. He is known for his ability to provide practical and strategic guidance to clients across a broad spectrum of legal matters. As an attorney with a particular passion for the construction industry, he is a formidable advocate for clients involved in the construction industry of all sizes and complexities. Mr. Brady routinely represents owners, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers with contract drafting and negotiation, mechanic’s liens, construction defects, dispute resolution, and compliance with state and federal regulations. His comprehensive but practical, pragmatic approach enables clients to navigate the legal complexities inherent in construction projects with confidence, clarity and efficiency. In addition, he maintains a robust general business and real estate law practice where he advises clients on entity formation, contract negotiation, corporate governance, financing, and residential and commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Brady honed his skills at a prominent Portland law firm and also served as in-house counsel for a large national general contractor prior to joining Bergen Parkinson.

Mr. Cronan is a Partner in the firm’s Litigation, Construction, and Workers’ Compensation Practice Groups. In his practice, he focuses on regional and national matters, including commercial litigation. He counsels construction clients with contract issues and resolving disputes involving public and private construction projects. In this capacity, he has represented owners, general contractors, specialty contractors, and subcontractors. In addition, he regularly counsels clients navigating costly workers’ compensation claims, insurance issues, or creditor’s rights disputes. Mr. Cronan represents national insurance companies and group self-insurers before state courts, regulatory agencies, and mediators, and has argued before the Maine Law Court. In addition to his focus on workers’ compensation, his work includes defense of insurance claims. As an experienced trial attorney, he understands that being court-ready means having the right information and resources to dismantle the opposition as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Mr. Cronan enjoys the investigation, research, and preparation that help him win in court, and secure favorable pre-trial settlements for his clients. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk within the Civil Litigation Department of a law firm in Boston, and as an intern with the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office in Worcester, Massachusetts. While in law school, he served as Associate Editor and Executive Technical Editor of the New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement.

Ms. Cortus joined the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota in August 2017. Her position as Associate Professor and Extension Engineer is to provide engineering expertise in the area of sustainable animal agriculture systems. Ms. Cortus was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada. She earned her Bachelor of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering degree and PhD at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Cortus also has eight years of experience in a similar Research and Extension role at South Dakota State University. Her past and ongoing projects include measuring the air quality impacts of different manure management practices in swine, poultry, dairy and beef cattle barns, investigating additional microenvironment control for grow-finish pigs and cattle, and communication of sustainability metrics within and beyond the livestock industries. The broad mission of Dr. Cortus’ program is to work with producers and communities to understand and continually improve the quality and productivity of livestock environments. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Mr. Gentry has successful management experience and has led the development and launch of numerous innovative products and market solutions. In 1980 he founded Con Com-T, Incorporated, a sales and marketing consulting firm. Recognizing the importance and urgency of action on climate change, in 2008 Mr. Gentry narrowed his focus to the emerging Building Performance Industry and the task of making our new and existing buildings more energy efficient. Working with a local green builder he has been involved in the specification and building process of multiple Passive Certified and other high-performance homes. In 2018 Mr. Gentry joined the board of Passive House California where he works with other leaders to promote awareness and application of Passive House protocols with policy makers, architects, developers, and builders, as well as home and business owners throughout California.

Mr. Taylor is a certified Passive House consultant and Passive House rater. He is a HERS Rater, and he is certified by Energy Star, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, IECC and BPI. Mr. Taylor has served on the ANSI/RESNET National Committee for water efficiency; on the Environmental Committee for the Town of Fairview, Texas, and as project manager for large commercial data centers. This is a second career after the US Navy, a computer science degree and 35 years in the computer services industry.

Mr. Westbrook designed his own solar home in north Texas in 1996, which won the Energy Value Housing Award for Innovative Design. It still ranks as one of the most efficient homes in Texas. While serving as Sustainable Development Manager at Texas Instruments International Facilities, Mr. Westbrook was the LEED AP for the 1.1 million square foot Texas Instruments factory, which was the first LEED Gold semiconductor factory in the world. He led the effort to improve the energy and water efficiency of TI’s 20 million square feet of existing global facilities. They were able to double the company energy and water efficiency in less than 10 years. In 2012, Mr. Westbrook was named a Senior Fellow for the US State Department’s Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas program. He visited Honduras, Bolivia, Columbia, and Peru where he worked with governments, universities, and industry on efficiency and renewable energy. Mr. Westbrook received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1982.

