Speakers
Jeremy Millard
Sabrina Pavlova
Justin Blackledge
Anne Finerfrock
Dr. Paul Sambanis
Kasey Boxleitner
Decarbonization Sales Leader of the Commercial HVAC Americas, Trane Technologies Read the BioKasey Boxleitner
Denise Vaughn
Denise Vaughn is the Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Ferguson, a $29.7B value-added distributor in North America providing expertise, solutions, and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. As a member of Ferguson’s Executive Leadership Team, Denise is responsible for the company’s overarching ESG strategy, ensuring integration into business strategy and operations. She works cross-functionally to identify opportunities and partnerships to help Ferguson deliver on its short- and long-term ESG goals, maximize impact and effectively communicate with all stakeholders. She also leads an integrated team that directs Ferguson’s social impact with a focus on housing, clean water and sanitation and skilled trades. Through Ferguson Cares, the company provides grants and encourages its associates to serve communities across the country. Previously, Denise led Ferguson’s internal and external communications. She served as a primary company spokesperson and advised leaders on effective communication strategies, drove engagement and consistent messaging among the company’s stakeholders to include more than 35,000 associates across North America, customers, vendors, shareholders and investors.
Aidan Niggel
Steve Hinshaw
Omar Abdallah
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, D.V. Brown & Associates Read the BioOmar Abdallah
Omar Abdallah is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of D.V. Brown & Associates, located in Tonawanda, New York. Omar serves as a member of MCAA’s Education Committee.
Kane Armistead
Kane Armistead is Vice President, Operations at AMI Services, Inc., where he is responsible for all daily operations and profitability. Kane serves as a Trustee for UA Local 373 and serves on the MCAA Education Committee and the MSCA Labor Relations Committee.
Robert Beck
Star Bobatoon
Robert Bolton
Bob Bolton is CEO and President of Arden Building Companies, LLC, a full-service mechanical, sheet metal and electrical contractor located in Pawtucket, RI, and serving the greater Boston, MA, Hartford, CT, and Providence, RI, markets. Additionally, Bob is MCAA Immediate Past President and serves as Co-Chair of the Industrial Relations Council.
Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown’s unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. With a streetwise aptitude and a never quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom. After a career in franchising that spanned 30 years, Brown decided to pursue his passion for bringing The HERO Effect® message to as many people and organizations as possible. The HERO Effect® is a simple philosophy that separates world-class organizations and high-performance people from everybody else. Brown now helps people expand their vision, develop their potential and grow their results. And as the father of a child with autism, he knows firsthand how the principles of true success reach beyond the boardroom and into the lives of real people facing the challenges of everyday life.
Chris Carter
Chris Carter is Executive Vice President of Murphy Company where he leads strategic direction for service in all markets, identifies and develops improvement initiatives and defines policy and procedures. Chris is a member of the MCAA Board of Directors and a member of the MCA of Eastern Missouri’s Joint Apprenticeship Training and Industry Improvement Committees.
Dr. Christian Conte
Dr. Christian Conte is one of the country’s most accomplished specialists in compassionate leadership and communications. His prodigious background in mental health and emotional management enables him to bring a unique and compelling perspective to his presentations, as well as valuable tools to leave behind for his audience.
Renee Fiorelli
Renee Fiorelli is President and second-generation owner of Peterson Service Company, a commercial HVAC and smart building controls company operating out of Medford, New Jersey. Peterson Service is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise with customers including healthcare, schools, municipalities and industrial sites in the New Jersey and Philadelphia marketplace. Renee is very active in the mechanical contracting industry and currently serves as Co-Chair for the International Training Fund and Vice Chair of MSCA.
Anthony Gallagher
Anthony Gallagher was elected unanimously as an International Representative at the UA 40th General Convention in August 2021. He had been named Director of Trade Jurisdiction on November 1, 2019. Prior to this appointment, he had served as an International Representative for the HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) sector of the United Association, effective October 23, 2019. Brother Gallagher had the privilege to serve Steamfitters Local 420, Philadelphia, PA, in various positions as both an elected and appointed official.
Sarabeth Gandara
Sarabeth Gandara is Preconstruction Manager of U.S. Engineering Construction in Denver, Colorado. She is heavily involved in planning and recruiting for their internship program. She is a member of the MCAA Career Development Committee and is committed to helping students find their fit in the construction industry.
John Geiling
John Geiling is President of JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services located in Jessup, MD. He is a member of the MCAA Board of Directors, current chair of the PCA committee and a past member of the MSCA Education Committee.
Rick Gopffarth
Rick Gopffarth is VP of Preconstruction in Dynamic Systems’ North Texas Division and oversees business development, estimating and engineering activities. He manages mechanical projects within the semiconductor, pharmaceutical, mission-critical, healthcare, laboratory and large commercial industries. Additionally, Rick serves as President-Elect on MCAA’s Executive Committee and Chair of MCAA’s Education Committee.
Kori Gormley-Huppert
Kori Gormley-Huppert is President and fourth-generation owner of Gormley Plumbing + Mechanical, based in McMinnville, Oregon. She is a member of the MCAA Board of Directors, a member of the PCA Board and the former Chair of the Women in the Mechanical Industry Committee.
Brian Helm
Brian Helm is President of Helm Group, Inc., one of the largest specialty contractors in the Midwest, serving primarily Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Omaha. Additionally, Brian is President of MCAA’s John R. Gentille Foundation, an MCAA Past President and the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award, MCAA’s highest industry honor.
