The 2020 Slate of Candidates

 

James E. Krebs, PE CCP FAACE

Jim has been an active member of AACE International since 1986, all as a member of the Great Lakes Section having served as President, along with various other board positions.  For his dedication to the Great Lakes Section, Jim earned the Charles V. Keane Distinguished Service Award.  Jim achieved the rank of Fellow in 2012 and was awarded the O.T. Zimmerman Founder's Award in 2019. Jim served on the Association Board of Directors as the Director of Region 4 in 2008 and 2009, and the Vice President of Administration in 2015 and 2016.  Jim has presented papers and training sessions at AACE Conference & Expos and quarterly board meetings. Jim is the Senior Vice President of Administrative Controls Management, Inc. He has over 33 years of project management, project controls, and construction experience including planning, scheduling, estimating, cost controls, claims analysis and testimony, field supervision, and administrative services.  His experience includes automotive, heavy construction, nuclear power, light manufacturing, refinery, and industrial projects.  Beyond traditional project management, Jim has developed and implemented a computerized application for integrating cost and schedule control for a large engineering department; provided expert witness testimony for claim; written a project controls procedures manual for a major construction project; and prepared data for utility rate cases.

Goals/Objectives: 

As an active member of AACE for over 30 years, I have gained a deep respect for AACE, its members, and staff.  My prior leadership positions within AACE has given me an appreciation for the hard work, care, and passion of the dedicated volunteers that give of their time and talents for the good of AACE and the profession. To honor our volunteers, AACE must thrive and provide the highest quality technical products, comprehensive educational offerings, and unparalleled certification program. The Association needs strong and effective leadership.

As the President, I will strive to:

• Work closely with the Executive Director, staff, and the Board of Directors to support and strengthen effectiveness and efficiency of the Association;
• Continue the existing efforts that are working to add value to the membership;
• Promote AACE in all regions to expand our membership, looking for new ways to reach cost engineers that would benefit from AACE membership;
• Expand the value of AACE through its body of knowledge, certifications, career development, and networking;
• Support the evolution of AACE events and activities to better serve our members in an ever-changing world with evolving ways to communicate and work;
• Assist in identifying ways to attract and energize the next generation of AACE leaders;
• Continue to be an advocate for active membership, annual conference attendance, technical and educational product development, and certification advancement;
• Strive to give back to the members and the profession the same benefits I have received for over three decades.

 

 

Patrick M. Kelly, PE PSP

Patrick M. Kelly is a construction claims analyst and testifying expert with more than twenty years’ experience. In his career, Patrick has been a US Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer, a contract & construction manager, and a scheduler & project controls manager. He has worked on both large and small projects – for contractors and owners – on transportation & infrastructure, shipbuilding & ship repair, hotels & condominiums, and government & public facilities. He is an expert in project controls, Critical Path Method scheduling, earned value analysis, and forensic schedule analysis for delay and disruption. With this experience, he has qualified and testified as an expert in the US and internationally. He is a Professional Engineer and is certified as a Planning and Scheduling Professional by AACE. He has also written and published many articles on scheduling and Forensic Schedule Analysis and provided training on both software and CPM methodology to schedulers, analysts, and construction professionals. During his career in construction, Mr. Kelly has relied on the superior papers and Recommended Practices developed by AACE, and as a result he joined in 2007, and earned his certification as a Planning and Scheduling Professional in 2008. Since then, he has been actively involved in AACE, by submitting papers for publication in Cost Engineering journal and presentation at the Annual Conference & Expo. Additionally, Mr. Kelly held the Chair of the Claims and Disputes Resolution Technical Subcommittee for three years, served on the Board of Directors as Director, Region 2 for two years, and is currently finishing a term as Vice President Finance. His deep respect for AACE’s mission and superior technical content drives him to continue to seek ways to serve the organization and further its goals.

