The 2019 Slate of Candidates

 

Chris Caddell, PE CCP DRMP

Chris has enjoyed being a member of AACE International since 2001, participating and contributing in a number of different ways through the years. He has enjoyed participating in the Houston Gulf Coast Section, the second largest section in AACE, for many years. Drawing on his experience working for a contractor and consulting for owners, he has authored or coauthored 11 papers on varying topics in estimating, planning and scheduling, risk management, project controls claims, and owner issues. He is proud to have participated in the DRMP certification task force team and led the Decision and Risk Management technical subcommittee for three years. He was the lead author on Recommended Practice 64R-11 on schedule risk analysis and has contributed to other RP's. Most recently, he has been serving as the VP of Administration on the Board of Directors supporting the administration of the organization and working with headquarters staff to support all our members. Previously he was the Director of Region 5, covering part of the western US. He conducted virtual section meetings available for all regional members to participate. He has worked with a team to develop the first Region 5 workshop event in 2016, which has now become the Houston Project Controls Symposium. He has been a part of the Marketing Advisory Committee. He has also participated in various task forces, including the Vision 20/20 task force team to help lead AACE into the future to be a vibrant organization serving its members, the COMP task force to redefine our corporate membership program, and the coordination of AACE events task force. 

Goals/Objectives: 

Over my tenure of President-Elect, President, and Past President, I would work with the AACE Board of Directors and the wonderful AACE staff to help the organization grow and adapt to best serve our members as our world and cost engineering continue to evolve. Specifically, I want to focus on the following objectives:

• Advocating for AACE in all regions to expand our membership, looking for new ways to reach cost engineers around the world that would benefit from AACE membership.
• Promoting the value proposition of what AACE provides to its members through its body of knowledge, certifications, career development, and networking.
• Supporting the promotion of corporation partnerships by demonstrating the value a corporation can realize through improved standards and practices, development of staff, connection to other corporate practices, and sourcing for quality staff.
• Improving the AACE brand through application of consistent messaging and practices in all our activities and all areas we serve.
• Supporting the evolution of AACE events and activities to better serve our members in an ever changing world with evolving ways to communicate and work. And,
• Helping identify and mentor the next generation of leaders for AACE to ensure there is committed, vibrant leadership for the years to come.

 

Mohammed Rafiuddin, CCP PSP
Mohammed is an active member of AACE International since 2006 with over 31 years of experience in project management, contracts management, project controls, currently serving as Project Controls Manager for WorleyParsons in Al Khobar Saudi Arabia. Mohammed was the Director Region 7 for the term 2014-16 during which Qatar section, with over 150 members and Saudi Arabia West Coast Section, were formed. He served as President of Arabian Gulf Section for two terms 2011-12 and 2013-14. During his first term as President in 2011-12, he initiated certification training courses in all the regions of the section, which now conduct two cycles of certification courses every year. He was unanimously elected to serve second term in 2013-14. He is now conducting in-house training courses with major companies in Middle East like SABIC and ARAMCO to enable their employees pursue AACE certificates and embrace AACE standards. Mohammed holds a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from Osmania University, India and a Master Degree in Engineering Management from KFUPM, Saudi Arabia. He holds CCP and PSP certifications is a lead instructor teaching for CCP, PSP and Risk Management certifications for AGS. He is a regular speaker on project management, cost management and risk management in various technical seminars and is passionate about knowledge sharing and mentoring. In a career span of nearly thirty years in the Middle East, he has worked on mega programs in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait as Project Controls Manager and Project Manager and was well appreciated for managing the projects through the economic boom and subsequent downturn. His people management skills have made him a popular figure in his workplace.

