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Senior Engineer at IAPMO’s Uniform Evaluation ServiceMr. Berneche brings more than 30 years of technical experience in construction and quality assurance; the most recent 20 years as a civil/structural engineer. With International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Uniform Evaluation Service (UES), and previously with ICC Evaluation Service as senior staff engineer, Mr. Berneche evaluates and certifies a wide range of building products. Prior to that Mr. Berneche worked as an engineer in the prefabricated building industry in management and as a consulting engineer. He earned his B.S.C.E. degree at the University of South Florida and is a registered professional engineer in several southeastern states. Mr. Berneche is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama, where he serves on the Board of Directors.

Senior Engineer at IAPMO’s Uniform Evaluation ServiceMr. Johnson brings nearly 30 years of technical experience in design and construction as a civil/structural engineer. He serves as senior staff engineer, working on the building products listing program in addition to working on deck, guardrail, roofing and exterior wall cladding evaluation reports and reviewing reports to the Florida building codes. He spent 23 years with ICC, working in both technical services and evaluation services. Mr. Johnson earned his B.S.C.E. degree from the University of Alabama and his MBA degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a registered professional engineer in Alabama and Florida.

Mr. Agee is the director of Building and Code Enforcement for St. Charles County, Missouri. Previously, he worked in urban and suburban municipal governments managing building code enforcement, facilities, and information technology. Prior to his public sector positions, Mr. Agee worked in the construction industry in design and project management.

He has an undergraduate degree in Architectural and Mechanical Design and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Policy Analysis. As a Master Code Professional, Mr. Agee is one of approximately 800 people to obtain the highest level of certification from the International Code Council. He currently holds a total of 28 certifications in building, energy, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and accessibility areas.

Mr. Agee is a former president of the Missouri Association of Building Officials and Inspectors (MABOI). In addition, he founded Regimen Consulting LLC, which provides code training and technology consultation to various organizations across the country.

President & CEO, Construction Education and Consulting Services of MichiganMr. Pratt began working in his family-owned construction business in 1965. Over the years, he has had hands-on experience with all of the construction trades as well as with professionals in the industry such as architects, engineers, attorneys, developers and brokers.  Mr. Pratt was first licensed as a builder in 1970 and is currently the qualifying officer of Pratt Building Company (“PBC”) which was formed in 1993.  PBC develops raw land for commercial and residential purposes and provides construction services as a general contractor.  Mr. Pratt was awarded the distinction of master builder status by the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan after successfully completing the construction of hundreds of custom and semi-custom homes.  Mr. Pratt has been a leader in the construction industry in the promotion and building of energy-efficient homes through the Michigan State 5 Star Program and the National Energy Star Program.  He has consulted with builders, remodelers, subcontractors, insurance companies, financial institutions and law firms since 1996 regarding building codes, contracts, construction standards and other industry issues.  Mr. Pratt has testified as an expert witness relative to construction industry disputes more than 50 times and has been hired for his opinion in over 850 cases.  As an educator, he develops and teaches construction related classes including the 60 hour pre-licensure training required by the State of Michigan.  Mr. Pratt is a licensed real estate broker, building inspector and plan reviewer.  He is also a member of a variety of national and state organizations such as the National Institute of Building Sciences, the International Codes Council, the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan, and the National Association of Home Builders.

