The COAA Way Podcast
Where project leadership and reflective stories take center stage
In each fast-paced episode, listeners will hear from a variety of industry leaders about their unique journey and how it shaped them. Join hosts Howie Ferguson and Lucie Castro with the Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) as they delve with each guest into topics like talent recruitment & retention, handling conflict & tension, culture, and current challenges.
SEASON 2
Episode 1 | Melanie Ford, University of Georgia
Melanie is a groundbreaking woman in construction – a former contractor who now serves as an Owner for the University of Georgia (while also being a mom and earning two Masters degrees). Hear about her journey, the fascinating “moon trees” story, internal training, the various ways projects can be defined as successful, and more.
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Episode 2 | Sam Werschky, Cook Children's Health Care System
A former U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer, Sam leads the project management team at Cook Children’s Health Care System on their journey “from good to great.” Hear his thoughts on Cook’s rapid growth, sustaining a healthy culture, servant leadership, and other candid & heartfelt reflections on his professional experiences.
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Episode 3 | Tim Stillwell, Georgia Southern
Tim, who began his career with a civil engineering degree cutting grass at an airport, talks with pride about his organization, the importance of relationships, empathetic leadership, and the importance of organizational culture when it comes to retaining talent.
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Episode 4 | Kevin Lewis, Loudoun County
Ever humble despite a lifetime of accomplishments, Kevin’s journey started with trade school and being a draftsman and is ending as Chief Operations Officer for a school district that serves over 82,000 students. Kevin touches on a wide of range of topics that matter to everyone in our industry, including the importance of relationships, retaining talent, and his impactful tenure as COAA’s President.
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Episode 5 | BJ Kraemer, MCFA
A West Point graduate and former Army officer, BJ is now a highly successful professional in about every way one can define “successful.” His podcast, Inspiring People & Places, actually helped inspire COAA to launch its own podcast. Hear from this incredibly engaging and well-rounded fellow about his journey, leadership, and other insights.
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SEASON 1
Episode 1 | Karen Mooney, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Karen discusses her professional journey, talent recruitment & retention, the importance of finding purpose in work, being a woman in the construction industry, fit & culture, and a host of other interesting subjects.
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Episode 2 | Allison Muth, Medxcel
Allison, an executive with Medxcel and highly successful past President of COAA, addresses her transition from a design professional to Owner, current-day job concerns, sustainability, culture, and accountability.
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Episode 3 | Tony Aeck
One of the most interesting men in the AEC world, architect Tony Aeck, shares some fabulous stories and anecdotes, plus thoughts on risk management, talent retention, the generalist approach to his career, and several other interesting topics.
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Episode 4 | Jack Mumma
Jack – longtime Owner, past COAA President, and thoughtful fellow – discusses transition (“bet on yourself”), culture, regional differences in the approach to project delivery, dealing with tension, and the importance of value (versus cost).
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Episode 5 | Kirsten Neff
Kirsten, a former Naval officer and current regional leader for the General Services Administration (GSA), talks about the importance of culture, handling conflict, standardization of processes, and professional development.
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Episode 6 | Keith Douglas
Keith, who has spent his impactful 40-year career entirely with Whiting-Turner, reflects on his journey and talks openly about being nimble, dealing with challenges, traits of a good Owner, the most impactful person on his career, the value of being uncomfortable, and other great insights.
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Episode 7 | Jim Carroll
A professional who has served as both a designer and an Owner, Jim shares his thoughts on a range of topics, including transition, workforce development, his organization’s culture & philosophy, and “getting wide” with transparency.
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Episode 8 | Steve Jones
Steve is a “recovering architect” who now leads the Dodge Data & Analytics team. In this episode, he explains what Dodge does (help the industry understand itself) and weighs in a variety of other subjects, including the industry’s digital transformation, career transitions, and the importance of remembering that ours is a people business.