Live Interactive Webinars

Mr. Ashburn applies his expertise to the core acoustics fundamentals: sound isolation, room treatments, and MEP noise control to a wide variety of building types. His experience ranges from modeling room shaping and treatments for performing arts and educational spaces, to field measurements and data analysis for sound isolation of SCIF facilities, to vibration surveys for sensitive manufacturing, to design of noise control of building systems and machinery. His international work as a playback and backline technician in the live music industry elevates company work on music entertainment projects.

Mr. Hoover offers 40 years of acoustical consulting experience, serving as principal consultant on over 2,000 projects involving all building types and all areas of architectural acoustics. He has served as expert witness from Federal District Courts to US Congressional hearings. Mr. Hoover concurrently held faculty positions at Berklee College of Music and the Boston Architectural Center, and his lectures and presentations have been sought for their clarity and usefulness by Harvard, MIT, Wentworth, Northeastern, Emerson, and SCI-Arc, and by AIA, ASHRAE, AES, USITT, and others. He has served in many leadership positions, chaired numerous technical sessions on architectural and musical acoustics, written and/or contributed to several textbooks, and received numerous design awards for architectural acoustics. Mr. Hoover was honored with the 2019 Laymon N. Miller Award for Excellence in Acoustical Consulting, conferred annually/jointly by the National Council of Acoustical Consultants and the Institute of Noise Control Engineering.

Mr. L’Italien offers expert guidance in MEP noise and vibration control, architectural acoustics, and environmental noise for new-construction and renovation projects of all types. He is active in the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and serves as treasurer of ASA’s Spanish Speaking Acousticians in the Americas (SSA). He has presented internationally and authored several publications including for ASA’s Acoustics Today periodical and the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE). In addition to excellent design work and involvement in professional societies, he regularly offers short courses on acoustics to design professionals.

Ms. Lathrop is licensed as a professional land surveyor in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and as a professional planner in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and has been involved in surveying since 1974 in projects ranging from construction to boundary to environmental land use disputes. Ms. Lathrop is also a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and a certified floodplain surveyor through the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors. A former adjunct instructor at Mercer County College in New Jersey, she has also taught as part of the team for the licensing exam review course at Drexel University in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lathrop has been teaching seminars for surveyors since 1986 and has been writing articles for surveyors since 1983. She is a contributing editor for The American Surveyor magazine, and she has four articles included in the American Bar Association’s text, Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals. She and Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE co–authored a book entitled Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions: Composition, Construction, and Comprehension, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2011. She is also on the faculty of GeoLearn, a web-based educational provider. Ms. Lathrop is a past president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Land Surveyors and of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Geodetic Surveying.

Professor Rahmeyer was on the faculty at USU for 31 years and spent 10 years as research faculty at Colorado State University. Professor Rahmeyer is the past Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at USU as well as the senior professor of the Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics program of the Utah Water Research Laboratory. He also served at USU as the director of the Hydro Composite Modeling Program, the division head of Water Engineering, the interim division head of both the Structures Division and the Transportation Division, and as the Undergraduate Curriculum division head. Professor Rahmeyer is currently working part time as a senior associate for Ayres and associates in Fort Collins Colorado, where his primary role is to conduct national workshops in hydraulics, culvert flow, and urban drainage for the National Hydraulic Institute of FWHA. He is a fellow and lifetime member in the American Society of Civil Engineers. Professor Rahmeyer has been a member of several professional societies, and serve on committees for the American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the International Association of Hydraulic Research (IAHR), the Association of State Dam Safety Officers (ASDSO), the Instrument Society of America (ISA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), and the American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Association (ASHRAE). He has regularly attended and presented at the annual conferences of ASDSO, ASEE, ASCE, IAHR, ASCE National Department Heads, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). In the past, he has been a member of the United States Committee on Large Dams (USCOLD) and the International Committee on Large Dams (ICOLD). Over the last several years, Professor Rahmeyer has created and presented a workshop on open channel flow for HalfMoon Education and finished serving on the Bluestone Dam UASCE IEPA and on several 100% DDR review panels for the USACE. He has been on the board of directors for the Utah Floodplain and Storm Water Management Association since 1986. Professor Rahmeyer was a member the 2008 Bettelle “Final Independent Peer Review Report for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Vegetation Policy for Local Flood Damage Reduction Systems” which reviewed many of the guidelines and policies for management of levees, floodwalls, embankment dams, and appurtenant structures. Some of his recent awards include the AHRAE Technical/Symposium Paper Award, the ASHRAE Crosby Field Award for Research, and the South Pacific Division Regional Project Delivery Team Award from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has received the Idaho Transportation Department 2012 Excellence in Transportation Award and the 2011 ACEC of Idaho Engineering Excellence Grand Award for the I-84 New York Canal Modeling and Modification. Professor Rahmeyer further received an honorable mention at the 2012 National AECE award ceremonies for his work with the I-84 New York Canal.