Goals/Objectives:
My leadership experience with AACE International Board of Directors and AACE-AGS has given me the insight that AACE International’s body of knowledge and its certifications are not getting the due recognition. My strategic plans and actions include:

• Collaborate with various corporate giants that are not conscious about Total Cost Management or what AACE International stands for, make them recognize the importance of cost management and establish AACE certifications and technical product as global standards.
• Approach various universities and present AACE International and its certifications to the students so they enter into the professional careers as ambassadors of AACE International, with full knowledge of project and cost management.
• Work with various professional organizations that are contemporaries of AACE International and change the competitive environment to a collaborative and knowledge sharing environment.
• Strive to make the AACE certifications a must for job seekers and get the AACE best practices and technical standards as industry norms.
• Work with the International regions leadership in expanding the membership base of AACE International.

 

Scott A. (Gator) Galbraith, CFCC

• 2004 - became a member of AACE
• 2007 - earned CFCC
• 2009 - co-presented technical session at AACE Annual Meeting
• 2011 - 2013 - North Florida AACE Board of Directors, Section Director
• 2016 - current - AACE Certification Board member 
• 2017 - co-authored technical paper and co-presented technical session at AACE Annual Meeting

Goals/Objectives: 

• To be a unifying voice between the Board of Directors, AACE leadership, and headquarters staff focused on AACE's mission, goals, and vision.
• Communicate with AACE leadership and headquarters staff to ensure they have the support they need to achieve AACE's goals, and if not, then working with them resolve the issue.

 

Sandra Mejia-Villegas, P.Eng.

Born and raised in Medellin, Colombia, Sandra has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Her parents taught her to have high ethical standards, as well as the importance of education and professional growth. She has been in Calgary, AB, Canada since 2007. Her career started as a mechanical engineer in Colombia. She is a Professional Engineer. She explored project controls and realized this field was her true passion.  Sandra’s first position was as a cost control specialist at Devon in the Capital Projects Department.  She worked as a cost analyst at ConocoPhillips where she was part of the Oil Sands Capital Projects Department. In 2018, Sandra moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and she currently works as a cost analyst at Turner Construction and loves her job.  She is constantly learning. Turner projects in Vancouver are mostly tenant improvements, as well as commercial building construction. Sandra is working toward a Master’s of Science degree in Project Management at George Washington University, Washington, DC. She values the AACE training, seminars, and webinars. She has been part of the AACE Mentoring Program, is serving as the co-chair for the Women in Project Controls Committee, is a contributing member of the Latin America Task Force, the Raising Professionals Committee, and the Vision 2020 Committee. She feels that the exposure to highly experienced and passionate professionals gives her the courage and support to succeed, as well as enhancing her leadership skills. She received the Outstanding Young Professional award in 2016. Her motto is “find your passion and make it your job; enjoy every day and grow.”

Goals/Objectives: 

My main purpose is to put all my energy and enthusiasm into our members’ best interest because AACE exists due to the contribution that is offered to all of you.

• As a leader in this position, my main objective is to work to transform our members’ needs and create strategies in a way that better serve AACE needs and purpose.
• Analyze and challenge different existing strategies to stimulate members to actively participate with initiatives.
• Represent the broad membership of the organization.
• Enhance the organization’s public standing by supporting closely the different committees and providing guidance to make their efforts successful.
• Communicating with AACE leadership (Associate Board chairs, section presidents, etc.) about important decisions affecting AACE membership. Always focusing on what creates the most value for the members.
• Support all the programs, products, education and services that the association has for its members.
• Assist in recruiting, orienting and mentoring new board members and new committee members.
• Partnering and communicating well with staff so expectations and goals are met and on time.
• Focus on strategy for the future of AACE.

 

 

Eric Cannon, PSP

Hello, my name is Eric Cannon. I have held a PSP since 2008 and have also been a member since. I am a member of the Section board of the North Florida Section. I am very active in setting up monthly meetings, participating in quarterly board meetings and going to the annual meetings.

Currently, I am employed with Moss, a family owned construction management entity based out of South Florida with national offices. I have been with this family for the past four years serving as the Director of Scheduling. I lead a team of in house schedulers and outside consultants in managing over a billion dollars of work.

