Speakers
2025 Construction Convention Speakers
Learn from industry leaders and visionaries at the 2025 Construction Convention, featuring keynote speakers renowned for their groundbreaking insights and expertise. If you would like to be a sponsor for any of these great speakers, click on the sponsors tab.
General Session: “FLASH” Afterburner Keynote Speaker
Get ready to be inspired by a dynamic keynote that introduces the Fighter Pilot Mindset—a powerful cognitive model designed to drive growth, sharpen focus, and elevate performance across sales and support teams. Learn the proven Flawless Execution (FLEX) methodology, which equips teams to iterate, adapt, and achieve a 98% success rate. Discover how Flawless Leadership builds self-aware, purpose-driven leaders who inspire trust and deliver impact. Finally, explore the ORCA Debrief Culture, a “nameless and rankless” framework that fuels continuous learning, team engagement, and measurable improvement. This session will leave your team ready to execute with precision and lead with purpose.
Bobbi Doorenbos
Fighter Pilot
“Flash” Bobbi Doorenbos is a dynamic leader with nearly 25 years of distinguished military service and extensive leadership experience. A trailblazing fighter pilot, she logged over 1,300 hours in the F-16 and MQ-1, supporting operations like IRAQI FREEDOM and NOBLE EAGLE. She held key roles at the White House, Air Force HQ, and National Guard Bureau—including Special Assistant to Vice President Biden and Wing Commander of the 188th Wing.
Since joining Afterburner in 2004, Bobbi has empowered Fortune 500/100 companies through the Flawless Execution model. She holds degrees in Finance, Strategic Intelligence, and an Executive MBA from UVA’s Darden School.
An Airbus A320 pilot and board member for the National Guard Association and STEM Flights, Bobbi also enjoys real estate investing, beekeeping, and outdoor adventures.
General Session: Construction Strategy
Building Success: Strategic Planning for Construction Industry Leaders
Tips for Developing, Implementing, and Managing a Strategic Plan
This session focuses on strategy development for construction firms and is a must-have for any business or organization looking to improve its business outcomes. Growth requires clarity and intentionality about the future, and the discipline of strategic planning offers organizations a path to their intended future. The session provides insights into the “What” and “How” of strategic planning, but most importantly, the “Why” of strategic planning for owners and contractors. Building Success: Strategic Planning for Construction Industry Leaders provides an overview of essential tools and resources for the development, implementation, execution, and monitoring of a strategic plan. With its unique risks and complexities, the construction industry benefits from strategic planning. Strategic planning enables better decision-making, risk management, streamlined operations, efficient resource allocation, and sustainable growth.
Brian Gallagher
Vice President, Strategy & Development at CarolinaPower/PPC Partners
Brian Gallagher is Vice President, Strategy and Development for PPC Partners, the parent company for CarolinaPower. For over 30 years, Brian has served in executive-level leadership positions with industry-leading construction firms.
He also has served in leadership roles with several construction industry organizations including serving as Chairman of the ABC of the Carolinas. In 2022, ABC of the Carolinas recognized Brian with its Kirby Award for his lifelong dedication, personal passion, and professional pledge to the merit shop and construction industry.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Towson University and an MBA from Loyola University in Maryland. He served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Marketing at Loyola University.
He was named a Top 20 Construction Influencer by Procore, and a Top Construction Influencer by Let’s Build. He has authored several books, including Building Success: Strategic Planning for Construction Industry Leaders, Building Business with Social Media, Leading with Marketing, and Building Smarter: Harnessing AI to Transform Construction.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he resides just across the Intercoastal Waterway in Grande Dunes, South Carolina with his wife, Lauren, children, Emily and Shane, and three dogs: Kona, Beaux and Waffles.
General Session: Workforce Development
Jennifer Wilkerson
Vice President of Innovation and Advancement at the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)
Jennifer Wilkerson is the Vice President of Innovation and Advancement at the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), where she leads strategic innovation and oversees multiple departments, including test development, research, video, and customer engagement. With over 15 years at NCCER, she has held roles in project management and marketing, where she led award-winning campaigns and advanced the Build Your Future initiative. Jennifer brings a unique blend of experience from her background as a high school English teacher and business manager at her family’s welding company. She frequently speaks on workforce development, career pathways, and industry-education partnerships, and holds degrees in English Education and Business Administration.