Mr. Kurdi has been serving the electrical industry for over 30 years as an engineer, electrician and trainer. Mr. Kurdi has engineered (designed, specified and analyzed) government buildings (police stations, sheriff’s offices, fire stations, city halls, court houses, libraries, and jails), housing buildings (affordable, senior, assistant, memory care, adaptable use and student), hospitals, data centers, sport arenas, commercial office buildings, water/wastewater treatment plants and electric utility distribution and substations. Mr. Kurdi’s experience as an electrician includes estimating, laying out, wiring, installing and maintaining electrical systems for residential and commercial buildings. He has served as an engineer on construction projects in numerous locations in Texas, including San Antonio, Arlington, Bryan and Manor. He has developed and taught thousands of seminar hours over the years at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minnesota Electrical Association, IEEE and others. The seminars include NEC Code, electrician’s exam, MV system, electrical wiring, apprenticeship, estimation, electrical design, Revit MEP, and project management. Mr. Kurdi holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Adult Education. He is a registered electrical engineer (PE) in 37 states, including Minnesota and Texas. He holds a Class A master electrician license from the State of Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Kurdi is a senior electrical engineer and department head at BKV Group (A&E Firm with offices in Chicago, Dallas, DC & Minneapolis). Mr. Kurdi served as NCEL Board Member (Jan 2021 – present), IAEI MN Chapter president (Jan 2018 – Jan 2023), chair of IEEE Twin Cities PES/IAS (Aug 2019 – Jan 2023), Minnesota State Board of Electricity member (Jan 2018 – Jan 2020).

Mr. Golding’s firm serves the wide-ranging legal needs of Indian tribes and other Native American entities and individuals, as well as non-profit conservation and community groups. In addition to defending treaty hunting and fishing rights, the firm’s work involves tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction, taxation, land and water rights, federal government contracting, and natural and cultural resource protection. Mr. Golding specializes in litigation involving the intersection of environmental law and federal Indian law, Washington State water law, and administrative environmental appeals.

Mr. Jones is a federal Indian law attorney whose practice focuses on advocating for tribal sovereignty through litigation, contract negotiation, and legislative support. Mr. Jones has litigated in federal, tribal, state, administrative, and alternative dispute resolution forums. He has experience with Treaty rights, gaming, economic development, cultural and natural resources, land use, environmental protection, water rights, construction, taxation, and federal contracting, as well as forestry and wildfire, hunting and wildlife, and fishing and fisheries management. Before joining Galanda Broadman, Mr. Jones worked in-house as lead attorney for a tribal government. He has served in leadership roles for the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Washington State Courts Board for Judicial Administration, Washington State Bar Association Indian Law Section, and the Yakima County Bar Association.

Mr. Schlosser represents Tribes in fisheries, timber, water, energy, cultural resources, contracting, tax and federal breach of trust. He is a director of Morisset, Schlosser, Jozwiak & Somerville, where he specializes in federal litigation, natural resources, and Indian tribal property issues. He is also frequently involved in tribal economic development and environmental regulation. In the 1970s, Mr. Schlosser represented tribes in the Stevens’ Treaty Puget Sound fishing rights proceedings. Mr. Schlosser is a founding member of the Indian Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association and also served on the WSBA Bar Examiners Committee. He is a frequent CLE speaker and moderates an American Indian Law discussion group for lawyers at http://forums.delphiforums.com/IndianLaw/messages. Mr. Schlosser is a part-time lecturer at the Seattle University School of Law.

Mr. Sexton’s practice focuses on complex civil litigation defending indigenous rights and litigating tribal environmental and cultural resources disputes in federal, tribal, state, and administrative forums. He has litigated indigenous civil rights matters on behalf of individuals and represents tribal governments outside of the courtroom in economic development and natural resources matters. Mr. Sexton has also successfully represented individuals in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases against private parties and governments. He has argued before the Washington State Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals, and he has litigated in Washington State, Oregon, and United States District Courts in both states, and he has represented clients before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mr. Sexton was named a Rising Star for the years 2016-2018 by Super Lawyers® magazine. Before joining Galanda Broadman, he worked in-house for a tribal government. His legal advocacy there resulted in the development of tribal government programs, including a first-of-its-kind tribal vehicle licensing program and associated tribal code revisions. Mr. Sexton also successfully fought in courts and administrative forums to protect his client’s tribal sovereignty, the rights of Tribal citizens, and threatened cultural resources. In addition, he negotiated contracts and worked to close the purchase and sale of businesses and lands. His experiences before practicing law—including service in the United States Marine Corps and working on human rights issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina—equipped him to thrive in diverse communities, work efficiently and effectively under pressure, relentlessly pursue his clients’ objectives, and serve American indigenous communities.

Mr. Smith exclusively practices federal Indian law. Mr. Smith advises Indian tribal clients on all aspects of federal, state and tribal law, including tribal sovereignty, economic development, natural and cultural resource protection, taxation, and gaming. He is dedicated to helping Indian tribal governments achieve their goals. Whether as general counsel or special litigation counsel, Rob Roy consistently finds the best legal and business solutions to benefit tribal communities. Mr. Smith has successfully represented Indian tribal governments, individual Indians and tribal businesses in high-stakes litigation before tribal, state and federal courts, including numerous appellate courts, and the Washington and Idaho Supreme Courts, on issues ranging from protecting tribal sovereign immunity to securing treaty rights.

He has filed briefs before the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims on a variety of issues, including tribal jurisdiction, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and fiduciary duty. Mr. Smith also has extensive experience litigating tribal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) cases to protect Tribal decision makers and in obtaining valuable taxable and tax-free financing for tribal economic development and diversification. He has experience in helping tribal clients manage public health issues, including COVID-19, and all aspects of land acquisition and management.

Mr. Smith was listed by The Best Lawyers in America® for Native American Law in 2026 and the 12 years immediately preceding. He was also named a 2023 “Seattle Lawyer of the Year” for Native American Law by The Best Lawyers in America®. Mr. Smith was recognized as a Washington “Super Lawyer” for Native American Law in 2025 and the 11 years immediately preceding by Super Lawyers magazine. He was named a 2016 “Rising Star” by Law360 for Native American Law.