I have been in Construction Management all throughout my 25 years. I started as a scheduling engineer with one other company and have been lucky to have moved up in position as a Scheduler and Scheduling Manager I am fortunate to have learned both from my mentors as well as my peers. 

Goals/Objectives:
My goals if elected:

• Promote better communication within the sections of this region.
• Promote the use of technology within each section.
• Revive sections that need help in reorganization.

I look forward in serving as Regional Director.

 

Katrina (Washington) Knight, CCP

Katrina became a member of AACE as a student at Clemson University when she won AACE’s national scholarship and has maintained active membership ever since.  Katrina holds both the Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Civil Engineering with a specialty in Construction Management from Clemson University.  After graduating from the university she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she became a member of the Catawba Valley Section.  While there she served as the President, Past-President, and Scholarship Chairperson.  In the Charlotte area she reached out to the local schools to speak to students about careers in engineering and cost management.  While President of the Catawba Valley Section changed its meeting format from a restaurant setting to sponsor employers’ office locations with pizza being ordered which minimized costs for members.

Since relocating to the Atlanta, Georgia area and joining the Atlanta Area Section she has served as Section President, Past-President, and Vice-President.   She also served as a member of the AACE’s Education Board and Women in Project Controls.  She has reached out to and spoken at student section meetings at Kennesaw State University’s Marietta campus, formerly Southern Polytechnic State University.  During Katrina’s tenure as Section President, the Atlanta Area Section obtained the level of Platinum, which was her objective when she took office. 

Katrina is employed as a Senior Cost Estimator for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).  Of her membership in AACE, she states that while she is not new to Association, she remains true to her vision, goals, and willingness to serve.
 

Goals/Objectives: 

• Develop and distribute a Region 3 newsletter to keep Sections and members abreast of current happenings in the Association.
• Encourage cooperative connections and communication and networking between the sections in the Region.
• Encourage members in the region to support the other sections’ events/programs/activities.
• Partner with the Board as the liaison between it and the sections.
• Make a smooth transition from the current Region 3 Director so that there are no gaps in service.
• Work closely with the VP Regions to assure that goals and objectives are met.

 

Jason Audette

Jason has been in the construction industry for over 18 years, which the last 12 have been in the project controls arena. I have experience in a wide variety of industries. Energy generation and transmission, manufacturing and petrochemical have been the main focus of my career. I am currently a Project Controls Manager at Burns and McDonnell. I have been with them for 10 years and in this role for 5 years. My primary focus is helping organizations develop Project Management Offices within. Developing standard practices on scheduling, cost and risk are primary needs of most companies I have worked with. Recently, I have been working internationally with Burns and McDonnell India operations. I am constantly referring to the standard practices and universal definitions AACE International have established.

Goals/Objectives:

One advantage I have had with my career is the ability to visit other AACE Regions. I have attended meetings in New England, Southern California and Kansas City. I have made it a priority to attend these meetings to see what they are doing well and to learn from them. This has given me a prospective few have. The successful Regions have three things in common.

• First, they are seen in the area as active participants in the local professional arena. They host round tables and conferences. They attend industry specific conferences as with booths and information.
• Second, the successful Regions have monthly meetings that add value to those anchor companies. The topics are engaging and pertinent to a broad spectrum of people.
• Third and most importantly, they have anchor organizations. These large groups not only provide memberships but direction on where the District needs to focus. These groups help focus our education to fit their current needs.

We also provide a pool of potential candidates for their cost and schedule needs.