General Session: AI Technology – Panel Discussion
From Efficiency to Engagement: Using AI Tools To Save Time and Maximize ROI
Ready to catapult your productivity and supercharge your ROI? In this dynamic session, we’ll show you how
artificial intelligence tools can dramatically reduce the time spent on everyday tasks—think content generation,
data-driven decisions and beyond—so you can focus on high-impact strategies that grow your construction
business. You’ll learn to harness AI responsibly by safeguarding data, addressing HR and legal considerations and
ensuring quality, accuracy and brand consistency in every piece of content. Walk away with the practical insights
you need to streamline operations, boost engagement and leverage ABC AI resources to elevate your bottom line.
Don’t miss this chance to discover AI’s true potential and take your construction operations to the next level!
Kristi Pronovost
Director of marketing & Brand Strategy for ABC National
DeAnna Thomas
Vice President of Human Resources for ABC National
Patrick Scarpati
Director of Construction Technology and Innovation at ABC National
General Session: Ownership Transfer & Management Succession – Lessons From the Front Line – Panel Discussion
This session leverages the wisdom of ABC Carolinas members (Graycor, McCrory Construction and David Allen Company) who have thrived amidst the central business continuity challenge: how do we keep the organization strong amidst passing the mantle of leadership and (perhaps) ownership?
Moderated by FMI, who has a unique expertise in ownership transfer and leadership succession from working in the Built Environment for more than 70 years, in this session you will:
· Learn the keys to evaluating, developing, and selecting successful future leaders.
· Explore techniques to transfer equity in a manner that creates a win-win scenario for sellers and buyers alike.
· Gain an understanding of the business continuity planning process and your role in making the plan a reality.
Moderator
Michael Mangum
FMI Capital Advisors
Panel Discussion
Art Odom
President of David Allen Company
Allen Amsler
Chief Executive Officer at McCrory Construction Company
Brett Walsh
Executive Vice President at GrayCor
Matt Godwin
Managing Director - FMI Capital Advisors
General Session: Legal Updates
David Pugh
Chair of the Board of Directors for ABC
David Pugh, partner at Bradley, Birmingham, Alabama, is the 2025 chair of Associated Builders and Contractors’ National Board of Directors. He has been an active member of the ABC Alabama chapter since 1997 and served as chair in 2017.
Pugh represents owners, general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, architects, insurers and sureties throughout the United States, advising his clients at every stage of construction projects. He has drafted and negotiated hundreds of contracts and participated in trials, hearings, appellate arguments, mediations and arbitrations on both private and government construction projects. Pugh has also argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, representing a pipe subcontractor involved in the construction of a natural gas pipeline in Florida and Alabama. Prior to beginning his construction law practice at Bradley, he worked for Harbert Construction, a large general contractor in Birmingham.
Pugh is the chair of the City of Irondale Commercial Development Authority. In addition, he serves on the board of First Priority of Alabama, a ministry to public schools in the state, and Restoration Academy, an urban private Christian school in Birmingham. Pugh earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Alabama and a juris doctor from Vanderbilt University.
General Session: Economic Update
Anirban Basu
Chairman and CEO of Sage and Associated Builders and Contractors' Chief Economist
Anirban Basu is Chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, an economic consulting firm based in Baltimore with an office in Orlando. He has held key advisory roles, including Chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission (2014–2021) and Chief Economist for several national organizations such as Associated Builders and Contractors and the Maryland Bankers Association. Recognized as one of Maryland’s most influential figures by The Daily Record and a top business leader by the Baltimore Business Journal, Dr. Basu serves on numerous boards and advisory committees. He holds degrees from Georgetown, Harvard, and the University of Maryland, and earned his Ph.D. in health economics from UMBC.