Goals/Objectives: 

If elected, Mr. Kelly intends to facilitate growth and professional development among cost engineering professionals by:

• Building upon the momentum that we have created in ensuring the continued financial success of AACE.
• Providing effective support for the conduct, control, and reporting of financial transactions in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices (as provided by Headquarters).
• Coordinating closely with Manager – Accounting and Administration and the Executive Director on financial matters.
• Providing timely, clear and concise communications to all stakeholders with regards to income, expenditures, forecast and balances for the prior reporting period.
• In coordination with all relevant parties, preparing annual budgets that further the goals of AACE in the coming years.
• Maintaining awareness, and monitoring when appropriate, operations to ensure that AACE achieves its organizational goals and fulfills its vision of becoming the gathering place and source of thought leadership for professionals who drive successful project and program delivery.

 

Felix Soto, EVP PSP

Felix is a highly sought-after senior consultant in the AEC sector, having worked with almost all main companies established locally. Joining his work experience in an important construction company and as an independent, he has 23 years of career doing consulting on infrastructure projects, mining, buildings, transmission lines and industrial plants. Felix has an excellent background in planning, scheduling, control and project management, which has led him to become in witness expert and quantum & delay analyst in construction claims.

Felix has played many roles in the Peruvian AACE Section among them as President and he is currently a member of its Board of Directors permanently.

Goals/Objectives: 

Having developed my whole professional career based on AACE knowledge, I have become a natural promoter for AACE´s products, services and programs. One of my main goals, not only for this election but for life is to make AACE globally recognized as the champion for Cost Engineering and Project Controls. As AACE has grown over the years, it should continue to set the standard on these matters. To make our organization even better, I plan to:

• Building upon the momentum created by my predecessor
• Provide timely, clear and concise finance reports to all stakeholders in order to make timely decisions supporting institutional goals.
• Assist regional directors and section presidents with improving section’s management. This involves addressing inactive sections and challenging strong sections with new goals.
• Continue to come up with ideas that will help AACE to be the number one institution in Project Controls all around the world.
• Increase the awareness and benefits of AACE and the certification program
• Support regional translations of the main AACE products to strengthen local understanding and therefore increasing membership and retainage of membership of the region.

This nomination means a lot in my professional career and I will not consider it as a job but as a payback to the institution that has given me so much.

 

Danilo Arba

Danilo is a multi-discipline project control worker with over 15 years of direct experience in design, procurement, construction stages, M&E services installations, bridges, marine works and airports, with a verifiable track record in project control of multi-million/billion-dollar construction projects. Danilo lived all his life around the world in Asia, Africa, Middle East, and South/North America and he is used to living and working in a multicultural environment. Danilo has a strong passion for project control and project management activities, such as he is currently the Director of Region 9 of AACE International.

Danilo has previously held leadership positions in the Peruvian and Italian Sections of AACE.

Goals/Objectives: 

• Danilo has taken great benefits from AACE for his career and personal growth, and if elected, intends to continue to give back to AACE and the cost engineering community worldwide.
• Continue to enhance collaboration of AACE regions to increase the awareness of AACE international, its programs to support international understanding and to retain and increase membership worldwide.
• Ensuring AACE maintains financial solidity and increases its financial strength to better support its members.
• Ensure that budgets, financial reports are provided to all relevant stakeholders on time and correctly to ensure we meet AACE targets for the coming years.
• Ensure proper coordination with all internal AACE functions regarding all financial situations.
• Continue to raise awareness globally on AACE and to increase its leadership in the cost engineering community.

 

Sandra Mejia-Villegas, P.Eng.

Sandra was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia. She is currently located in Vancouver, BC and she has been living in Canada for more than 12 years. Sandra obtained her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana and her Master of Science in Project Management from George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Sandra’s experience includes Cost Control Analyst at ConocoPhillips Canada, Cost Analyst at Turner Construction and currently, Sandra works for Parkland Refining BC as Project Cost Control Analyst.

