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Mike Haynes Marketing and Sales Specialist at LiveWall, LLC
Mr. Haynes is the sales and marketing specialist for LiveWall and has been with the company since 2013. Mike assists with living wall projects throughout the world focusing primarily on the US and Canada. He assists with developing living wall projects from concept design through installation.

Dr. Hoskins earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland. He also received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2011 with an emphasis on building egress. Dr. Hoskins spent one year working for Arup on projects primarily dealing with life safety design and people movement. He then spent two years working for the National Institute of Standards and Technology working on projects dealing with building evacuations and emergency messaging. He is a registered fire protection engineer in the state of Oklahoma. Professor Hoskins is the chair of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) working group that developed a research roadmap for fire protection and a member of the Human Behavior in Fire Task group for SFPE. He serves on multiple code and standards committees. He has authored more than 20 articles related to building evacuations and human behavior in fire.

Ms. Eierman is an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer specializing in native plants. Based in New York, Ms. Eierman teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Native Plant Center, Rutgers Home Gardeners School, and several other institutions. She is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics, presenting for industry conferences, “green events,” Master Gardener groups, garden clubs, nature centers, Audubon Society chapters, beekeeping groups, and other organizations interested in environmental improvements. Ms. Eierman also provides horticultural consulting and landscape design to homeowners and commercial clients. In addition to being a certified horticulturist through the American Society for Horticultural Science, she is an Accredited Organic Landcare Professional, a Steering Committee member of The Native Plant Center, and a member of The Ecological Landscape Alliance and Garden Communicators International. Ms. Eierman is the author of the new book, The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening.

Ms. White has been with Phius since 2012. Ms. White led the building certification review team for seven years and is an instructor for Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC®) training and WUFI® Passive energy modeling software training. She holds a degree in Environmental Sustainability with a minor in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master’s in Energy Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ms. White has a strong understanding of high-performance building design and how this is integral to the transition to a renewable energy grid. Her Masters’ thesis posed the question “What do Net Zero Buildings Cost the Grid?”, combining the concepts behind how building loads are shaped, how design techniques can alter that shape, and how that ultimately impacts the electricity generation resources needed to meet the load – all while considering the shift to more intermittent, renewable energy resources. Ultimately, this research concludes that energy conservation and demand response in buildings is a critical up-front investment to facilitate this transition.

Philip Ruck, P.E.

President at Stillwater Environmental Engineering, Inc. (SEE), Orono, Maine

Mr. Ruck has both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine, and over 28 years of professional experience. He has spent the majority of his engineering consulting career specializing in stormwater management and pollution prevention. This includes assisting industrial, municipal and institutional clients in Maine and across the northeast with environmental regulatory compliance. During current and previous employment, Mr. Ruck has worked closely with many types of industrial facilities to help them understand and meet NPDES regulatory requirements. He and the team at SEE provide comprehensive services related to stormwater management to their clients, including:

Development of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs);

Compliance Training;

BMP Recommendation and Design;

Monitoring and Inspections; and

Reporting

In his free time he loves to spend time outdoors, whether in a boat, on a bike, on skis, or catching fish in the beautiful State of Maine.

Dean W. Farley Special Counsel at Much Shelist, P.C.

Mr. Farley is an experienced transactional attorney and litigator who helps a broad array of construction, real estate, manufacturing and other companies identify, pursue and achieve their strategic business objectives. He advises developers, investors, owners, tenants, investment funds, contractors and subcontractors, privately held and family-owned companies, and mid-sized corporations on matters ranging from construction financing, contracts and agreements to lease negotiations and real property acquisitions and sales. A skilled trial and appellate attorney, he also represents parties in American Arbitration Association proceedings, as well as mediation and settlement negotiations.

In his transactional practice, Mr. Farley has drafted, reviewed and modified a wide range of entity- and fund-formation, acquisition, financing and related documents involving commercial and multifamily properties ranging in value from $500,000 to $30 million. He regularly drafts and edits commercial leases and contracts, including settlement agreements, indemnifications and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings, as well as construction documents in accordance with AIA standards. Mr. Farley also manages eminent domain transactions on behalf of municipal entities.