Mr. Smith was listed in the 2025 and nine years immediately preceding editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Native American Law. He was also ranked nationally as a “Recognized Practitioner” for Native American Law in 2025 and the five years immediately preceding and ranked nationally as “Up and Coming” for Native American Law in 2016 and 2017 by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Mr. Smith is a recipient of the firm’s Pro Bono Collaboration Award in 2017 for his work on a federal civil rights litigation case for a Native Hawaiian father and his two young sons against the boys’ elementary schools, their principal, and superintendent.

Mr. Abraham was the Senior Research Geophysicist with Exploration Resources International (XRI) and the EM and Potential Field Team Manager from 2013- 2015. Mr. Abraham was a Geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey for 16 years. Prior to the USGS he was a geophysicist with the Department of Energy contractor at the Grand Junction Project Office. Before entering public service, he was with Denver based Northern Geophysical, Inc. Over the past 35 years, his research has focused on the application of geophysical techniques for mapping water, energy, and mineral resources as well as engineering and environmental problems.

His research interests include the use of airborne geophysical survey techniques to construct 3D geological and hydrological framework models. He has worked extensively throughout the world on geophysical surveys including Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Central Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East, and South America. He has served as a technical expert for many government agencies and the World Bank. Mr. Abraham received his Master in Science in Geophysics from the Colorado School of Mines in 1999. He received his Baccalaureate in Science in Geology from Mesa State College in 1994 after concluding a research internship with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute. Mr. Abraham holds Professional Geologist licenses in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah, Texas, and Wyoming. Jared also holds a Professional Geophysicist license with the State of California.

Mr. Bell is a globally recognized advocate for the application of airborne robots, aka “drones”, to collect geophysical and remote sensing data, primarily to explore for earth resources and environmental site characterization. He began his career as a mineral exploration geophysicist where he collected, processed, visualized, and interpreted ground, borehole, and airborne geophysical data for base and precious metal exploration. His has worked on resource exploration projects in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Far East Russia. In addition, he has performed numerous geophysical surveys for environmental and engineering subsurface site characterization. In 1986 to 1991, he helped found and served as the marketing specialist for a geophysical software company. From 1991 through 2006, he focused on ground and airborne geophysics ( i.e. magnetic and EM) applied to mineral, hydrocarbon, and groundwater exploration. From 2006 through 2009, he worked for hydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc. to build the market for a novel electrical technology for monitoring fluid flow within geologic materials. In 2009, he returned to geophysical services and consulting. In 2016, Mr. Bell conducted a number of drone magnetic surveys map subsurface geology and precisely locate oil and gas infrastructure using the prototype of the MagArrow, an innovative drone magnetometer. In 2022, he deployed the EM61Lite, drone drone-enabled deep-looking EM metal detector to map buried pipelines and locate metallic objects. Also in 2022, he did his first survey using the GEM2 UAV, a drone enabled EMI conductivity meter to map shallow soil and rock. In 2024, he formed Drone Geoscience, LLC, a geophysical and remote sensing service provider located in the Denver, CO area with office in Houston, TX. Mr. Bell holds a BSc in Applied Physics from Michigan Technological University in 1976. In the early 80’s, he completed non-degree geologic course work at the University of Colorado Denver.

Mr. Detwiler has been in the surveying and geospatial field for 23 years, with the majority of those years specializing in aerial mapping, lidar, and photogrammetry. His work experience has taken him to 31 states and 12 countries, with projects ranging from transmission power line lidar mapping, multi-oblique cityscape photogrammetry, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) mapping at mines. Mr. Detwiler is skilled in the capture, processing, and analysis of accurate geospatial data, helping lead the industry in UAS applications in mining and exploration and many other uses which this technology lends itself to. He is the owner of Great Basin Geomatics, LLC. Based in Reno, NV., Providing innovative aerial mapping and remote sensing solutions. Michael is a Certified Photogrammetrist, Certified Mapping Scientist, a Licensed Land Surveyor, and an FAA certified Remote UAS pilot.

Dr. Laefer is a full professor with NYU Tandon School of Engineering. With degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (MS, Ph.D.), NYU (MEng), and Columbia University (BS, BA), Prof. Debra Laefer has a wide-ranging background spanning from geotechnical and structural engineering to art history and historic preservation. Not surprisingly, Prof. Laefer’s work often stands at the cross-roads of technology creation and community values such as devising technical solutions for protecting architecturally significant buildings from sub-surface construction.

As the density of her aerial remote sensing datasets continues to grow exponentially with time, Prof. Laefer and her Urban Modeling Group must help pioneer computationally efficient storage, querying, and visualization strategies that both harness distributed computing-based solutions and bridge the gap between data availability and its usability for the engineering community. In her decade and a half as a faculty member in both the US and Europe, Prof. Laefer has served as the principal investigator for grants from a wide range of sponsors including the National Science Foundation, the US Federal Highway Administration, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Science Foundation Ireland, and the European Research Council (including a €1.5 million single investigator award from the flagship ERC program for which she is the only civil engineer to have been funded in Ireland in the program’s 11 year history).

Prof. Laefer has authored over 160 peer-reviewed publications, been awarded 4 patents, and has supervised 15 doctoral and 20 Masters theses. Among many honors from IEEE, ISPRS, and other professional societies, the most notable is perhaps the 2016 commissioning and hanging of her portrait by the Royal Irish Academy as one of eight researchers selected for the Women on Walls project to celebrate Irish women in science and engineering. She currently helps form national research programs and policies in her governmental appointment to the Irish Research Council (2016-2020).