 

Ashley Garza

Ashley is a Senior Project Controls Analyst for Williams and has over five years of project controls experience.  She has worked in the oil and gas sector for over eight years.  Ashley has been an active member of AACE since 2013. She was a member of the Houston Gulf Coast Section through 2015, prior to moving to Utah and getting further involved.  She held the Utah Section Vice President position for the 2016 term and has served as the Utah Section President since 2017.  In addition, Ashley has had the privilege of attending three AACE International Conferences.  She is currently developing a paper with her colleague to present at the 2019 AACE International Conference & Expo.  As President of the Utah Section, Ashley re-energized the section through acquiring quality technical presenters for the monthly meetings, issuing monthly newsletters and worked with her team to implement a new and more modern section website.  As the Utah Section President, she collaborated with the Rocky Mountain Section to hold joint meetings and leverage resources.  Ashley has reaped many benefits through her involvement with AACE and is looking to further contribute and grow the organization.

Goals/Objectives:

As Region 5 Director, Ashley intends to proactively engage the sections to help generate continuity and growth in the region by:

• Maintaining and encouraging regular contact with all sections within Region 5.
• Gathering the section leaders quarterly to share ideas, resources and lessons learned.
• Providing new section presidents with the proper tools and guidance to be a successful.
• Continuing to encourage joint section meetings where remote regions can leverage one another’s technical speakers and job opportunities.
• Preserve and grow the annual Region 5 Project Controls Symposium workshop.

 

Mike Bensussen
Mike is a motivated and driven, rising, young professional, published author, exuberant speaker, education board member and active volunteer with more than 12 years combined construction, project management, earned value, finance and project controls experience throughout a broad cross section of industrial domains. Mike draws from a vast and diverse quiver of tools when it comes to decision-making time on the project. His confidence is derived from education and training and his understanding stems from time spent on Nuclear, Environmental, Oil & Gas, Commercial, Industrial and Higher Education projects. In a previous role as Project Controls Engineer at the University of Washington, Mike was able to explore and harness a passion for education and use creative thinking and strategy to promulgate the project controls discipline. This working experience inspired his recruitment and vigorous involvement as a volunteer Associate member of the AACE Education Board. As chair of the University Relations & Outreach committee, Mike leverages networks, resources, tools and relationships to bring the project controls community of practice to the leading edge of both education and industry. He will often appear as a guest speaker within the community – most enjoyably at his beloved alma mater, Washington State University – where he relishes the privilege to mold young minds and perhaps even inspire them to join the project control ranks. Currently, Mike provides his services and expertise in a role allows him to expand his leadership, innovation and collaboration skillsets as Project Controls Manager for RKMI. When Mike is not championing deliverables, he prefers to spend his time with family and friends, in the downhill park on his mountain bike, or at the hockey rink.

Goals/Objectives: 

• Expand university relations and outreach to connect with more students and faculty at project controls related educational programs within institutions of higher learning throughout the region. This can be achieved through enthusiastic execution of campus and classroom visits, or student and faculty specific programs aimed at their particular interests.
• Increase AACE student member enrollment and involvement through exciting networking events and educational mentoring opportunities.
• Appeal to more Rising Professionals through enriching and attractive professional social, networking, educational and development offerings throughout the region.
• Increase AACE awareness amongst regional corporations in an effort to encourage company sponsorship of volunteer and mentor engagement.
• Pursue incorporation of AACE Educational Practice 01E-14 – Model Master’s Degree in Cost Engineering – into project management and project controls related curricula amongst regional institutions of higher learning.
• Attend and participate actively in as many regional AACE events as reasonably possible during term of service.

 

Roger Nelson, PE PSP

Roger Nelson, PE PSP, is an Associate Director within Ankura's Global Construction practice and has over 13 years of experience in the construction industry in commercial building, heavy civil, and gas and electrical transmission. He received his master's degree in Construction Management from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He has a wide range of project management and project controls experience including subcontract development, procurement, scheduling, quality and safety, permitting, and change order development/negotiation, and project closeout. Roger's construction dispute experience encompasses the commercial, industrial, and civil sectors with clients across the spectrum of government/municipalities, owner/developers, designers, and contractors. Throughout his career he has relied on the superior technical library of AACE which drives his commitment to give back and further the growth of the organization. Roger has been active in AACE for approximately 10 years starting in the Seattle Section and then San Francisco Section upon relocating to the Bay Area. He has served as Vice President and President of the San Francisco Section and has been involved for a number of years with the planning of the Western Winter Workshop. Starting in July of 2018 he was appointed interim Region 6 Director to serve the remainder of the previous term. Roger has been active in contributing to the advancement of the Forensic Claims & Disputes Analysis field through the development and presentation of technical papers at the AACE Annual Conference/Meeting, as well as that Western Winter Workshop. Further, he is a member of the Claims and Disputes Resolution Technical Subcommittee.

