2025 CII Annual Conference
CII Research Teams, including the brightest minds in academia and your industry peers, will share their findings ranging from construction readiness assessment, to improving the industry's workforce development system, to integrated project delivery.
Stay tuned for more information to come!
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Ken Simonson, Chief Economist at Associated General Contractors of America, Will U.S. Construction Thrive or Dive in the Rest of ‘25?
Ken will address recent policy changes that have created uncertainties about the near-term outlook on the demand for various types of construction, along with cost and availability of both materials and labor. He will sort out how recent developments are likely to affect our industry and will provide his fearless forecast for the rest of the year and beyond.
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Fernanda Leite, Associate Dean for Research, Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Bridging Research and Practice: Innovation Through Collaborative Research
As the challenges facing capital projects grow more complex—from decarbonization to workforce development—stronger partnerships between academia and industry are essential. In this talk, Dr. Fernanda Leite will highlight how the Cockrell School of Engineering is catalyzing innovation through strategic collaborations with global industry leaders and federal agencies. With over $1 billion in annual research expenditures, UT Austin ranks among the top institutions in NSF, DOE, and DOD funding. Dr. Leite will showcase major interdisciplinary initiatives—from the Electrified Processes for Industry Without Carbon (EPIXC) Institute and the HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub to new degree programs in Robotics and Semiconductor Science. She will also outline how these research pursuits are developing courageous engineers. The session will spotlight CII's role and opportunities to shape the future of capital projects.
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Eli Embleton, Zachry Corporation, REACH - Mastering Your Emotions in Stressful Situations
Most people struggle to handle their emotions in stressful situations. In this presentation, you'll be introduced to a framework that will give you a new superpower -- staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure. Key Takeaways:
- A powerful framework for understanding strong emotional reactions -- both yours and others'
- Tools for staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure
- Insights into what holds you back from achieving your true potential
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Bryan Williams, Senior Vice President, Generation Projects & Fleet Services, Tennessee Valley Authority: Harmonizing Industry and Academia
Bryan Williams is the Senior Vice President of Generation Projects & Fleet Services at TVA, overseeing major construction, demolition, and plant support operations. With over 21 years at TVA, he has held multiple leadership roles across engineering, project management, and partner alliances. Bryan is known for driving high performance, employee engagement, and safety culture. His achievements include industry awards for innovation and environmental excellence, and he recently completed the MIT Reactor Technology Course for utility executives. Bryan also serves on several boards, including the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy and the Construction Industry Institute.
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Mike Dooley, Senior Project Manager, Turner Construction Company; Building the New Nissan Stadium
Mike is a seasoned construction professional with over 17 years of experience, currently based at Turner Construction’s Nashville office. Since joining in 2010, he has led complex, high-profile projects and played a vital role in contract management—negotiating, enforcing, and educating teams on contractual obligations. Mike supports multiple departments by ensuring compliance with specialized agreements, aligning documentation with contract terms, and advising leadership on staffing. He also develops tools to track contractual issues and enhances team performance through mentoring and training.
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Mike Reeder, Operations Manger at Baker Construction; Building the New Nissan Stadium
Mike Reeder is the Operations Manager at Baker Construction. With over 15 years of experience in the concrete construction industry, Mike’s dedication ensures that the promises made during initial proposals are fulfilled before the final handshake. Mike has managed over $300 million in construction projects and his project management experience throughout the years provides him the ability to build relationships thru collaboration. Strong and transparent communication and building relationships with his clients are what makes Mike a standout in the concrete industry. He is dedicated to making sure that Baker Construction is seen as a quality driven contractor and remains a trusted partner, solving problems and ensuring client satisfaction. His dedication has earned him the respect of our clients on such projects as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex: AdventHealth Arena, Four Seasons Nashville, Nashville Yards Parcel 9 and the future home to the Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium.