President & CEO, Construction Education and Consulting Services of MichiganMr. Pratt began working in his family-owned construction business in 1965. Over the years, he has had hands-on experience with all of the construction trades as well as with professionals in the industry such as architects, engineers, attorneys, developers and brokers.  Mr. Pratt was first licensed as a builder in 1970 and is currently the qualifying officer of Pratt Building Company (“PBC”) which was formed in 1993.  PBC develops raw land for commercial and residential purposes and provides construction services as a general contractor.  Mr. Pratt was awarded the distinction of master builder status by the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan after successfully completing the construction of hundreds of custom and semi-custom homes.  Mr. Pratt has been a leader in the construction industry in the promotion and building of energy-efficient homes through the Michigan State 5 Star Program and the National Energy Star Program.  He has consulted with builders, remodelers, subcontractors, insurance companies, financial institutions and law firms since 1996 regarding building codes, contracts, construction standards and other industry issues.  Mr. Pratt has testified as an expert witness relative to construction industry disputes more than 50 times and has been hired for his opinion in over 850 cases.  As an educator, he develops and teaches construction related classes including the 60 hour pre-licensure training required by the State of Michigan.  Mr. Pratt is a licensed real estate broker, building inspector and plan reviewer.  He is also a member of a variety of national and state organizations such as the National Institute of Building Sciences, the International Codes Council, the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan, and the National Association of Home Builders.

Vice President of Quality Control, Risk Management and Training atMoseley Architect
sMr. Payne is the “Dean” of Moseley University and has represented AIA-VA since 2000 on workgroups promulgating the building code, including the upcoming adoption of the 2018 VUSBC. He was instrumental in drafting the “rewrite” of the 2015 and 2018 Virginia Existing Building Code, with nearly 50 code change proposals. Mr. Payne is an existing building code instructor at the Jack A. Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy and worked with the Academy committee that developed the 2015 VEBC update and regular training module and content for all code enforcement officials and reviewers. He was appointed by the governor of Virginia to serve on the State Building Code Technical Review Board and has been recognized for his efforts in code development with the following awards: “Presidential Citation” by AIA Virginia, “Jack A. Proctor Meritorious Service Award for Registered Design Professionals” by the Virginia Building Code Officials Association (VBCOA), and “Award for Distinguished Achievement” by AIA Virginia. He has presented in many venues, including: VBCOA annual education conferences, AIA Virginia’s Architectural Exchange East conventions, Virginia Fire Prevention Association training conference, Virginia Governor’s housing conference, SpArc national symposiums, CEFPI regional conference, the National AIA Convention and numerous local building departments and VBCOA regional meetings.

Mr. Hinson has 43 years of experience in engineering. He has provided a wide range of construction and facility-related services to clients including systems testing, design, failure analysis, code review and project management. Mr. Hinson has served as an engineer, plans examiner, building official and as a principal in an engineering firm. He is experienced in multi-disciplined engineering, power generation, construction, forensics and building code enforcement. Mr. Hinson’s experience also includes building teams of professionals, performing cost and benefit evaluations, developing and streamlining policies and procedures to improve unit skills, and coordinating process across corporate structures. Additionally, he has provided code compliance plans review, construction administration, special inspection services, lectures, instruction, and management.

Vice President of Quality Control, Risk Management and Training at Moseley Architects
Mr. Payne is the “Dean” of Moseley University and has represented AIA-VA since 2000 on workgroups promulgating the building code, including the recent adoption of the 2015 VUSBC. He was instrumental in drafting the “rewrite” of the 2015 Virginia Existing Building Code. Mr. Payne is an existing building code instructor at the Jack A. Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy and worked with the Academy committee that developed the 2015 VEBC update and regular training module and content for all code enforcement officials and reviewers. He was recently appointed by the governor of Virginia to serve on the State Building Code Technical Review Board and has been recognized for his efforts in code development with the following awards: “Presidential Citation” by AIA Virginia; “Jack A. Proctor Meritorious Service Award for Registered Design Professionals” by the Virginia Building Code Officials Association (VBCOA); and “Award for Distinguished Achievement” by AIA Virginia. He has presented in many venues, including VBCOA Annual Education Conferences, AIA Virginia’s Architectural Exchange East conventions, Virginia Fire Prevention Association Training conference, Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference, SpArc national symposiums, CEFPI regional conference, the National AIA Convention and numerous local building departments and VBCOA regional meetings.