Goals/Objectives:
I see the success of the Sections as vital to the growth and overall success of the AACE organization. As Director of Region 6, I will work to support the Sections through:

• Being responsive and accessible to all members in Region 6.
• Sharing lessons-learned between the Sections, particularly as it relates to the recruitment and retention of junior level professionals. Rising professionals are the future of AACE and we need to provide value to individuals who might not have access to the Annual Conferences.
• Supporting the Sections with the development of combined meetings with other professional organizations/associations which helps with exposure, as well as the introduction of different perspectives on the industry.
• Providing resources and support to struggling Sections to rebuild interest and participation.
• Facilitation of open communication with the Sections to transmit critical information from the broader organization and additionally allow for Sections to voice concerns they might have or challenges they might be facing.

 

Abhijnan Datta, CCP
Abhi Datta is a seasoned consultant and a project controls professional who has spent his career in project controls for large infrastructure project in Oil & Gas, Mining and infrastructure sectors. He has worked on projects in Asia, Europe, Australia and US. He brings value to his clients as he started his career as a project engineer for a contractor, then worked for project management consultants, strategy consulting firm and currently the Project Controls Manager for the Westconnex program of works, a mega project in Australia with Capital value of 16.8 Bn AUD. He is also a lecturer/tutor at University of Technology Sydney and takes active interest in coaching and mentoring. He has been actively mentoring UNSW (University of New South Wales) and UTS (University of Technology, Sydney) students for over five years now. He has been the National Secretary for Engineers Australia’s cost engineering society for three years. During his tenure as the National Secretary for Engineers Australia’s Cost Engineering Society, he has seen some outstanding achievements. His service to industry and members in the advancement of Project Controls and the Cost Engineering profession continued through several promotional events, technical seminars and facilitating professional development for young project control professionals. He was in the organizing committee for the Project Controls Conference held in September 2017 at Sydney. It was a resounding success, bringing together over 300 delegates to share ideas, learn developments across industry and hear conference speakers and attend masterclass workshops over the 3-day event. This was the first ever Project Controls conference held in Australia. He has a Civil Engineering degree and MBA from University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia. He has a young family and lives in Sydney. On a side note, Abhi loves doing improv comedy (he has a group in Sydney he performs with) and is presently learning Mandarin.

Goals/Objectives:
My goal is to be a voice for the sections on the Board and to really bring out the potential for project controls excellence from countries like China, India and other countries within this region. There are mega projects being built in this region with a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about project controls and AACE. Thus, I want to connect our section leaders with one another to share best practices in section management, so that they can provide the best resources for our membership. I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the board working in a region where several mega projects are underway.

 

Sankar Subrahmaniyam, EVP
Sankar is a postgraduate in Construction Management from College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai, India, having more than 22+ years of qualitative experience.  He is member of AACE since 2012 and holding EVP Certification since 2013.  Sankar was the President of South India Section and is the Chair of India Taskforce.  He is working closely with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Delhi to assist the section.  Under his leadership as Section President, he obtained section sponsorship from the Karle Infra board, the real estate arm of Karle Group based at Bangalore, India.  This enabled the section to have an office address in India, sponsorship for conducting meetings and conferences, secretarial and administrative support.  Sankar has partnered with PMI Chennai Chapter.  The South India Section conducted two successful national level conferences at IIT Madras and organized several workshops. Sankar initiated combining the three sections North, South and Central Sections in India and created a combined India Section to provide better services.  Sankar works very closely with Indian government, academia and private organizations to promote the section in India.  Sankar has registered the section as non-profit organization with Registrar of Companies, India, opened a bank account for the section and GST registration to bring serious commitment from the section to the Indian market. Sankar is also a Fellow of Institution of Engineers, India, and advisor of PMI’s Engineering and Construction forum of Bangalore India Chapter.