Mr. Farley has extensive experience managing and handling complex litigation, including disputes involving real estate fraud, foreclosures, mechanics’ liens, restructurings and workouts of multi-property funds and related special purpose entities, lease terminations and evictions. He guides clients at every step, from conducting initial discovery, taking depositions, preparing witnesses and drafting pre-trial motions to presenting arguments at trial and filing appellate briefs.

Before earning his law degree, Mr. Farley was co-owner of a company specializing in HVAC systems and controls. He has also served as owner and manager of several special purpose entities holding investment real estate, and was a futures trader on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Technical Director of Creative Technology Inc.
Mr. Walke provides consulting and training services for the fire protection and code enforcement communities. Previously, he had been employed by UL for 43 years, focusing on fire-resistance-rated construction and the protection of breaches in those assemblies. Prior to retiring from UL, Mr. Walke’s responsibilities included providing fire protection-related technical support to the regulatory community, providing educational seminars, developing internet-based training programs, interacting on code change activities and serving as a liaison between the UL engineering staff and the regulatory community. Prior to that assignment, he was actively engaged in fire protection engineering for 29 years. Mr. Walke provided the supervisory and review activities of engineering investigations conducted on fire resistive construction, through-penetration firestop systems, joint systems, perimeter fire containment systems, fire-resistive electrical outlet boxes, electrical circuit protections systems, fire-resistive grease and air ducts systems, interior finish building materials, air duct materials and solid fuel heating appliances.

Mr. Krstulovich is the Engineer of Concrete and Soils with the Central Bureau of Materials, Illinois Department of Transportation. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Krstulovich is a registered professional engineer in the state of Illinois with 20 years’ experience, specializing in researching emerging concrete technologies, developing specifications, and implementing testing standards and procedures. His areas of interest include: PCC mix design methodology, materials-related distress, research implementation, and specifications development.

Dr. Tobias received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1988, and his Masters and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering in 1990 and 1994 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer in Illinois. Dr. Tobias’ career spans a broad range of experiences which include experimental field and laboratory research on buildings and bridges, design of bridges and other structures, and materials and construction engineering. Over the years, he has also taught a number of structural analysis, mechanics, and design courses including advanced reinforced concrete design, structural dynamics, advanced structural steel design, prestressed concrete design, and bridge design.

Dean Wirtanen, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Mr. Wirtanen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Environmental and Public Health from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin – Stout where he has taught in the Construction Program for the past 13 years. He regularly teaches plan reading, estimating, structures, and mechanical system classes. He has taught the HVAC class for the past 10 years. He has spent three summers estimating for an Eau Claire based plumbing and HVAC contractor. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin.

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. 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. 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. Keller has been providing geotechnical engineering, environmental compliance management, and field support services to private and public sector clients for more than 19 years. He is proficient at resolving problematic subsurface conditions and evaluating risks associated with difficult geotechnical and environmental problems. He has managed numerous projects in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions and has considerable expertise with a wide range of geotechnical and environmental services. Mr. Keller has worked at Whitestone since 2005 and has primarily been responsible for the performance and management of geotechnical projects from initial conception and investigation set-up, through preparation of final recommendations and reports, to follow-up consulting and expert witness testimony.

Mr. Bennink of the Building Deconstruction Institute has trained groups in 44 States/4 Provinces, helping start new sustainable businesses and diverting over 100,000,000 pounds from landfills. He focuses on growing the circular economy, zero waste/energy movements, embodied carbon, and sustainable building. Re-Use has completed over 1200 deconstruction projects, and has worked on 3600+ projects. To keep in practice, Mr. Bennink also runs a reuse store and deconstruction contracting firm, markets reclaimed wood, and salvages and sells mature landscaping from jobsites. Voted National Deconstructor of the Year, he also recently won a Sustainable Leadership Award and National Reuse Educator of the Year.

Principal and Founder of THE DEAP Energy Group, LLC
Mr. Duclos is a principal and founder of THE DEAP Energy Group, LLC, a consultancy providing a wide variety of deep energy retrofit, zero net energy and Passive House-related consulting services. He is a founder, on the board of directors, and director of education of Energy Raters of Massachusetts, Inc., a RESNET-certified HERS Provider specifically catering to independent HERS Raters in New England. Mr. Duclos also founded Energy Efficiency Associates, LLC, to provide conventional home HERS, energy audit, Stretch Code, tax certification and associated verification and consulting services.