Mr. Rempel is the Geospatial Division Manager for ESP and Associates, an engineering, surveying, and planning company with over 750 full time employees and 33 locations across the United States. He oversees the UAS/manned flight, mobile lidar, and pavement mapping groups within ESP’s Headquarter Region out of Fort Mill, SC. Mr. Rempel began his career as an intelligence analyst in the United States Marine Corps working with multiple, remote sensing technologies on national and tactical platforms. He was trained in remote sensing, terrain analysis and photogrammetry at the Defense Mapping Agency and various Department of Defense schools during his service. After transitioning to the private sector in 1997, Mr. Rempel began his civilian career in photogrammetry and by 2007 was managing large-scale lidar and photogrammetry projects across the nation for EarthData (Fugro). He was instrumental in the assessment and selection of the first softcopy photogrammetry systems utilized at EarthData, helping navigate the transition from film to digital mediums. Mr. Rempel co-authored FEMA‘s “Procedure Memorandum 61-Standards for Lidar and other High Quality Digital Topography“ and currently serves as Secretary on the ASPRS Board of Directors. He has worked at ESP and Associates since 2013, managing geospatial services and ESP’s work on USGS lidar projects and the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program. Most recently Mr. Rempel has guided the development of photogrammetric workflows for the UAS program at ESP. He is licensed as a Surveyor Photogrammetrist in Virginia, a Professional Photogrammetrist in Oregon, and is an ASPRS Certified Photogrammetrist and Certified Mapping Scientist-Lidar.

Dr. Harrod is a contractor, author and electrification advocate. In 2006 he founded Snug Planet, an award-winning home performance company based in Ithaca, New York. From its initial focus on energy audits and envelope improvements, Snug Planet has grown to offer whole-home solutions, including moisture management and HVAC upgrades. Snug Planet is an active participant in New York State residential programs serving low-income and market-rate customers. In early 2022, Snug Planet merged with Halco Energy, one of the largest home performance contractors in New York. Dr. Harrod is certified by the Building Performance Institute as a Building Analyst, Envelope Professional, Heating Professional, and AC/Heat Pump Professional. Dr. Harrod’s articles have appeared in Home Energy Magazine, Journal of Extension, Building Performance Journal; and ASHRAE Journal. He is a regular contributor to Green Building Advisor.

Dr. Delaney is president and general manager of the construction management services group at Delaney CMS in Union Springs, New York. He is the former president of C&S Design Build Inc., C&S’s program and construction management company, where he started the agency construction management business. In his 12-year career there, he developed it into the fastest-growing and most profitable of the firms’ business units. At C&S, Dr. Delaney was responsible for more than $1 billion in completed projects in the education, municipal, wastewater, airport, and private development sectors. In his 25 years as a construction professional, he has served in many roles including those of project engineer, design coordinator, superintendent, construction manager, program manager, general manager, and president. Dr. Delaney is a licensed professional engineer, holds the program management professional (PgMP®) credential, is a certified construction manager (CCM®), and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) accredited professional. Dr. Delaney is the only person in the world with all these credentials. In addition, he is an expert critical path method scheduler and has presented both nationally and internationally on construction, project, and program management. Dr. Delaney received his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He enjoys sharing his experience leading teams, and he has provided management training to senior management including his colleagues at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Senior Executive Institute and at Fortune 500 companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Inc., and L3 Communications. Dr. Delaney was recently the keynote speaker at the Tri-State Diversity Summit where he shared Delaney CMS’s (a woman-owned business enterprise) vision for equality and empowerment. He is also a professor in the Construction Management Department at Southern Mississippi University. He recently published a university textbook titled Construction Program Management by CRC Press. The textbook is used to teach undergraduate and graduate students and by practitioners to help them formulate a process-based approach for management of large projects and programs.

After a short time working construction and in law enforcement, Mr. Jones finished his degree in Environmental Soil Science at the University of Georgia.  He started working for NRCS in Wyoming in 2006 mapping soils on an initial soil survey crew.  In 2010, Mr. Jones and his family then moved to South Dakota where he worked on updating soil survey information until he was selected as the State Soil Scientist in 2014.  He is responsible for anything soil and soil health related across the state.  Mr. Jones enjoys teaching most anywhere, but especially at the local middle school where he talks each fall about soil and why we need to take care of it.  He and his wife have four children, only one left at home now.  They enjoy pretty much anything related to the outdoors.

As a licensed structural engineer, Ms. Boatwright’s career has focused on failure investigations, condition assessment, structural repair designs, and façade restoration for a wide range of new and old structures across the US and beyond its borders. Some project examples include evaluation and repair of a historic French cabin in Missouri; facade evaluation and repair design for modern and historic buildings; investigations into balcony deterioration and failures for condominium complexes; evaluation and repair design for parking garages; and investigation and litigation consulting regarding alleged construction defects for multiple projects across the country.

Drawing from over 25 years of experience in the building industry, Ms. Latimer excels in structural engineering, building enclosure consulting, specification development, and sustainability. Based in the Kansas City metro area, she has worked on both restoration and new construction projects across the United States. She is responsible for a wide range of services, including condition assessments, field investigations, building enclosure design and peer review, construction administration, quality assurance/quality control testing, and observations related to building enclosure and commissioning. Ms. Latimer’s expertise has been invaluable to architectural design teams, owners, consultants, manufacturers, and construction teams in creating sustainable, efficient, high-performance projects.