Formerly, Mr. Chestnut served as a director and practice leader for the Indianapolis office of Ryan, LLC, Thomson Reuters, and Deloitte. He has been involved with real and business personal property tax for more than 30 years. Mr. Chestnut has extensive experience with property tax reduction, administrative appeal representation, assisting clients with strategic tax planning, compliance work including the preparation of all business personal property tax forms and applications, audit representation, and testimony.  He received a B.S. degree in Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University.  

After graduating from Indiana University School of Law, Mr. Greene started his career in state and local tax as a Sales Tax Hearing Officer with the Indiana Department of Revenue in 1988. He has worked with a small consulting firm as vice president and general counsel. Mr. Green started the state and local tax practice at the Indianapolis offices of Deloitte. He was the national product leader for Grant Thornton’s automation practice; he was the national practice leader for Crowe Horwath’s sales and use tax practice; and he opened his law office as a sole practitioner. Mr. Greene is active in the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) and serves on the certification committee. He is a frequent speaker on multistate sales and use tax issues, and sales tax process improvement.

Mr. Hagerman  is a tax partner with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Indianapolis and has been practicing in the area of multistate taxation since 1996. He counsels business clients in all areas of state and local taxes, including controversies, administrative proceedings, audits, appeals, litigation, and planning. Mr. Hagerman serves as an independent advisor to businesses with respect to tax risk management, review of 3rd party tax strategies, legal review of tax-related transactions and business life events. His experience includes public accounting and law practice in Indianapolis, and he also managed the tax function of a Fortune 500 insurance company headquartered in Indiana for more than four years. He received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.  

Doug Klitzke is deputy general counsel for the Indiana Department of Revenue with primary responsibility for oversight of the Department’s Legal Division. The Legal Division is charged with addressing individual and business challenges to assessments, audit results, refund denials, and the Department’s interpretation and application of Indiana’s 47 “listed taxes.” The Legal Division is responsible for conducting administrative hearings, allowing the affected taxpayer a full and fair opportunity to present their arguments, and issuing a written response to each protest. Following a career as teacher and school principal, Mr. Klitzke graduated cum laude from Valparaiso University School of Law. While at Valparaiso, he participated in the Cambridge University Summer Law Program. Mr. Klitzke worked as a senior quality editor for Lexis-Nexis Publishing and began working for the Indiana Department of Revenue in 2000 as one of the Legal Division’s Hearing Officers.

Cheryl Morphew is President and CEO of Johnson County Development Corporation (JCDC), a public/private partnership charged with providing economic development services to municipalities and communities throughout Johnson County. During her tenure, JCDC has helped Johnson County communities facilitate over $800 million in new capital investment from existing business expansions and new business relocations. Ms Morphew has been in the economic development field for 18 years, including nine at JCDC. Prior to her current role, she worked at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), its predecessor, the Indiana Department of Commerce, and Indiana Gas (now Vectren) in various economic development manager positions. Ms Morphew currently serves on the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA) Foundation board of directors. She is also a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC). She holds a B.S. degree in Business from the University of Indianapolis and an M.S. degree in Management from Indiana Wesleyan.

Laura L. Rakaska is the executive director of Audit and Compliance Support at Indiana Department of Revenue. She has been with the department for 11 years and oversees the division’s fraud, analytics and compliance efforts as well as all audit support operations. Prior to coming to the department, Ms. Rakaska worked in public accounting for 10 years, primarily in the area of audit and advisory services. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Franklin College and is an active CPA.

Hon. Martha B. Wentworth was appointed Judge of the Indiana Tax Court by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2011. Judge Wentworth holds a B.S., M.S. and J.D. cum laude from Indiana University – Bloomington. Prior to her judicial appointment, she was a Tax Director at Deloitte Tax LLP where she led its Indiana Multistate Tax Services. Judge Wentworth has taught at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, the McKinney School of Law, and the Maurer School of Law for more than 22 years. Judge Wentworth is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and this year she was selected to Chair the 42nd (2022) and 43rd (2023) National Conference of State Tax Judges.