AACE International has great meaning for Sandra. All the training, seminars and webinars taken have showed her the beauty of the project controls field.  AACE International offers numerous professional resources through recommended practices, online training, webinars, mentorship, technical articles, local section’s meetings and workshops, as well as networking opportunities, which are valuable to any professional in the field.  Sandra is currently serving as the chair of the mentorship committee and she was previously the co-chair for Women in Project Controls Committee. Sandra is also a contributing member of the Latin America Task Force, the Raising Professionals Committee and was part of the Vision 2020 committee. She feels that the exposure to highly experienced and passionate professionals gives her the courage and support to succeed in this field, as well as enhance her leadership skills in order to continue developing her career.

Goals/Objectives:

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

• Communicating with AACE leadership about current Canadian membership needs/gaps. Always focusing on what creates the most value for our members.
• Analyze and challenge existing strategies in order to stimulate members to actively participate with the association initiatives.
• Support all the programs, products, education and services that the association has for its members.
• Focus on strategy for the future of AACE Canada sections.

 

Mustansir Raj, P.Eng., CCP

Mustansir is an active member of AACE since 1994. He has a passion for project control and is very involved in his local Calgary Chinook Section, where he has served as Section President in 2004, 2016 and currently serving as Director of Certification.  He has also served as Director Region 1 (AACE Canada President) in 2005. He was a member of AACE Technical Board and CEP Certification Task Force in 2005. As an instructor, he has facilitated numerous CEP, CCP and S&K workshops for the Chinook-Calgary Section.

Mustansir is a Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in construction management, cost estimation and project controls for petrochemical and oil & gas industries. He has worked with Klockner (KHD), Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC), Bantrel Canada, Jacobs Canada, Devon and Altran in various positions from project engineer to manager of estimating. He moved to Canada in 1998 and is currently working as a senior estimator with Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL). He is a certified Competent Toastmaster (CTM), Competent Leader (CL) and served as the Area Governor-Region 1 of Toastmasters International. Mustansir is active in community services for Mustard Seed Drop-In Center, Interfaith Food Bank and is serving on the Board of Directors of the registered charity, Canadian Global Care (CGC) Society.

Goals/Objectives: 

As Director Region 1, I will take initiative to promote and grow the organization. I will be committed to building a better and more inclusive organization. I will:

• Encourage synergy and teamwork across all Canadian AACE sections in order to achieve common goals, and work to build more efficient processes.
• Bridge any communication gaps between regional needs with AACE leadership.
• Communicate the important advantages and benefits that comes with being an AACE member, through promotion of its industry grade knowledge, and access to a network of seasoned professionals.
• Grow and nurture connections with wider professional communities to help build opportunities for cross-functional knowledge sharing, team building, and collaboration. This will also support new potential members and new graduates entering the workforce.
• Promote AACE awareness and professional development efforts through networking with partner organizations, planning events and presentations at universities and businesses, and social media engagement strategies.
• Assist AACE members in professional development through workshops and webinars.
• Highlighting and promoting the various advantages of completing AACE’s international certifications.

 

Michael J. Bennink, PE CCP PSP PMP

Michael has been an active member of AACE International since 2002 and is currently the President of the New Jersey Section.  He holds the CCP and Planning and Scheduling certifications, is a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and is a Project Management Professional.  Michael has made numerous presentations at section meetings, the Region 2 Symposium, and the Annual Meeting. He is currently an active member of the Region 2 Symposium planning committee and is a past member of the Association Certification Board. His professional expertise focuses on claims and dispute analyses, forensic cost and schedule assessments, and project controls focused engagements.  Michael is currently a Vice President at JS Held based out of New York and recently finished his term as President of the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers. He has a BS in mechanical engineering from RPI and an MBA from Monmouth University. 

Goals/Objectives:

• First and foremost - support the Region 2 sections and unaffiliated members administratively and provide a leadership role for section and member collaboration.
• Work to ensure the continued success and growth of the Region 2 Symposium by capitalizing on the strong leadership and extensive contributions of the organizing committee members, extensive knowledge base of the presenters, and generosity of the corporate sponsors.
• Ensure the Region 2 Symposium is aligned with the goals and requirements of the Association.
• Seek to develop new opportunities for the voice and development of rising professionals in region and section events and leadership.  
• Locate opportunities to collaborate with other professional organizations on a region and local basis.
• Encourage the expansion of the use of platforms such as webinars and virtual meetings to facilitate technical development. 
• Facilitate the sections ability to reach out to un-affiliated members to encourage section alignment.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors and the Associate Boards to support and communicate the Association’s goals and objectives.
• Serve as communications liaison between the Membership Board and the Region 2 sections.