Mr. Smith, is the owner of ReEarth, an award winning full service regenerative landscape design/consulting company in the Boston area that specializes in green storm water
infrastructure such as permeable pavements, rain gardens, as well as landscape installations designed to maximize earths systems while balancing them with the needs and desires of her human inhabitants. Mr. Smith is equally driven by both the form and function of his landscape designs: passionate about the natural world which inspires his commitment to ecological principles and practices; passionate about creating beautiful landscapes to provide clients with an oasis to reconnect with the natural world. He holds several landscape certifications including: MCH, NOFA AOLCP, LEEDGA, and IPCI. Mr. Smith is also a current Trustee and past-President of the Ecological Landscape Alliance.

Mr. Wance is a shareholder and former chair of Buchalter’s Land Use Practice Group. He has built a cross-disciplinary practice involving land use and entitlements, water resources, environmental compliance, natural resources, and public law through the representation of both public agencies and private businesses throughout California. Mr. Wance has handled all aspects of these substantive areas, from advising clients regarding the applicability of the law, to guiding clients through a permitting or entitlement process, or defending clients subject to enforcement actions. He successfully represented businesses and public agencies in sophisticated financial, real estate, water resource, environmental compliance, and land development matters in court and before administrative agencies. Mr. Wance’s land use and entitlement background includes representation of residential developers, public entities, major industrial facilities, and other commercial businesses in all phases of project development before local and state agencies, city councils, and county board of supervisors. He has assisted clients in obtaining development and environmental permits and project approvals for power plants, schools, mixed-use, and industrial development projects.

Ms. Zeis graduated in December of 2007 with a BS degree in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University. She began her career in the swimming pool industry in 2008 while working for a hospitality architecture design firm. Her role was to provide the engineering to help the firm, and its clients, navigate the new federal laws addressing water safety and accessibility. Ms. Zeis provided guidance to several states in their development of legislation to address the Virginia Graeme Baker Act, ADA and ANSI Regulations. After leaving the architecture firm, she continued to provide consulting and design services to her clients and grew her client base to include municipalities, HOAs, resort and community pool associations. As she grew in her experience, her company has grown and provides design for everything from high-end residential projects to large water parks. In April of 2018 Ms. Zeis founded Aquatic Engineering Consultants, LLC (AEC), where she and her staff have adopted the mantra of “Solutions. Integrity. Excellence.” AEC strives to provide the best engineering solutions that meet the client’s vision while providing the best user experience. Licensed in over 21 states and with 16+ years in the industry, Ms. Zeis has experience with all types of site challenges, evolving regulations, advances in equipment and related technologies.

Dr. Meneses was a member of the California Seismic Safety Commission appointed by Governor Brown and confirmed by State Senate (2017-2021). He is a reviewer of seismic ground motions for the seismic design of high rise buildings for the City of San Diego, part-time faculty in the Graduate School of Civil Engineering at San Diego State University, Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), member of the Industry Advisory Board of the Department of Structural Engineering at University of California San Diego, past member of the Board of Directors of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), and past president of the EERI San Diego Chapter. Dr. Meneses is also a past member of the ASCE 7-16 Committee (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures) and current member of the ASCE 7-28 Committee, member of the ASCE 1 Committee (Geotechnical Analysis, Design, Construction, Inspection and Monitoring of Nuclear Safety-Related Structures), Honorary chair of the ASCE Geo-Institute San Diego Chapter, and member of the Academy of Geo-Professionals.

Mr. Love obtained his bachelor of science degree in Construction Technologies with a concentration in Community and Regional Planning from Appalachian State University. He is also a licensed general contractor. Mr. Love currently holds a Level III Standard Certificate in Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical and Level I Standard Fire Certificate from the North Carolina Department of Insurance. He teaches Building and Plumbing I, II and III Standard Courses to North Carolina Building Inspectors as well as continuing education courses for the North Carolina Building Inspectors’ Association. Mr. Love is currently on the Executive Board of the North Carolina Building Inspectors’ Association as the president-elect, and he also serves on the Education Committee as the co-chair and Site-Development Committee.

Ms. Holdridge, LEED Fellow, EIT, Associate AIA is the Sustainability Director at Lake|Flato Architects. Leveraging her background in mechanical engineering, she directs all Lake|Flato teams in establishing sustainability goals. Ms. Holdridge devises strategies and systems to realize those goals under programs such as LEED, the 2030 Challenge, and the Living Building Challenge. She works closely with teams to evaluate passive systems and performs energy modeling throughout the design process. Ms. Holdridge received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Mr. Kurdi has been serving the electrical industry for over 30 years as an engineer, electrician and trainer. Mr. Kurdi has engineered (designed, specified and analyzed) government buildings (police stations, sheriff’s offices, fire stations, city halls, court houses, libraries, and jails), housing buildings (affordable, senior, assistant, memory care, adaptable use and student), hospitals, data centers, sport arenas, commercial office buildings, water/wastewater treatment plants and electric utility distribution and substations. Mr. Kurdi’s experience as an electrician includes estimating, laying out, wiring, installing and maintaining electrical systems for residential and commercial buildings. He has served as an engineer on construction projects in numerous locations in Texas, including San Antonio, Arlington, Bryan and Manor. He has developed and taught thousands of seminar hours over the years at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minnesota Electrical Association, IEEE and others. The seminars include NEC Code, electrician’s exam, MV system, electrical wiring, apprenticeship, estimation, electrical design, Revit MEP, and project management. Mr. Kurdi holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Adult Education. He is a registered electrical engineer (PE) in 37 states, including Minnesota and Texas. He holds a Class A master electrician license from the State of Minnesota. Currently, Mr. Kurdi is a senior electrical engineer and department head at BKV Group (A&E Firm with offices in Chicago, Dallas, DC & Minneapolis). Mr. Kurdi served as NCEL Board Member (Jan 2021 – present), IAEI MN Chapter president (Jan 2018 – Jan 2023), chair of IEEE Twin Cities PES/IAS (Aug 2019 – Jan 2023), Minnesota State Board of Electricity member (Jan 2018 – Jan 2020).

