October 26, 2026
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| 10:30 am–11:30 am | Ignite Innovation: Moving from AI Skepticism to Organizational Intelligence Chad Sanderson, Holly Buck, PE Most engineering firm leaders know they need to do something with AI. Almost none of them know what that actually looks like inside a firm like theirs. This session closes that gap. Felsburg Holt & Ullevig President Holly Buck will share how FHU tackled year five of their five-year strategic plan with a focus on… |
| 10:30 am–11:30 am | Risk Management Is a Skill: Practicing Professional Judgment Through Real-World Project Scenarios Dan Allwardt This session will examine how ordinary design and construction issues can become disproportionate business risks for engineering firms—and how a strong risk-management culture can help teams recognize those risks and seek help earlier. |
| 10:30 am–11:30 am | The 2026 Economic Assessment and Forecast of the Engineering and Design Services Industry Joe Bates Get a data-driven read on where the industry is headed as the Institute unpacks the 2026 Economic Assessment and Forecast's key findings on 2027's headwinds, tailwinds, and the trends every firm leader should be watching for strategic planning, investment, and hiring decisions. |
| 2:15 pm–3:15 pm | Beyond Backlog: How Talent Shifts and AI Are Reshaping Civil Engineering Firms Jim Rogers This session examines the evolving business model of civil engineering firms, offering strategies to counteract margin pressure and succession risk by shifting focus from backlog volume to professional development, relationship capability, and structural resilience. |
| 2:15 pm–3:15 pm | From Fragmented Data to Intelligent Infrastructure Andy Rahden, Brandye Hendrickson, Joe Bates, Lisa M. Robert, PE Fragmented data is costing the industry more than it realizes; Joe Bates unveils the Institute's groundbreaking research on the strategic value of connected data across the infrastructure lifecycle and why connected information is becoming the critical foundation for AI-enabled infrastructure. |
| 2:15 pm–3:15 pm | Navigating the New Executive Order “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors” Adrienne L. Johnson, April Rai, Elizabeth Rudolph, Janie Tiedeman, PE, Masai Lawson Learn how to comply with the executive order "Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors" and retain your firm's culture.
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| 4:00 pm–5:00 pm | Engineering an Award-Winning Culture Keith Foxx, PE, Anna Seekins, JD Practical Lessons from Building an Award-Winning Workplace |
| 4:00 pm–5:00 pm | Redesigning the Playing Field: Expanding Competition to Deliver Better Infrastructure Emily Luster, Esq., ENV SP, Qiana McKoy, Veronica Siranosian, Laura Merryfield Learn how architecture and engineering firms can partner with public agencies to expand competition, strengthen small business capacity, and build a more resilient infrastructure market. |
| 4:00 pm–5:00 pm | Responsible AI for QA/QC: Improving Quality Without Losing Accountability Issy Greenslade, Justin Butterfield A look at how GPD Group and Structured AI scaled QA/QC AI from a pilot to an enterprise-wide solution over eight months, utilizing a disciplined, champion-led rollout and internal training strategy. |
October 27, 2026
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| 10:15 am–11:15 am | Beyond Billable Hours: Rethinking Pricing for the AI Era Bill Ashworth, Javier A. Baldor, Kevin J. McMahon, Paul S. Chinowsky As AI drives efficiency gains, the real question isn't productivity, but whether firms can capture the value they create; join researcher Paul Chinowsky and industry leaders for a candid discussion on moving beyond billable hours to value-based pricing. |
| 10:15 am–11:15 am | Survey Says…Read the Contract! – An EJCDC Family Feud Challenge Jordan Green, Jane Rozga, Julie A. Daniel Join your colleagues for a fast-paced Family Feud-style competition focused on EJCDC Contract Documents. |
| 10:15 am–11:15 am | TSMC: Engineering the Future at Historic Scale in Phoenix Adam Perillo, PLA, Cindy Pries, PE, Glenn Muzyka, James Augustyn, Traver Jones, PE This session, with panelists representing TSMC and their design and construction team, provides an overview of the historically and globally significant TSMC semiconductor manufacturing site here in Phoenix. |
| 10:15 am–11:15 am | Why This Must Be the Year of Agents Brock M. Storrusten, Chandra Storrusten, Dennis Boone Why this must be your Year of Agents...and how to make it happen. |
| 2:15 pm–3:15 pm | AI Risk – Can We Balance Innovation and Security? and The Expert Paradox: Engineering the Boundaries Between Probabilistic AI and Deterministic RealityThis presentation explores the evolving complexities of enterprise AI risk management and governance, emphasizing that rather than displacing labor, AI requires hybrid professionals to bridge the critical gap between probabilistic language models and the deterministic accuracy demanded by engineering standards. |
| 2:15 pm–3:15 pm | Standing Up a Project Delivery Office in an AEC Firm: Lessons Learned from Concept to Execution Radha Krishna Swayampakala, Simon Gandica, Jim Heydorn Learn how three of your peer firms established a Project Delivery Office/Project Management Office to strengthen project delivery, reduce risk, and build organizational capability while gaining support from operations and leadership. |
| 2:15 pm–3:15 pm | Your Talent Gap Isn’t a Pipeline Problem. It’s a Leadership Design Problem Courtney Salati, Melanie Oliver Most firms try to strengthen leadership one program at a time; the firms that gain traction treat it as a system to be designed.
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| 3:30 pm–4:30 pm | Engineering the Tax Code: How Architecture & Engineering Firms Convert Technical Work Into Cash—Defensibly J. Jordan Wilson, Mike Woeber, CPA A practical, engineering-native framework for A/E firms to identify and defensibly claim the R&D tax credit (§41) and the §179D energy deduction—turning technical work they already do into recoverable cash. |
| 3:30 pm–4:30 pm | From Engineer to Leader: Reducing Risk When Promoting Technical Talent Krishna Powell Learn how engineering firms can successfully transition top technical talent into effective leaders, reducing turnover, strengthening succession planning, and improving team performance and business results. |
| 3:30 pm–4:30 pm | If AI Designs It, Who Signs It? Considering the Legal and Ethical Issues for the Use of AI by EngineersThis seminar will equip engineers with the considerations for leveraging AI tools in the practice of engineering while also maintaining compliance with their ethical and legal obligations. |
October 28, 2026
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| 8:30 am–9:30 am | Unlocking Fast Starters, Last Minuters, & Everyone In Between Skot Waldron Understand different work styles, stop mislabeling them, and start working better with others.
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| 9:45 am–10:45 am | New Strategies for the Next Generation of Engineering Ownership Brad Wilson A new generation of engineers requires a new approach to ownership transition.
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| 9:45 am–10:45 am | “I’m Tired of AI”: Understanding AI Fatigue and How to Manage the Risks It Poses Staci Brinson, Tahra Porterfield A discussion on AI fatigue, how it is affecting engineering practices, and how to strike a balance.
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