Dr. Berry, J.D., is Department Chair and instructor for the Paralegal Studies Program Department within the Business, Social Science, and Public Services Division at McHenry County College (MCC). She is also the advisor of the Paralegal Students Association. Robin was born in Dallas, Texas. She attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and received a BA in Criminal Justice and Political Science in 1987. Dr. Berry received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1991. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas (1991) and the State of Illinois (2011). Robin practiced in many areas of law, but mainly focused on criminal prosecution and defense, juvenile delinquency, and abuse and neglect. She was a special public defender for McHenry County Juvenile Courts from April 2011 to August 2021. Robin moved to McHenry in 2008 and began teaching as an adjunct instructor at MCC. Robin teaches the following courses: Business Law, Business Ethics, Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Legal Research and Writing, Civil Litigation and Discovery, Contracts, Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Torts, and the Paralegal Internship Program. She is also an active member of the McHenry County Bar Association, serving on the Law Day Committee. As such, Robin is involved with educating elementary school, middle school, and high school students about Law Day and the legal system. She has participated in the high school mock trials for the Law Day events. Robin is a regular guest speaker in various high school classes and events across the McHenry County.

Professor Cieslik joined the Illinois State faculty as an assistant professor of Legal Studies in the Department of Politics and Government in August of 2020. Cieslik earned his Juris Doctorate (2004) from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School and his B.S. in Criminal Justice (2001) from Washburn University. From 2012 – 2020, Cieslik was the Program Coordinator and Professor of Paralegal and Criminal Justice Studies at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. From 2007 – 2012, Cieslik was a partner at Barmann, Bohlen, Jacobi & Cieslik, P.C. in Kankakee, Illinois with an emphasis on insurance defense and criminal defense. He also served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Kankakee County from 2004 – 2007. Cieslik’s research interests focus on criminal law and procedure.

Ms. Zia is an Associate Professor and Program of Paralegal Studies with Lewis University. a Licensed Attorney in the State of Illinois and served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office in the Criminal Appeals Division. During her time there, she argued cases before the federal district courts, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and filed motions in the U.S. Supreme Court. She also argued cases in all the state district appellate courts and frequently argued cases in the Illinois Supreme Court. In addition to bringing her law experience and expertise to students at Lewis, Ms. Zia obtained approval of the Undergraduate Paralegal Program by the American Bar Association for the university. She currently serves as a Sole Practitioner in Elmhurst and concentrates on Pro-Bono Cases.

Mr. Arnott is originally from Australia but has lived in St. Paul, MN since 1991. He has taught in the Legal Studies department at Hamline University since 2008, having previously taught family law and legal writing at William Mitchell College of Law and served as the legal instructor at the Minneapolis Business College. Professor Arnott is a past chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Section and of the Ramsey County Bar Association Youth & the Law Committee. Before entering legal practice, He was a diplomat in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, serving in Canberra and Nairobi. In his spare time, Professor Arnott umpires Australian Rules football and referees soccer.

Mr. Case focuses on civil litigation and municipal prosecution. Before joining our firm, Andrew clerked for several judges in Minnesota District Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He is experienced in litigating a variety of complex civil matters involving appellate litigation, corporate liability and business disputes, medical malpractice and professional liability, real estate disputes, as well as employment litigation. Mr. Case is likewise experienced in prosecuting and defending criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. He takes pride in serving his clients as a trusted confidant and devoted advocate. Mr. Case earned his J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and holds a business degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Ms. Edwards focuses on the firm’s family law practice. She brings years of legal experience from her previous positions with the Boulder County Court Clerk’s Office and the Boulder County Family Court Facilitator’s Office, as well as her previous work as a family law paralegal in Colorado. Ms. Edwards primary duties include calendaring, document drafting, financial documentation management and client file management. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and received her Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate from Arapahoe Community College.