Dr. Oliver hails from Memphis, TN. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Memphis in 2008, and his PhD in Economics from the University of Wyoming in 2013. His primary fields of expertise are energy economics, environmental and natural resource economics, and industrial organization and regulation. Dr. Oliver’s research interests focus primarily on the regulation of energy resources and energy infrastructure. Much of his past work has dealt with natural gas markets and interstate pipelines. More recently, his research has focused on the market effects of rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies (e.g., wind and solar photovoltaics). Additionally, he has published (and ongoing) research on other topics such as the links between energy resource development, environment, and economic growth, and the economics of climate change. Since joining Georgia Tech in 2013, Dr. Oliver has taught various courses in energy and environmental economics, microeconomics, and macroeconomics.

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.

Ms. Avalos is a nationally renowned leader in providing accessibility-related services and is a sought-after speaker with a knack for using an upbeat approach to help others understand the complexities of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With over 40 years of experience, she provides expert witnessing on ADA, 504, Federal Housing Administration, and Air Carrier Access Act legal cases. In 1990 she founded Accessology Too, LLC which is a national leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is one of the largest U.S. firms dedicated solely to accessibility and access issues. Since its founding, Accessology has worked closely with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Access Board to remain knowledgeable and adept with the constant changes that occur regarding ADA guidelines. Accessology has worked on numerous multi-million dollar projects to impact accessibility compliance during all stages, from schematics to construction and final inspections. Since 2005 Accessology has specialized in the development, execution, and monitoring of the required ADA Transition Plans for Title II entities to help them avoid access-related litigation since so much litigation is tied to not having a Transition Plan on file. Ms. Avalos and her team at Accessology are committed to removing structural and attitudinal barriers that adversely impact people with disabilities.

Mr. Avery served in the Army for 20 years. Since 1993, after he retired from the Army, he has restricted his practice to family law, predominantly in Montgomery County, Maryland. First as a solo practitioner and now in partnership with his daughter, Prudence Upton. He has handled hundreds of divorce, child custody, child support, visitation and other family issues, most often bringing them to resolution without the need for a trial. Mr. Avery is frequently consulted by other counsel regarding military matters and has done presentations for a number of groups regarding military family law. He has been selected by SuperLawyers every year since 2008 and has been selected for listing in The Best Lawyers in America since 2017. Mr. Avery is a certified as a mediator in both general civil matters and family law, focusing on property and child-related issues. He serves as a facilitator for the Family Law Division of the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Mr. Avery is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law where he co-teaches Collaborative Practice to law students. He is a trainer for the Collaborative Practice Training Institute training practicing professionals in Collaborative Practice.

With more than 25 years of experience, Mr. Coaxum is skilled at negotiation, settlement, and litigation of complex domestic matters. he has experience navigating difficult and high-profile matters that present significant legal, business, and reputational risks. His deep and vast experience includes complex asset and property distribution, complex separation agreements, alimony, and child custody and access issues. Mr. Coaxum represents clients in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Howard, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, and Montgomery counties in Maryland as well as the District of Columbia. In addition to his family law practice, he also serves as legal counsel and trusted advisor to clients who are owners of business and corporate entities. Mr. Coaxum’s experience includes handling multifaceted business disputes and litigation matters, including high profile defamation claims, employment disputes, and contract claims. His excellent reputation in the Maryland legal community has resulted in the recent appointment to Maryland’s Attorney Grievance Commission, a commission that ensures Maryland lawyers adhere to their professional responsibilities. He served on the board of directors for the Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center from 2010 to 2016 and is also a former board member to HopeWorks, Howard County’s sexual assault and domestic violence center that provides critical services to families affected by domestic violence. From 2009 to 2017, Mr. Coaxum served as treasurer to the Prince George’s County Political Committee to Re-Elect Sitting Judges and served as political committee treasurer to other Judges in campaigns to retain judicial seats in Howard County.

Ms. DeMeo is an alumna of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and George Washington University Law School, who has been practicing family law in Maryland and DC for over 25 years. She is currently a Principal at Markham Law Firm in Bethesda, MD, where she focuses on negotiated settlements and Alternate Dispute Resolution, including mediation and Collaborative Law. Although she continues to litigate in high conflict cases, her preference is to help families in transition efficiently navigate the divorce process in order to preserve as much family wealth and goodwill as possible. For over a decade she has frequently quoted as an expert in her field, and various media sources have recognized her as one of the top DC area attorneys in her field, including the Washingtonian Magazine, Superlawyers, Bethesda Magazine, Best Lawyers and the Daily Record. She was an adjunct professor from 2019-2020 for the GWU Family Justice Center, and is currently serving a 2 year term as a Board Member of the AFCC Maryland Chapter.

