List of Presenters: 2026
January 13 – Robert Otani, Thornton-Tomasetti, Inc.
Robert K. Otani, PE, is the Chief Technology Officer and a Managing Principal at Thornton-Tomasetti, Inc., an 1,800-person multidisciplinary engineering and applied science firm. He founded CORE studio, the firm’s digital design, application development, AI, and R&D group. With 30 years of structural design experience, he has worked across commercial, infrastructure, institutional, cultural, and residential sectors on projects totaling more than $4 billion in construction. He has led the development of multiple software platforms, including Konstru, Design Explorer, Beacon, and Asterisk—the industry’s first machine-learning–powered structural engineering application.
January 27 – Claire Gandee, Bekaert Construction
Claire Gandee is a structural engineer and business development leader with 20 years of experience in technical sales and fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) innovation. As Senior Technical Manager/BD at Bekaert, she works with stakeholders to develop cost-effective, high-performance floor systems. She is committed to advancing fiber adoption and brings deep expertise in concrete reinforcement and market development.
January 27 – Nick Karam, Bekaert Construction
Nick Karam is a Regional Sales Engineer for Bekaert Construction with a decade of specialized design experience. He focuses on educating structural engineers across the United States about the potential of Dramix® steel fiber and Synmix® synthetic fiber reinforcement. His expertise supports optimized, high-performance, and cost-effective fiber-reinforced concrete solutions for client projects.
February 3 – Marc Rached, Master Builders Solutions
Dr. Marc M. Rached is the Manager of Engineering Technical Services at Master Builders Solutions, specializing in fiber-reinforced concrete and specialty concrete technologies. A licensed civil engineer, he previously served as an engineer at the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and as a structural engineer designing commercial projects. He is an active member of several ACI committees, including ACI 544 (Fiber-Reinforced Concrete). Dr. Rached holds a PhD and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
February 10 – Travis Konda, HNTB Corporation
Travis Konda has worked for HNTB Corporation for 20 years in both design and construction. He has contributed to the design or construction of ten Mississippi River bridges spanning from Minnesota to Louisiana. As the Iowa I-9 Black Hawk Bridge Construction Engineering and Inspection Project Manager, he works on site with the Iowa Department of Transportation, the contractor, and inspection staff to resolve daily issues and document completion of contract work.
February 10 – Clayton Burke, Iowa Department of Transportation
Clayton, an Iowa State University graduate, has served in various roles at the Iowa Department of Transportation over the past 12 years. He began as an intern in the Jefferson Construction Office and advanced to Work Zone Engineer in the Construction and Materials Bureau. Now the Project Manager for the Iowa 9/Wisconsin 82 Mississippi River Bridge Reconstruction Project, he took on the role to help rebuild a bridge in the town where he grew up.
February 10 – Anden Lovig, HNTB Corporation
Anden graduated from Iowa State University and has worked with HNTB for seven years. He began his career performing field inspection and project management on the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge in Bettendorf, Iowa. He later handled schedule review and claims analysis for projects including California High-Speed Rail, the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport taxilane reconstruction, and INDOT I-69. Anden now serves as the task lead for the IA-9/WI-82 Mississippi River Bridge in Lansing, Iowa, focusing on project management and schedule analysis.
February 10 – David Stanke, Kraemer North America
David has 25 years of experience in transportation and heavy civil construction. He has worked on numerous technically complex projects requiring close coordination with owners, utilities, agencies, and the public. He provides construction and technical support to help the team address and resolve project challenges efficiently. David brings extensive expertise in marine construction and deep foundations, contributing to the successful delivery of complex projects.
February 10 – Steven Lauer, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Steven Lauer has specialized experience in the inspection, instrumentation, testing, retrofitting, load rating, and design of bridge structures. Since joining WJE in 2011, he has led nondestructive testing in both laboratories and on in-service bridges, applied advanced structural analysis techniques, and responded to numerous emergencies to return bridges to service. His broad technical skills and hands-on experience also support his work on buildings and other infrastructure systems.
