Patrick Crosby, S.E. LEED® AP, established the Crosby Group in 1992 and serves as president and principal-in-charge. An innovator in the field of structural engineering, his ideas and retrofit solutions are on the cutting edge of technology. Patrick has led the engineering community in the implementation of many unique technologies such as passive energy dissipation devices (dampers), buckling restrained brace frames, composites, and shock transmission units. Crosby Group boasts completion of over a billion dollars in design-build construction.
David Conover, senior advisor for the International Code Council, heads the SMARTcodes project. He previously served as chief executive officer of the National Evaluation Service (NES). He has held positions with Battelle, the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS), and the American Gas Association. A mechanical engineer with graduate and undergraduate degrees from the Catholic University of America, David has been involved with the development, assessment, adoption, and implementation of building construction regulations and new building technology for 30 years.
John Cross, P.E., vice president of marketing for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a frequent speaker at seminars and workshops focused on construction material pricing and the early involvement of steel specialty contractors in the design and construction process. John pioneered the equipping of structural steel fabricators for early involvement in projects through a specialized training program conducted in partnership with the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). He was awarded the National Press Award from DBIA for contributions to the design-build movement in 2003.
Jason Ericksen is the director of AISC’s Steel Solutions Center. Jason worked for Campbell and Associates Consulting Engineers in Chicago until joining AISC in 2001. In the Steel Solutions Center, Jason coordinates the efforts of the Solutions Center staff. Working as a team, they address the needs of the design and construction industry for the use of structural steel. In addition, he performs cost analysis studies as part of the Steel Solution Center’s initiative to offer cost-effective design alternatives for significant projects.
Thomas A. Faraone, P.E., is a professional engineer and graduate of Cornell University’s College of Engineering. He has 27 years of structural engineering experience, including 10 years heading his own consulting firm. Tom has been with the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) for nine years. As senior regional engineer for AISC, Tom brings the latest steel industry productivity enhancing innovations to owners, developers, designers and builders throughout the country. Tom provides value engineering solutions and educational seminars to design and construction professionals and speaks frequently at national conferences and forums regarding the steel industry’s successful implementation of 3-D modeling and integrated project delivery.
Larry Flynn is the industry marketing manager with the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in Chicago. Larry has written previously for DATELINE about the success of structural steel specialty contractors in using 3D Building Information Modeling and interoperable software in design-build to increase project productivity and quality. Prior to joining AISC, Larry spent 14 years as a construction trade magazine editor where he covered transportation and building construction projects that employed design-build project delivery systems.
Greg Gidez has been with the firm of Fentress Bradburn Architects for 24 years. As a principal and senior project manager, he has been responsible for the design of over a billion dollars of constructed projects, totaling over 4.9 million s.f. This includes varied building types including airports, sports facilities, government centers, office buildings, retail, hospitality, courthouses, and laboratories. Over $800 million of these projects have been delivered utilizing the design-build delivery process. Mr. Gidez is the 2006-2007 president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and a special advisor to the DBIA Board of Directors, where he is active in promoting collaboration and integrated delivery within the design and construction communities. He is a designated design-build professional and a national speaker on the integrated design build processes.
Susan Johnson, S.E., LEED® AP, has over 15 years of experience as a structural engineer. She leads the Colorado office of Crosby Group. Her project list shows successful completion of facilities for civic, educational, mixed-use, and correctional clients. Susan actively participates on design-build teams and is fortunate to work with interesting people every day from diverse facets of the building industry.
Cheri C. Melillo, Hon. AIA, SDA/C, wears two official hats — one as the volunteer president/executive director for Canstruction, Inc., and one as office administrator/associate with Butler Rogers Baskett Architects, P.C., a 75-person architectural and interior design firm with offices in New York City and South Norwalk, CT. Born and raised in Muskego, WI, Cheri graduated with a B.S. in Theater and Speech with a Degree of Distinction from Northwestern University. After an early theatrical career, Cheri went on to manage a holistic health retreat and write a cookbook before entering the design and construction industry where she has remained for the past 22 years.
Cara Woodson Welch, Esq., is Vice President, Advocacy and General Counsel with the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). She has over 15 years of association management, government affairs and legal experience. Prior to DBIA, she was the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)‘s Legal Counsel and Director, Government Affairs. In that role, she headed up a government affairs department that focused on state and federal issues, including licensure, transportation, water/wastewater issues, historic preservation, parks and many other issues. Previously she has held positions at the National Association of Realtors, The American Institute of Architects and the National League of Cities. She has also held positions at all levels of government, federal, state and local. She holds a BA from Macalester College, St. Paul, MN and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Cara is licensed to practice law in DC and Pennsylvania.