Leondra Hanson joined the Hamline faculty in 2008 after several years teaching, training, and practicing law in the Twin Cities. She earned her BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and her JD from the University of Minnesota. Professor Hanson’s scholarly and professional work focuses on women and law, sexual assault and harassment, and legal education. Professor Hanson chairs the Legal Studies Department and directs the paralegal and graduate legal programs at Hamline. From 2010-2012, she served as the Hamline University Director of Learning Outcomes Assessment, overseeing the curriculum assessment strategies across all disciplines and helping educators improve their teaching by focusing on their goals. She also is the former Director of Hamline University’s Center for Justice and Law. In her law practice, Professor Hanson has tried jury trials and represented clients in civil litigation in a wide range of legal matters including sexual assault and harassment, real estate, and employment discrimination. She has provided counsel, risk prevention, and training to professionals in human resources, legal, advocacy, and real estate fields. Professor Hanson is a former board member of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and served on the Minnesota State Bar Association Alternative Legal Models Task Force. She has been an active member of the American Association for Paralegal Education. At home, she is the mother of three busy teenagers, a hockey fan, and the treasurer of the Wayzata Theatre Boosters. In the classroom, Professor Hanson believes in the importance of embedding professional skills in the context of the liberal arts. She focuses on teaching students to understand and interpret the complicated texts that make up the law and on giving them the tools to continue learning- as professionals or in other academic settings. She teaches a number of courses including Real Property, Law in the Lives of Women, Legal Research and Writing, and the department’s introductory course: Legal Systems. She has also taught First Year Seminars and Senior Seminars on topics related to juries, controversial judicial outcomes, and access to justice.

Mark J. Karon is an attorney and director of the University of Minnesota Student Legal Service. Prior to the University, he was an associate attorney with Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi, practicing in personal injury and mass tort litigation. He has experience in trial and legal counseling in consumer affairs, domestic relations, criminal defense, civil litigation and administrative law. He is also responsible for co-curricular and law-related educational programs at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Karon is also an adjunct professor of litigation practice and private practice practicum at Hamline University School of Law. In addition, he has been an instructor in torts, personal injury and product liability law, legal research and writing, case investigation and trial preparation at Hamline University in the legal studies program. Mr. Karon has also served as a professor at Inver Hills College and the Minnesota Paralegal Institute. He currently serves as international president of the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association Student Legal Services. He received his B.S. degree with high distinction from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego. Mr. Karon is a member of the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations, the Minnesota State Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association (member, Litigation and Family Law Section), the Minnesota Association of Justice, the American Association of Justice, Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice and the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association. Mr. Karon is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs across the country.

Ms. O’Keefe has been named a Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers for several years. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she teaches Advanced Family Law. Ms. O’Keefe has been invited to speak on a number of topics, including International Service of Process, Interstate and International Child Custody, and Establishing Child Support, among others. She also serves as co-editor of Minnesota CLE’s Divorce Practice Deskbook, a resource for family law practitioners across the state. In addition, Ms. O’Keefe serves as a board member for the Family Law League, a local non-profit organization focused on professional development and promoting collegiality among family law professionals. Her interest in and passion for helping families developed during law school when she began volunteering for Tubman, a family violence prevention organization. Ms. O’Keefe has continued her involvement with Tubman and regularly volunteers her time to Tubman’s legal clinics for self-represented litigants.

Mr. Willems is a litigator primarily practicing in business and tort litigation. His business litigation practice mainly focuses on the real estate and construction sectors, where he guides clients through construction defect, mechanic’s lien, contract and quasi-contract, commercial, and general liability disputes. As a tort litigator, Mr. Willems concentrates on complex cases that involve wrongful death, serious bodily injury, and substantial property damage.Mr. Willems has significant experience representing both individuals and companies during the course of litigation, and at mediation, arbitration, trial, and on appeal. He recently obtained a substantial jury verdict in favor of his client in an insurance subrogation action. He also successfully got a discrimination lawsuit dismissed against his client on summary judgment in federal court. Mr. Willems is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Construction Law Section Council and the Association of General Contractors Contracts Committee, He recently served on the executive board of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Mr. Willems is recognized as a Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers in construction and personal injury, and has been selected as an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer. He was also recently named a Top Lawyer by Minnesota Monthly in construction law. Mr. Willems serves as co-chair of Bassford Remele’s Construction Practice Group and is a member of its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Team and Pro Bono Committee.

Mr. Lenz has an M.Sc. in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Physical (Biological) Anthropology from Tulane University where he studied the impact of cattle ranching on a community of primates in the central Amazon. As Glass Collision Program Director, He follows ABC’s holistic approach to preventing collisions, working on research, design, legislation, building codes, education, outreach, glass testing, and marketing. The target audience is everyone: elected officials, private citizens, public employees, architects, corporations, universities, researchers, and anyone else who can influence the design of new buildings or the operation of existing buildings, including homes. As Bird City Network Director, his goal is to take the effective Bird City model of community conservation and scale it up so that it saves birds and improves communities throughout the Western Hemisphere. Bird City is a “how to” for local activism that provides public recognition, connections, and advice for communities whose actions win them Bird City recognition.