February 17 – Gary Pooley, Wells Concrete
Gary Pooley is the Regional Sales Manager for Wells's Midwest region and has nearly four decades of experience in the precast industry. Having worked on thousands of projects, he brings a unique perspective and innovative solutions to the field. Gary is actively involved in the construction community, serving as Director of the Minnesota Builders Exchange (MBEX), a board member of both PCI International and the Minnesota Prestress Association, and a member of the PCI Parking Ramp Committee.
February 17 – Phelan Varez, PE
Phelan Varez, PE, is a Specialty Design Services Engineer at Wells Concrete in Fargo, North Dakota. A licensed professional engineer, he specializes in the structural design of precast concrete products. His work includes designing structural components, performing lateral analyses, and managing a design and engineering team.
February 17 – Alex Wolf, PE
Alex Wolf, PE, is a precast concrete engineer with experience in design, sales, technical communication, and leadership. He combines deep expertise in precast design and manufacturing with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and deliver efficient, cost-effective solutions. Alex is skilled at identifying business opportunities, building industry relationships, and coordinating projects to ensure successful outcomes.
February 24 – Kirk Grundahl, Qualtim and DrJ Engineering
Kirk is President of Qualtim and DrJ Engineering and an owner of the Center for Building Innovation, Applied Building Technology Group, Pushing7, and Q3 Labs. A civil engineer with an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he focuses on product and market development. He is a licensed professional engineer in 47 states and Washington, DC, and has served as a retained and court-qualified expert witness in forensic structural engineering since 1983.
March 3 – Rebecca Bowman, Consulting Forensic Engineer, Attorney
Rebecca A. Bowman, Esq., PE, DFE (NAFE #1153), is the principal of a woman-owned civil engineering, dispute resolution, and legal services firm. She served four years as Senior Director of Ethics and Professional Practice with the National Society of Professional Engineers. A registered professional engineer, certified arbitrator, mediator, Christian conciliator, and Diplomate of Forensic Engineering, she has expertise in boundary law, engineering design and forensic analysis, and construction/project management. She authored the long-running column "Risky Business" and the book Residential Construction and Remodeling in Pennsylvania (2nd edition). She holds a BS in Civil Engineering, an MBA, a JD, and a Sustainability Policy certificate.
March 10 – Lauren Piepho, HGA
Lauren Piepho, PE, is a structural engineer at Hammel Green & Abrahamson in Minneapolis, MN, specializing in the design of mass timber buildings. She has led research on the design, implementation, and environmental impact of mass timber in commercial construction and helped establish a thriving mass timber practice at HGA. Since 2018, her team has completed over a dozen mass timber projects, with many more in progress. Lauren’s passion for sustainable design drives her ongoing exploration of innovative mass timber applications and efforts to integrate mass timber into mainstream structural engineering.
March 10 – Kelly Ontiveros
Kelly (Polk) Ontiveros is a construction professional with over two decades of project management experience. As a current project manager at Mortenson, she excels at overseeing complex construction projects from start to finish. Ontiveros joined Mortenson in 2014, working her way up from Assistant Project Manager to her current role in 2018. Her background also includes experience in both public and private sectors with the City of Carlsbad, Johnson Carlier Inc., and Joe E Woods. She holds a BS from the Del Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University, where she also previously studied Architecture.
March 17 – Elizabeth Manning, HGA
Elizabeth is a structural engineer with over 10 years of experience in preservation engineering, specializing in the assessment, analysis, and design of repair, strengthening, renovation, and adaptive reuse of concrete, masonry, steel, and timber structures. She holds bachelor’s degrees in mathematics, history, and civil engineering from St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota, a master’s in Structural Analysis of Historic Constructions, and a doctorate in civil engineering focused on non-destructive testing of historic masonry from the University of Minho, Portugal. Elizabeth is active in professional organizations, serving in leadership roles with MNSEA and on the APT WGLC board, and has contributed to multiple academic publications and conferences.
March 17 – Ginny Lackovic
Ginny Lackovic, AIA, is an Associate Vice President and preservation specialist at HGA, focusing on historic preservation, renovation, and building forensics in the Greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul Area. With HGA since 1993, she applies expertise in preservation planning and historical regulations, collaborating with stakeholders on sensitive design solutions that maintain architectural integrity. Her portfolio includes the landmark restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol building, as well as work on the Orpheum and Pantages Theatres.