Goals/Objectives:
My goal is to make a mark in the chosen field and give back much more than what I have gained.

• Lay foundation for making Region 8 as the largest region in terms of membership and revenue in the next 7 to 10 years. This can be achieved by collaboration between various sections, closely work on knowledge sharing, international connections and networking.
• Establish networking opportunity as one of the key membership benefit.
• Work closely with educational institutions, take TCM knowledge to universities in Region 8, catch the engineers when they are young, implant the cost engineering seed when they are studying. This would be the greatest way to ensure future professionals aligned with AACE.
• Lead the initiative of creation of platform for cross pollination cost engineering knowledge between institutions across the regions through AACE.
• Working closely with the governments, both federal and state, conduct orientation programs to the key government staff and decision makers, introduce AACE knowledge capital to them.
• Form regional committees, develop country specific cost engineering solutions using AACE’s knowledge capital.

 

Oscar Siles Chavez

• Electrical engineer.
• PMP certification.
• Master in Management TIs e-business (Spain).
• Master in Projects for Development (Bolivia).
• Master of Security and National Defense/DAEN (Bolivia).
• Member of the PMI (Project Management Institute).
• Member of the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis).
• Member of AACE (Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International).
• Arbitrator of the Conciliation and Arbitration Center of Cochabamba (Bolivia).
• Specialization and Investigator in Business Analysis (India)
• Specialization in Total Cost Management TCM (AACE Recommended Practices).
• Past VP Chapter PMI Santa Cruz Bolivia.
• Founding President of the AACE Bolivia Section.
• Founding Leader of the Community Business Analysis Chapter PMI Santa Cruz.
• Teacher of masters in national and international universities.
• +22 years of experience in oil & gas, petrochemical and telecommunications industries.
• Senior Consultant and Trainer in Strategic Portfolio and Project Management (PMO, OPM3, PROG, PORTF, BA, FEL-EPC, TCM).

Goals/Objectives:

• Consolidate the current Sections in LATAM (promote more dynamism in each Section).
• Promote the creation of new Sections in LATAM, for example Ecuador, Argentina, Mexico and others.
• Add greater added value to the memberships in LATAM, through integration activities between Sections (shared webinars, translated documents, etc.).
• Consolidate the development of translation into Spanish of the TCMF and the RPs, through the formation of work teams in each Section, to later integrate as Region 10.
• Seek greater benefits for the members of LATAM in relation to the cost of membership (reduce the annual subscription fee, which is accessible according to the economy of the countries of the region).
• Implement a clear and integrated marketing strategy to attract new members in the Sections of region 10, showing the benefits of belonging to the organization.
• Implement an integrated strategy among the Sections of Region 10 for the retention of current members.

 

Carlos Ortega

Carlos is a Civil Engineer with two master’s degrees, a Master of Engineering Management, and an MBA. He has more than 16 years of experience. primarily in project management and claims analysis, working for Australia, US, Brasilian and Colombian companies. In 2017, he led the creation and registration of the AACE Colombia Section, and is currently the Section President. He is also part of the Spanish Translation Task Force, currently translating RPs into Spanish. He also co-lead of the World Economic Forum Infrastructure Advisory Committee for Argentina.

Goals/Objectives:
My main goal is to help assist Region 10 sections to strengthen their services offering to their members, though webinars, courses and site visits, which in turn should result in a higher number of membership applications. I also intend on assisting these sections to increasing attendance to their local yearly events, by promoting better partnerships with sponsors, and helping bring key speakers to these events.