With an exceptional career spanning law, education, corporate representation, and software development, Mr. Grozbean remains a trusted authority in family and child support law—not only in Maryland but across the nation. One of his most notable contributions to Maryland’s legal system is the creation of the Child Support Guidelines Program, which has been adopted by judges, magistrates, and attorneys throughout the state. In fact, many members of the judiciary have personally sought his insight on complex family law and child support matters. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top lawyers in the country, Mr. Grozbean has earned distinctions that only a select few attorneys ever achieve. He has also been honored with a lifetime membership in Who’s Who in America, a recognition reserved for outstanding professionals nationwide. His professional excellence has been consistently recognized—being named a Super Lawyer, placing him among the top 5% of attorneys in Maryland. He was also invited to address the Maryland Rules Committee regarding much-needed reforms to child support regulations. His recommendations were unanimously approved and later advanced to the Maryland Court of Appeals (now the Supreme Court of Maryland).Beyond his practice, Mr. Grozbean regularly lectures for law professors and legal professionals on family law issues, particularly those involving child support. His expertise has been featured in major publications such as The Washington Post and USA Today, as well as on national television. His influence has even extended into government, where a former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives appointed him as Honorary Co-Chairman of the Business Advisory Council. Mr. Grozbean is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for Maryland, the U.S. District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Military Appeals. He has also taught at the University of Maryland School of Law and trained U.S. government personnel on critical legal issues. In addition to family law, his legal career has included representing major corporations in stock exchange matters, high-value contract negotiations, litigation, and discrimination defense. He has successfully managed complex domestic cases involving prenuptial agreements, custody disputes, pensions, business rights, and property division. Currently serving as President and CEO of Support Analysis Software, Inc. (SASI), Mr. Grozbean continues to innovate in the field of legal technology. Under his leadership, SASI has received the prestigious Editor’s Award for its groundbreaking contributions to legal software.

Ms. Jacobson has been practicing law for nearly a decade, having successfully represented clients in all facets of family law proceedings including separation, divorce, custody, child support, post-divorce enforcement, and other family law related matters. Through her experience litigating family law matters, Ms. Jacobson has found that the conflict associated with litigation often tears a family apart making it toxic for children and their parents. However, as a certified mediator and collaborative divorce attorney, she has also seen how these forms of alternative dispute resolution can lead to and foster successful co-parenting arrangements. Ms. Jacobson has chosen to dedicate her practice to working with clients who wish to resolve their family disputes without court intervention. She assists clients in choosing between mediation, collaborative divorce or separation agreements in order to keep drama out of their divorce. Ms. Jacobson graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law with her Juris Doctorate magna cum laude. She is admitted to practice law throughout the State of Maryland as well as within the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. She is a certified mediator, Best Interest Attorney, Child Advocate Attorney and Child Privilege Attorney. Prior to founding Jacobson Family Law, Ms. Jacobson was a senior associate at The Drazin Law Center, specializing in divorce and bankruptcy.

Ms. Scherer concentrates representation in divorce, child custody, parenting agreements, alimony, marital property division, marital settlement agreements, child support, visitation, paternity, step-parent adoption, jurisdictional disputes, and interstate child custody and child support matters. Her vast experience in domestic/family law matters is the foundation of her recognition as a leading Maryland family, divorce, and custody attorney. Ms. Scherer regularly appears in state courts throughout Maryland. She has skillfully litigated and settled hundreds of domestic cases, obtaining favorable results for her clients. Ms. Scherer regularly represents high profile clients in state court, including professional sports figures and business owners with significant assets at stake. Additionally, Ms. Scherer has obtained custody for many clients, both men and women. Ms. Scherer has successfully argued cases before the Maryland appellate courts resulting in published and unpublished opinions. Ms. Scherer is also trained in collaborative law, which is a commitment to recognizing that divorce and other family matters are multi-dimensional and often require assistance from other collaboratively trained professionals such as child specialists, financial specialists, and/or a divorce coach. The goal of the collaborative approach is a negotiated settlement focusing on empowering the client, following established guidelines and protocols without the threat of court action from the collaborative attorneys. Ms. Scherer is also a trained civil mediator and is regularly appointed by state courts to serve as a Best Interest Attorney or Privilege Attorney to represent children in highly contested cases. Her client-first, goal-oriented strategy is consistently recognized by her peers and by Maryland Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers as the best divorce lawyer in Maryland, the best custody lawyer in Maryland, and the best Maryland family attorney, to name a few.

Mr. Robbins is a residential designer and energy consultant since the mid-1980s whose projects have been mostly in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. His projects aim for lower energy usage and less negative environmental impact. He has designed and consulted on passive solar homes which sometime include solar water heating and solar electricity. He has also consulted on stand-alone renewable energy projects like the battery-backed PV electric system which has powered his office since November 2001.

Mr. Robbins has two certifications from Association of Energy Engineers (AEE): CEM for energy management and CSDP for sustainable development. He has received six awards from AEE since 1990 for energy and environmental achievements, including 1994 SW Ohio Energy Engineer of the Year and 2004 SW Ohio Environmental Engineer of the Year. In 2012 AEE honored Mr. Robbins as its Region III Renewable Energy Innovator of the Year. He was also co-recipient in 1998 of the Ohio Governor’s Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency in the Education Category.

A renewable energy advocate and user who once led the SW Ohio Alternate Energy Association (AEA) 1995-2005, Mr. Robbins nonetheless encourages, assists and teaches energy users to become much more aggressive in minimizing their heating, cooling and non-HVAC energy use. He has developed and taught energy-focused continuing education courses for Great Oaks Institute in Ohio, Appalachia – Science in the Public Interest in Kentucky, Columbus (OH) Green Building Forum, Impact Management Services in Cincinnati and HalfMoon Education.