Ms. Parkins has been working in wildlife conservation since 2008, holding research positions studying native plants, pollinators, migratory birds, and bats. She began birding to connect with nature in the city and was introduced to the world of urban bird conservation through an internship conducting window collision monitoring. As a member of the collisions team at American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Ms. Parkins focuses on addressing bird-window collisions through education, outreach, glass testing, and policy solutions. She holds an MS degree in biology and an advanced certificate in conservation biology from Fordham University and a BA in biology and psychology from McDaniel College.

Ms. Sheppard has been Director of American Bird Conservancy’s Glass Collisions Program since its inception in 2009. She has created a program to evaluate and rate materials for use in bird-friendly design and glass remediation, authored Bird-Friendly Building Design, led the team that wrote LEED Pilot Credit 55: Bird Collision Deterrence, and has consulted on legislation requiring bird-friendly design throughout the US.

Ms. Totha manages the American Bird Conservancy’s program to evaluate and rate bird-friendly materials. Prior to joining ABC, she spent ten years studying various bird species in the U.S. and as a keeper at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo’s Ornithology department. She received a bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Ramapo College of New Jersey and her Master’s degree in Biology with Miami University of Ohio.

Mr. Dutta is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) who is fully engaged in water and environmental protection through his leadership in S&M Engineering, LLC (SNM), a Maryland Corporation. He worked as the lead engineer in a superfund site remediation project and various RCRA sites involving design and installation of landfill cover systems, planning and implementing exhumation of a radioactive waste site in a DoD facility. Mr. Dutta worked in developing regulations and guidance later at a national level while with the US EPA for 20 years. He designed an innovative well interception plan, based on the bathymetric profile of the seabed to successfully kill the 1.4m gal/day Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Macondo Well) in Aug 2010. Mr. Dutta is also working on climate change impacts in the Himalayan region by visiting the glacial sources of rivers, specifically the Khatling Glacier (12,500 ft.) in Uttarakhand, India. Mr. Dutta’s most recent book Environmental Treatment Technologies for Municipal, Industrial and Medical Wastes, Remedial Scope and Efficacy, 2nd edition, Taylor & Francis (CRC Press), was published in October 2024 (new edition), Isbn 9781032058214.

Mr. Coulbourne has a Civil Engineering degree from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Virginia. He has more than 40 years of experience in the engineering and construction business. Most of this experience has been focused on buildings, with the last 15 years exclusively devoted to engineering solutions to the problems created by high wind and flood events including hurricanes and tornadoes. Mr. Coulbourne is actively engaged in guidelines and standards used by engineering professionals and builders for improving the performance of buildings in natural hazard environments, and he has been part of damage assessment teams for many major high wind and flood events. He teaches high wind and flooding design concepts for design professionals through workshops and webinars and has authored several high wind design guides including the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Coastal Construction Manual. Mr. Coulbourne is active in the engineering standards work of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7 Minimum Design Loads on Buildings and Other Structures and ASCE 24 Flood Resistant Design and Construction. He is a licensed professional engineer in Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland and he is a certified structural engineer and certified building inspection engineer. Mr. Coulbourne has taught as an adjunct faculty member in the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Delaware.

At MISO Mr. Evans has focused principally on Generator Interconnection, Transmission Planning, and Competitive Transmission Administration. He  has been involved in multiple high-profile FERC dockets, including being the primary drafter of MISO’s Order 2023 comments. Mr. Evans is also one of America’s leading lawyers in the area of lawyer jokes. Prior to joining MISO, He worked at Midwest Reliability Organization which enforced the NERC Reliability Standards. Mr. Evans started his career at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

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. Cole is an experienced trial lawyer who represents businesses and individuals before the Massachusetts Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the U.S. District Court, numerous private mediators, and arbitrators. He has extensive experience with construction litigation, representing general contractors, solar developers, scaffolding manufacturers, subcontractors, building owners, and property managers in payment disputes, delay claims, lease disputes, jobsite-defect cases, premises liability, product liability, and insurance coverage disputes. In 2023, Mr. Cole was named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers List (Construction) and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® (Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation, and Personal Injury – Defendants) since 2020. He has been named to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers® list (Business Litigation) every year since 2013 and been twice recognized by BTI Consulting Group, Inc. as a Client Service All-Star (2022-2023). Mr. Cole currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association, where he is chair of the Construction Law Committee. He is also chair of the International Association of Defense Counsel’s (IADC) Construction Law and Litigation Committee and is serving a three-year term on the IADC’s Membership Committee.