Andy Hosler
Andy Hosler has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. He’s participated at every level of the construction process and relies on his extensive experience to guide his leadership as President and CEO for Performance Mechanical, Inc. Additionally, Andy is a past President of the Northern California MCA and serves on MCAA’s Education and Labor Estimating Manual Committees.
Chieh Huang
Chieh Huang is an entrepreneur and visionary leader who is passionate about using his experience to help others succeed. He has been featured in many media outlets and was named to Goldman Sach’s “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.
Brian Hughes
Brian Hughes is President of Hughes Environmental Engineering, a fourth-generation family company, with a significant presence in the commercial and industrial HVAC and refrigeration market. Brian serves as Senior VP/Treasurer on MCAA’s Executive Committee, Vice President of the John R. Gentille Foundation and as a board member for the MCA of New Jersey.
Chris Hutchings
Chris Hutchings is President of MMC Contractors National located in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, he is a member of MCAA’s Board of Directors, the Project Managers Education Committee and President of the MCA of Kansas City.
Diana Kander
As a New York Times best-selling author and innovation consultant, Diana Kander has spent her career challenging assumptions and asking big questions—what kind of culture needs to exist in an organization to ensure innovative ideas and practices? How has Snoop Dogg continued to innovate decade after decade to stay relevant to the next generation? What causes name brands to lose relevance with their customers and go out of business? As a serial entrepreneur who entered the United States as a refugee at the age of eight, she has launched and sold millions of dollars’ worth of products and services.
John Koontz
John Koontz has over four decades of wide-ranging mechanical industry experience that includes contracting, academics and consulting. He has been with MCAA since 1999 traveling across the country speaking, teaching, training, consulting and writing about all subjects related to project management and the mechanical contracting industry.
Alice Leung
Alice Leung is Vice President, Platform & Product Strategy at Brick & Mortar Ventures. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Brown University where she was on the Formula SAE racecar team and worked in a materials science lab researching lead-free piezoelectrics.
Al May
Al May is President with North Mechanical Services in Indianapolis, IN. Al's 32 years of experience began in residential/light commercial service, moved to BAS construction and then into leading service in 2001. Since 2012, the North service division has grown from 12 people in the field to 115 with four locations in Indiana.
Sean McGuire
Sean McGuire is MCAA’s Executive Director of Innovative Technologies & Fabrication. In his position, he works with the MCAA Technology Committee to create research and education on new technology, tools and processes that can impact MCAA members. He is also the liaison for the MCAA Fabrication Committee and the John R. Gentille Foundation.
Michael McLin
Michael McLin is the Managing Director at Maxim Consulting Group responsible for leading the business and guiding the strategic direction. Michael works with construction-related firms of all sizes to evaluate business practices and assist with management challenges.
Mark McManus
Chip Mitchell
Chip Mitchell is the founder and principal of Blue Fence Advisors and a senior level executive with more than 30 years of combined business and legal experience. He also serves as a private arbitrator and mediator and he is a panel member with the American Arbitration Association.
Jake Olsen
Jake Olsen, P.E., has worked in the construction industry as an engineer and entrepreneur for over 20 years in the USA and abroad. He is currently the CEO of GTP Software, the leading software provider for MEP contractors looking to improve their design, fabrication and field construction workflows with tools such as Stratus, FieldOrderz and Wireworks.
Rory Olson
Rory Olson is President of Building Services at MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, one of the largest mechanical contractors in the Pacific Northwest. He is active with the MCA of Western Washington and an affiliate instructor at the University of Washington. He is the faculty advisor to the University of WA student chapter.
Andrew Palcan
Andrew Palcan is a Project Manager with Helm Group, Inc. one of the largest specialty contractors in the Midwest, serving primarily Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Omaha. He has served on the MCAA Career Development Committee for three years, taking on the role of Chair in 2021.
Michael A. Pleasant
Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci is a manager at GEM Inc. headquartered in Walbridge, Ohio, and oversees project managers, estimators and project engineers. He is a graduate of the MCAA’s IPM, AIMP and ALI programs. He is also a member of the Project Management Education Committee and was recently appointed Vice Chair.
Michael Potts
Michael Potts is Senior Vice President of ACCO Engineered Systems and has more than 25 years in the HVAC industry in construction and service aspects. Additionally, he contributes to the advancement of the industry as a board member for Northern California MCA and serves on the MCAA Education Committee.
Mark Rogers
Mark Rogers is President and Founder of West Chester Mechanical Contractors, an HVAC, service and plumbing contractor that serves the Philadelphia, PA, area specializing in private commercial work in the healthcare and educational arenas. Additionally, Mark is Co-Chair of the UA/MCAA Strategic Planning Committee, an MCAA Past President and the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Service Award, MCAA’s highest industry honor.
Jason Strickle
Jason Strickle is the Vice President and Market Sales Manager for Danforth’s Columbus, Ohio, regional office where he is responsible for overseeing business development and operational functions. He also leads the construction operations with responsibilities ranging from P&L accountability for all projects, coordination with the VDC and fabrication departments, client relationship management and employee development and training.
Christopher Thornberg
Christopher Thornberg founded Beacon Economics LLC in 2006. Under his leadership the firm has become one of the most respected research organizations in California. He also served as Director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development and was an Adjunct Professor at the school from 2015-2023.
Michael Wallenstein
Michael Wallenstein is Co-President of Neptune Plumbing located in Cleveland, OH. He is a member of the PCA Board.