Mr. Robbins sells no products, receives no commissions for referrals and has had no commercial affiliation with manufacturers and retailers of products or services he uses, recommends or specifies.

Ms. Brown is a 2024 vLex Fastcase 50 honoree, recognized for her contributions to integrating technology and ethics into legal education. She is also the recipient of the 2024 AALS Section of Technology, Law & Legal Education Technology & Ethics Award. Ms. Brown holds a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law with an emphasis in intellectual property law, an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Drexel University, and a B.F.A. from DePaul University. She is a frequent CLE instructor on legal ethics, artificial intelligence, legal technology, process optimization, and legal research. She has taught law school courses including Legal Technology for Practice and Art of Advocacy, in addition to several courses on artificial intelligence, and various specialized legal research topics. Ms. Brown is an active member of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). She has held numerous leadership positions within the organization, including serving on the AALL Executive Board from 2011 to 2014. Her research interests include intellectual property, acting skills for lawyers, legal technology in education, and artificial intelligence. She is co-author of the forthcoming book Strategic Tech Integration in the Legal Academy: A Comprehensive Guide for Aligning with ABA Standards and Modern Legal Practice.

Ms. Coleman Hunter handles appellate work and has argued before the South Carolina Supreme Court. She helps law students and out-of-state attorneys become licensed in South Carolina and represents Bar applicants before the Committee on Character and Fitness and the Supreme Court of South Carolina. She has presented continuing legal education programs to statewide and national audiences and enjoys volunteering as a guest speaker in the annual Ethics Hot Tips CLE with the South Carolina Bar. Ms. Coleman Hunter also serves as a member of the SC Bar’s Professional Responsibility Committee. She attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and received her Juris Doctor in 2015. She was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2015 and to the Kentucky Bar in 2016. Before joining Clawson & Staubes, Ms. Coleman Hunter was an Assistant Attorney General at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, where she handled hundreds of post-conviction relief hearings and appeals across the state.

Mr. McDaniel was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, he did his undergraduate study at Furman University in Greenville, SC before getting his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Mr. McDaniel’s professional career began in Beaufort, South Carolina in 2000 where he worked for a personal injury and workers compensation firm. In 2002 he teamed up with Adam Gess to open a firm in downtown Beaufort. In 2009, Mr. McDaniel opened a solo practice as the Law Office of Brian McDaniel, LLC. He is a member of the South Carolina Bar and the Beaufort County Bar. He is admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of South Carolina, the United States Federal District Court of South Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. McDaniel is the Paralegal Program Director at The Technical College of the Lowcountry and has served as a Paralegal instructor in the Business Technologies Program.

Mr. Nasrollahi is a trial attorney who focuses his practice on helping clients who have been injured by others, and regularly handles cases from trucking and auto accidents, premises liability, dram shop negligence (when a bar or restaurant violates alcohol liability laws), and insurance bad faith litigation. Born and raised in Greenwood, South Carolina, he attended the College of Charleston as an undergraduate. He then graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was a member of The Journal of Law and Education as a staff editor. In addition to receiving his Juris Doctor, he also earned his Children’s Law Certificate, which signified his interest in an area of law that benefits children and families. After law school, Mr. Nasrollahi clerked for The Honorable Perry M. Buckner, Circuit Court Judge for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Prior to joining Thurmond Kirchner & Timbes, P.A., he worked as an associate attorney for a prominent defense law firm in Charleston. His experience and background working for a defense firm are invaluable in navigating claims for his injured clients. Mr. Nasrollahi was recognized in the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in 2023.

Ms. Stevens main areas of practice include Divorce, Child Custody, GAL services and Law Practice Management. Ms. Stevens was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, and she is a graduate of the College of Charleston and Charleston School of Law. She is an experienced attorney who holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and she is a frequent speaker at local, state, and national continuing legal education seminars. Ms. Stevens also planned and moderated the annual Guardian ad Litem training, sponsored by the South Carolina Bar, for many years. She also edited both editions of The South Carolina Guardian ad Litem Toolkit, the second edition of which was published in November 2022 by the South Carolina Bar CLE Division. This valuable resource has been very well received by judges and attorneys all across our state. She was one of only 18 attorneys in South Carolina to be selected to participate in the 2014 Leadership Academy sponsored by the SC Bar, and is a program graduate. Ms. Stevens is an active member of the Spartanburg County Bar Association, the Greenville County Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, the American Bar Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the South Carolina Women Lawyers’ Association. She previously served a three-year term on Charleston School of Law’s Alumni Association Board, and she has previously served as Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association Law Practice Division’s Solo & Small Firm Interest Group. She most recently served several years on the Board of the Hub City Writers’ Project. Ms. Stevens is a regular guest lecturer for classes associated with the USC Upstate Child Development and Family Studies degree program.

Mr. Timbes is a litigator and founding partner at Thurmond Kirchner & Timbes, P.A., located in the historic district of downtown Charleston, South Carolina. A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, Mr. Timbes began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Kaye G. Hearn, then Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals, before entering private practice. He has litigated complex personal injury, business, construction, and appellate matters at all levels of the South Carolina and federal court systems. He is a Certified Civil Court Mediator and Arbitrator, and he is appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court to serve as Chairman of the South Carolina Board of Law Examiners.