Mr. Fine represents and counsels clients in the construction industry, including owners and developers, general contractors and construction managers, specialty trade contractors, suppliers and manufacturers. He represents clients in adverse proceedings such as litigation and arbitration, and he consults regarding risk management, contract preparation and negotiation, and general business advice. Mr. Fine is the chair of his firm’s Construction Law Group and the past president of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Central Massachusetts. He holds several leadership positions in local, regional, and national construction trade and bar organizations. Mr. Fine was named a Massachusetts “Super Lawyer” by Boston Magazine every year since 2017.

Mr. Martin’s practice focuses on the construction industry, particularly in the areas of contract negotiation, procurement, project performance and claims, arbitration and litigation. He has conducted more than 100 construction-related trials. Mr. Martin is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and has been an active member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and AGC of Massachusetts for 20 years. He has served as a lecturer on construction law at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Northeastern University.

Mr. McNamara’s practice areas include construction law, employment law, suretyship, trial practice and insurance defense. The Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory has awarded Mr. McNamara an AV Rating, the highest rating for legal ability and professional ethics. He has also been named a New England Super Lawyer by Law & Politics and Boston Magazine. This designation is limited to the top five percent of attorneys in New England. Mr. McNamara has been selected for Top Lawyers as published in the Boston Globe.

Mr, Sohai litigates business and construction disputes. He brings a broad perspective to representation of businesses including general contractors, subcontractors, owners, and financial services companies in contract disputes and dispute avoidance. Mr, Sohai works on matters concerning public and private construction, condominiums, high-end residential construction, home improvement projects, consumer disputes, unfair trade practices, accounting disputes, payment disputes, and performance disputes.

Mr. Anderson is the Director of Research & Arborologists for Rainbow Ecoscience where he provides direction for Rainbow’s Regional Technical Arboricultural/Horticultural Advisors and Research Scientists. He has a B.S. in Forest Science from Penn State University, is an ISA Board-Certified Master Arborist and Municipal Specialist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, ASCA Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualified, and a North Carolina Licensed Landscape Contractor. In addition, Rainbow Ecoscience served as the associate voting member of the ASC A300 Committee and is current Immediate Past-President of the American Society of Consulting Arborists.

Mr. McDonnell is the Assistant Manager of SavATree Consulting Group. He supports the nationwide team of Consulting Arborists while consulting on projects around DC Metro and beyond. Prior to SavATree, Mr. McDonnell was an Urban Forester at NYC Parks where he managed city contracts, performed thousands of tree risk assessments, and served as Staten Island Forestry’s expert witness in tree related claims. He is an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, and holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) and ASCA Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification (TPAQ). Mr. McDonnell serves on ISA’s Appeals Committee and Certification Test Committee, ASCA’s Membership Committee, and is SavATree’s Voting Representative of the ANSI ASC A300 Committee. He earned a Master of Natural Resources and Graduate Certificate in Leadership for Global Sustainability from Virginia Tech and his Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Mr. Shaw grew up in the sleepy little Appalachian town of Bristol, Tennessee, a small city that rests on the boundary between the two states of Tennessee and Virginia. Upon graduation from Bristol Tennessee High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he served as ships baker aboard the USS Shark (a fast attack submarine) for four years. When his enlistment came to an end, he took a job selling lawn care service to residential owners in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and later, moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where he worked as general manager of a landscape contracting company while attending the University of Tennessee for Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design. Eventually, Mr. Shaw took over as president of a wholesale tree care supply business and built the company from $70,000 in sales to over $1.2 million in just seven years. During that time, he married his wife Kristin and they had two children together. With encouragement from Kristin he also developed an interest in arboricultural consulting, and on May 11th, 1999, he became the first American Society of Consulting Arborist (ASCA) member in Middle Tennessee. From 1998 to 2003, he also served on the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council. Mr. Shaw has since consulted with private landowners, insurance companies, attorneys, tree companies, cooperative extension service agents, country clubs, state urban forestry organizations, universities, and colleges. He has worked on some of the most challenging, difficult, and highest profile cases across the United States. Mr. Shaw is a registered consulting arborist, a board-certified master arborist and one of only a handful of arborists worldwide who consult full-time. He is a UAS pilot, a real estate appraiser and he brings a broad range of skills from a variety of scientific and professional disciplines. An autodidact, Mr. Shaw brings a unique perspective and a talent for learning to any project. He has developed authoritative expertise to create a greater understanding in tree related matters.

