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Rome, GA 30161
United States
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2025 COAA-GA Spring Educational Forum Berry College
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
Berry College
24 Veteran Memoiral HighwayRome, GA 30161
United States
Event Details
Thursday, March 26, 2025
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Berry College, Oak Hill Pavilion, Room GA
Address: Oak Hill Pavilion 24 Veterans Memorial Highway Rome GA 30161
Join COAA-GA Chapter for our Spring Forum at the stunning Berry College! This full-day event will feature insightful presentations from Whiting-Turner and SmithGroup, as well as an exclusive tour and presentation by Cooper Carry and Brasfield & Gorrie.
Engaging Industry Presentations
Exclusive Project Tour
Lunch Provided
Don’t miss this opportunity to network, learn, and explore! Register now to secure your spot!
"All attendees of the COAA-GA Project Tour are required to bring and wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including a hard hat, safety glasses, high-visibility vest, and closed-toe shoes. Safety is our top priority, and compliance with PPE requirements ensures a secure and productive tour experience."
Steven Abbott
Engineer Fire Protection
Georgia State Financing & Investment Commission
Juan Archila
Georgia Institute of Technology
Pat Arrington
Vice President – East Region
JE Dunn Construction (Atlanta, GA)
Shelly Attila
Principal
May Architecture + Interiors
Gulcin Becerik
Project Manager
Page
Adam Berkstresser
VP of Operations
Piedmont Construction Group
Phil Best
Director of Risk Management
Garbutt Construction Company
Hunter Bicknell
Business Development
BM&K Engineering
Michael Biggs
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company (GA)
Arjun Bir
Principal & Unit Manager
Copeland Building Envelope Consulting
Brendan Bowen
Sr. Executive Director, Office of Capital Planning & Facilities
Technical College System of Georgia
J. Todd Bradford
Director of Facilities
Berry College
Kevin Bryant
Cobb County School System
Jenell Calloway
Manager, Meetings & Events
Construction Owners Association of America
Mark Cleverly
Leapley Construction Group
Wendy Cunningham
Director, Business Development
Manhattan Construction (Atlanta, GA)
John Curry
Business Development Manager
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (Atlanta)
Clayton Daspit
Collins Cooper Carusi
Nicole Dobbs
Sr. Regional Program Manager
Technical College System of Georgia
Richard Dozier
Partner
Newcomb & Boyd
David Esterline
Croft & Associates (GA)
David Fersh
SmithGroup (Detroit, MI)
John Fulford
Brasfield & Gorrie
Charlene Gates
Director of Business Development
Collins Cooper Carusi
Cari Gerrits
Business Development Manager
LS3P Associates Ltd.
Jeff Glazer
VP Business Development
Piedmont Construction Group
Henry Gomez
SPLOST Director of Construction
Cobb County School System
David Goodson
Leapley Construction Group
William Grip
Higher Education Solutions Leader
MBP (NC)
Kyle Harris
Cooper Carry, Inc. (Atlanta)
Lynda Herrig
Associate Partner & Director, Business Dev
Newcomb & Boyd
Greta Holland
Johnson Spellman
Christy Irwin
Director of Marketing and Communications
Leapley Construction Group
Jay Jenkins
GA Real Estate & Institutions Market Leader
VHB (Atlanta)
David Johnson
Construction Management
Auburn University Facilities Management
Jeff Juliano
Collins Cooper Carusi
Theresa King
Client Relations Team
RMF Engineering (ATL)
Jacob Lassiat
Kahua, Inc.
Samuel Macfie
Vice President of Business Development/Atlanta Healthcare
Batson-Cook Construction
Michelle Moore
Outside Sales Associate
Southern Lighting Source
Valeh Nowrouzian
VDC Manager
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company (GA)
Wendy Peacock
Director, Construction Management
Auburn University Facilities Management
Katie Pedersen
Associate | Sr. Project Manager
SmithGroup (Atlanta)
Lonel Petrus
SmithGroup (Detroit, MI)
Jamie Petty
Georgia Highlands College
Trevor Pitt
Project Manager
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company (GA)
Todd Procaccini
Senior Client Executive
Kahua, Inc.
Jessica Rantamaki
Business Development Specialist
Geo-Hydro Engineers (Atlanta)
Richard Rantamaki
Johnson Spellman
Ron Reed
Director of Educational Facilities
Marx Okubo
Fernando Rodriguez
Construction Manager
University of Georgia
Kelly Rogers
Project Manager
Flad Architects (GA)
Rick Ruark
Garbutt Construction Company
Max Shirley
Newcomb & Boyd
Dallas Smith
VP of Preconstruction
Piedmont Construction Group
David Smith
Batson-Cook Construction
Chris Szutz
Raymond
Bryan Tate
Interim Director of Facilities
Georgia Highlands College
Ashley Templeton
Director of Operations - Atlanta
Setty Engineering
Tim Torma MA
Director of Engineering
Georgia Gwinnett College
Kelson Van Gunst
Brasfield & Gorrie
Robert Vandermeer
Owner
Robert Vandermeer
Matt Vanture
VDC Manager
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company (Orlando, FL)
Bryan Vill
Project Manager
Oconee Construction Services
Donny Walker
Newcomb & Boyd
Andi King Wieczynski
Director of Business Strategy
The Beck Group
Agenda
| March 26 | |
| 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Registration, Networking & Breakfast |
| 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Welcome/Sponsor Recognition by Melanie Ford
Welcome to Berry/Berry History - Todd Bradford, Berry College |
| 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM |
AI in Design and Construction: Real World Considerations and Applications
AI in Design and Construction: Real World Considerations and Applications Presenters: Ionel Petrus (SmithGroup), David Fersh (SmithGroup), Matt Vanture (Whiting-Turner), and Mike Biggs (Whiting-Turner) |
| 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM |
Smart Buildings
Donny Walker, PE, RCDD Newcomb & Boyd Leapley Construction |
| 12:20 PM - 1:00 PM |
Lunch
Heartland Buffet Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken Served with Eggplant Parmesan, Baby Spinach Salad, Bakery Fresh Rolls with Butter, Fresh Herbed Vegetables, Roasted New Baby Spinach Salad with Bacon, Egg, Mushroom and Tomato and Balasmic Vinaigrette |
| 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM |
Mini-session – Fire Protection Education - Johnson Spellman State of Georgia
Richard J. Rantamaki Senior Associate, Fire Protection Design, Johnson, Spellman & Associate Steve Abbott, Certified Fire Protection Specialist, State of Financing and Investment Commission |
| 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM |
"Bringing Education to Life: The Head, Heart, and Hands Approach to Delivering Berry College’s Health Science Building"
Presenters: Todd Bradford, Director of Facilities, Berry College Kyle Harris, Associate, Project Architect, Cooper Carry Tim Fish, Principal, Cooper Carry Kelson Van Gunst, Senior Project Manager Construction, Brasfield&Gorrie |
| 2:20 PM - 2:40 PM |
Sponsor Giveaway/Closing Comments/Break
Melanie Ford and Jenell Calloway |
| 2:40 PM - 3:30 PM |
Jobsite Tour - Brasfield & Gorrie and Cooper Carry
Jobsite Tour |
| 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM |
Campus Tour
Nestled in the rolling hills of Rome, GA, Berry blends historic charm with modern innovation. This guided tour will showcase architectural highlights, including the iconic Ford Buildings, stunning mountain vistas, and sustainable campus developments. Learn about Berry’s unique student work program, conservation efforts, and the balance of tradition and progress that make this campus truly one of a kind. |