Mr. Duclos was an energy consultant on the Transformations, Inc., Massachusetts Zero Energy Challenge entry, which was awarded the second prize of $15K. He has worked on a variety of Zero Net Energy, DER and Passive House projects, including two National Grid DER projects which qualified for the ACI Thousand Homes Challenge, Option B, both of which have certified with a year of energy consumption data to use less energy than specified by THC Option B. Mr. Duclos conducted a feasibility study of a retrofit to the Passive House new home performance standard. He assisted with the design and preparation of the PHPP for the first EnerPHIT certified home in the US.

Mr. Duclos also worked on the design and certification of the first National Grid DER  project to successfully qualify for the Zero Net Energy incentive, which completed a year of use with a surplus of 500 KWHR. He served on the NESEA Zero Energy Task force which analyzed utility bill data from applicants for the annual $10K award for the best zero net energy home. Mr. Duclos is a founding member and was on the board of directors of Passive House New England, Inc., a non-profit promoting high performance building, including Passive House. He is a member of the Northeast HERS Alliance Technical Committee and was on the MassSave New Construction Program HERS Rater Panel.

Mr. Duclos monitors the delivered performance of his projects using a variety of real time electricity monitors, as well as temperature, RH and CO2 loggers and correlates this data to the expected performance predicted by his energy models. The actual data, and the stories behind the data are made available to the public in speaking engagements in a variety of public venues, and in publications like Home Energy Magazine.

Mr. Duclos is an ITC-certified building science infrared thermographer, and he is the certified Passive House consultant responsible for the design and certification of the second Passive House in Massachusetts. He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from UMass Lowell, and two patents.

Mr. Duclos consulted on the first multifamily Passive House certified in New Hampshire, a 24-unit affordable senior housing facility near Laconia, New Hampshire.

Owner of Lile Engineering in Ashland, MO
Mr. Lile is the owner of Lile Engineering, which specializes in commercial energy solutions and LEED certification consulting. Mr. Lile has worked in the design industry for over 30 years, on healthcare, industrial, commercial and educational construction projects. He has been involved in electrical and mechanical design, as well as construction management and commissioning. He has volunteered for local city boards and commissions, including the City of Columbia Energy and Environment Commission, which he chaired from 2009 – 2015, helping the City review and adopt new building codes. Mr. Lile is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri.

Owner of Lile Engineering in Ashland, MO
Mr. Lile is the owner of Lile Engineering, which specializes in commercial energy solutions and LEED certification consulting. Mr. Lile has worked in the design industry for over 30 years, on healthcare, industrial, commercial and educational construction projects. He has been involved in electrical and mechanical design, as well as construction management and commissioning. He has volunteered for local city boards and commissions, including the City of Columbia Energy and Environment Commission, which he chaired from 2009 – 2015, helping the City review and adopt new building codes. Mr. Lile is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri.

Owner of Lile Engineering in Ashland, MO
Mr. Lile is the owner of Lile Engineering, which specializes in commercial energy solutions and LEED certification consulting. Mr. Lile has worked in the design industry for over 30 years, on healthcare, industrial, commercial and educational construction projects. He has been involved in electrical and mechanical design, as well as construction management and commissioning. He has volunteered for local city boards and commissions, including the City of Columbia Energy and Environment Commission, which he chaired from 2009 – 2015, helping the City review and adopt new building codes. Mr. Lile is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri.

Mr. Nudelman has represented members of the construction industry across a broad spectrum of matters for over 25 years. He works with owners and developers, construction managers, general contractors, subcontractors and design professionals to prepare and negotiate contract documents for construction in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area. Mr. Nudelman drafts, modifies and negotiates customized contracts, as well as contracts based on standard industry forms from groups such as the American Institute of Architects, Consensus Docs and Design Build Institute of America. His construction contracting work helps his clients manage the risk inherent in construction projects so they may adequately protect their interests now to avoid claims and disputes in the future. When claims and disputes are unavoidable, Mr. Nudelman draws upon his wide-ranging experience in construction litigation, representing clients in state and federal courts throughout the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area, as well as in local and international mediations and arbitrations.