AC25 Keynote Speaker: Ken Gronbach, Demographer at KGC Direct LLC; Demographic Strategies for Uncertain Times
Come explore the common sense, easy to understand, counter-intuitive and very fascinating realm of demography. Let Ken bring you into his world of counting people and accurately forecasting future markets. What products or services will fly or die? What nations are demographically doomed? What countries and continents are demographically positioned to excel? How will work forces change? Where is my best source of talent? Writing a strategic plan? You need this information.
RESEARCH TEAMS
Research Team 398: Fit-for-Purpose Tools for Implementing CII Best Practices and Managing Complexity
Are you searching for the most effective CII tools for your projects? Look no further than CII’s RT-398! This team has created two specialized tools to enhance the application of CII research within member organizations. The Best Practice Primer offers a concise overview of the 17 CII Best Practices, delivering key insights and actionable steps for various project phases. Meanwhile, the Project Complexity and Management Tool builds on previous CII research, helping project managers simplify complexity assessment and management for improved project outcomes. Each tool includes practical use cases and a roadmap for CII companies to implement them effectively.
Research Team 410: Evaluating the Implementation and Value of CII Best Practices
Research Team 411: Leading the Charge in Decarbonizing Capital Projects
Understanding and integrating the benefits of decarbonization is crucial for making your projects and supply chain future-ready. However, companies often struggle with measuring, tracking, and reporting carbon, as well as developing effective decarbonization strategies. In response, CII’s RT-411 created a practical framework to help members accelerate their progress towards reducing the embodied carbon emissions of capital projects. This resource builds on existing project management frameworks, adding carbon as a new dimension of analysis. The research team investigated the level of adoption of decarbonization within the capital projects sector and developed a guide to support companies from planning through execution. This guide facilitates the successful integration of decarbonization initiatives into capital project delivery, providing various resources to help organizations identify and analyze opportunities. The application of these resources was illustrated in two case studies. The presentation underscores the relevance of this topic and demonstrates how leveraging these insights can lead to more informed, data-driven decisions about adopting and investing in decarbonization practices.
Research Team 412 - Achieving Safety Excellence in Construction
Since CII published its original ZAT Best Practice in 1993, the industry has evolved to consider aspects like human behavior and performance, employee well-being, and the promotion of positive safety values in its safety programs. CII RT-412 conducted a comprehensive assessment of industry practice and research findings to identify the most impactful safety practices today. The team introduced Safety Excellence Techniques (SETs)—16 advanced practices to enhance human and organizational performance, and significantly improve safety outcomes on construction projects. The team also created a SET Implementation Tool to evaluate the "health" of a project's safety program and enable project teams to assess their use and ensure they are "SET for safety." This presentation will showcase the findings and tools developed by RT-412, offering attendees actionable insights to elevate their safety management systems and achieve excellence in project safety.
Research Team 414: Developing the Next Generation of Frontline Supervisors
Are you ready to future-proof your capital projects? Attend the 2025 CII Annual Conference to learn how proactive planning can empower owners and contractors with the necessary human, technological, and equipment resources for excelling in a more complex and integrated construction environment. Research Team 414 has delved into the construction site of 2040, gathering insights from experts who predict the future of construction. Their findings have identified 22 essential work skills for frontline supervisors, compiled into a comprehensive playbook with training plans and retention strategies. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to equip your frontline supervisors with the essential skills for effective leadership in the future. We'll also present a comprehensive overview of assessment, training, and retention tools to help you tackle the challenges that lie ahead.
Research Team 422: Enhancing Safety with Artificial Intelligence
How can AI make construction sites safer—and where should we focus its application? The RT-422 team has developed a comprehensive resource to guide organizations in identifying the most impactful areas within construction safety management that can benefit from AI integration. This research examined the underlying safety challenges across planning, engineering, and construction phases and mapped them to 19 real-world use cases demonstrating how AI can address these issues. From pre-construction risk assessment to real-time hazard detection, the resource offers a strategic overview of AI's potential to enhance safety outcomes. Whether you are beginning to explore AI applications or seeking to expand its role in your projects, this presentation offers a framework for understanding where and how AI can deliver the greatest value in job site safety management.