Abadi Accessibility is an accessibility consulting firm that is dedicated to educating the building industry about the laws of accessibility. Ms. Rhoads received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Texas in Austin and is a registered architect in Texas and an accessibility specialist. She assists the building industry, in part, by performing plan reviews and inspection for Texas Accessibility Standards and producing a monthly newsletter to educate on the best way to apply the standards to architectural projects. Ms. Rhoads is the author of The ADA Companion Guide and Applying the ADA published by John Wiley and Sons.

Mr. Neufeld serves as lead attorney for medicaid planning, asset protection planning and government benefits preservation planning client matters. Mr. Neufeld directs all new business development; marketing, advertising, website and blogging; community outreach; referral relationship building; and management of the firm.

Mr. Norvell, graduated from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin School of Law in 1976 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in November 1976. Prior to entering law school, he served in the US Army from 1965-1967 where he was part of the Field Unit of the Ethiopia-U.S. Mapping Mission. This mission was the last ground mapping of an entire country. He has been working in the central Florida area as a Guardianship Attorney for over 30 years. Mr. Norvell has two practices in Leesburg, Florida with one office dedicated to the sole practice of Medicaid and Veterans Planning. He presently practices primarily in elder law.

 Mr. Siegel, counsels individuals and families on Trust and Estate Planning. Asset Protection, Elder Law Planning, Medicaid planning, Veterans Benefits, and Special Needs planning. He also represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries of estates and trusts regarding tax, and probate and trust law issues. Mr. Siegel has authored or co-authored many articles on Estate Planning and Asset Protection strategies, including The Book of Estate Planning Strategies. He is a columnist for the Boca Raton Tribune, and he has been quoted in the South Florida Business Journal, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Mr. Siegel’s been a guest on numerous television and radio shows, and he is currently writing a book on International Asset Protection. He also frequently lectures at many organizations and private functions; and he has served as an Adjunct Professor for the Legal Studies Program at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Mr. Siegel has traveled extensively teaching Estate Planning and Asset Protection to CPAs, Financial Advisors, Insurance Agents, and Trust Officers. He has also been a featured speaker on Estate Planning and Asset Protection Issues from a global perspective at the prestigious Global Wealth Summit held in Nassau, Bahamas.

Mr. Smollar is a native Floridian who is attuned to the diverse needs of his clients. He received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University in Tallahassee and his Juris Doctor from St. Thomas School of Law. He is a passionate advocate for seniors and the families who care about them. Mr. Smollar practice is focused towards Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Probate Administration and Asset Preservation. He seeks to help families avoid Guardianship through advanced planning when possible. However, in the absence of proactive planning, he can assist responsible family members in becoming the legal Guardian for an incapacitated loved one.

 Ms. Steller is the manager at Medicaid Planning and Resource Center in Leesburg, Florida. She has been a Medicaid planner for over 19 years.

Ms. Tessier has been a lawyer for over 25 years, admitted in Massachusetts and Connecticut. For many years, she served diligently as in-house counsel for large multinationals, international and start-up operations, rising to General Counsel and Compliance Officer roles. She has extensive expertise in highly complex areas such as global insurance and corporate law, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution. Now residing in Lake Wales, Florida, she has enthusiastically transitioned her practice to passionately educate and serve her new community on how to protect their children, their families, their legacy and wealth. Ms. Tessier continuous goal is to achieve peace of mind for her clients, whether handling elder concerns or crafting solid estate plans. She is a graduate of Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, and Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. in addition to the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Ms. Tessier is an active member of many legal and community organizations including the Estate Planning and Real Property Chapter of the Florida Bar Association, National Academy of Elder Law Lawyers (NAELA), and Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys (AFELA), the American Bar Association, Real Estate, Trust & Estates Section, Polk County Estate Planning Attorney Bar Association, Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL) and American Business Women’s Association (ABWA: Lakeland Chapter.