 

Prad Maraj, PE, PSP

Prad Maraj, PSP, has more than 36 years of construction management experience in project controls for transportation, facility and infrastructure rehabilitation projects. He manages a JMT’S project controls practice. He is the Past President of the Baltimore Section of AACE and Past Co-Chair of the Claims and Disputes Resolution Committee. Mr. Maraj has also developed and conducted training courses on CPM scheduling, claims analysis and prevention for various public agencies. Since obtaining certification, Prad has relied on AACE Recommended Practices to guide his practice and understands the importance of keeping the organization a vibrant and valuable resource to the industry.  Having both international and domestic experience in construction, Prad is keenly aware of some of the challenges facing younger AACE members in becoming engaged, both in the USA and internationally.

Goals/Objectives:
 

• Foster a culture of engagement in Region 2
• Provide a roadmap to increasing member participation by outreach to schools
• Assist section Presidents to attract rising professionals
• Offer scholarships to local colleges
• Establish a mentorship program.

 

Dayna Anderson
Dayna Anderson has worked in project controls for over 16 years.  She is co-founder and Senior Partner of Breakwater Forensics LLC, headquartered in Chicago.  Her work as an expert witness includes analyzing construction cost overruns and schedule delay claims, as well as counseling subcontractors, contractors, and owners on project controls recommended practices. She has worked on both small and mega construction projects ranging from residential housing to oil refineries and power plants in national and international forums. As former President of the AACE Chicago-Midwest Section and a Board member for many years, she is very familiar with AACE’s overarching goals and objectives.

Goals/Objectives: 

• Increase AACE membership.
• Encourage local section outreach to other relevant construction-based organizations to facilitate joint meetings, which will increase the visibility of AACE.
• Encourage campus outreach to grow student membership.  My experience as an Institute of Management Accountants Campus Influencer will allow me to expand AACE’s current program.
• Increase the diversity of the local section membership and leadership.
• Increase communication between local, regional and national leadership.
• Encourage local sections within Region 4 to have quarterly calls/meetings to share ideas for local and regional meeting content.
• Gain an understanding of national initiatives and assist local sections to successfully implement.

 

Haya S. Saleh, PSP
Haya S. Saleh, PSP, is a planning, scheduling and claims consultant with almost 19 years of rich experience in construction industry especially in scheduling and delay analysis. Haya became a member of AACE since 2007 and she has maintained her membership ever since.

Haya holds a M.Sc. degree in Industrial Management and B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Jordan; she is a Certified Project Manager (CPM), certified (Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP-AACE/USA), and Associate Member Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

Haya is currently the General Manager and Founder of MESC, a construction management entity in Jordan. Haya started working in contracts, claims and delay analysis in 2003; during which time she worked as a scheduling and claims consultant in a large number of local and international projects.

Haya was a part-time instructor at the University of Jordan, and a trainer at the Jordanian Engineers Association, she has clocked more than 4,200 training hours in the area of planning and scheduling.

She is currently the President of AACE Jordan Section, a position she has held since 2017, and she has delivered more than 15 free seminar, workshops and training during 2018 under the name of the Jordan Section umbrella to promote AACE International in Jordan.

Goals/Objectives:

• Increase the awareness and the importance of AACE’s credentials and certifications.
• Increase the knowledge and skill level for the fresh graduates.
• Encourage universities, colleges and professional associations to have AACE’s courses and seminars within their curriculum and programs.        
• Increase the membership in the region by encourage professionals to be a member of AACE and increase the members’ contribution to improve the region and local sections.
• Make a yearly plan for AACE activities in Region 7.
• Address educational and professional challenges in Region 7 and to be sure to meet AACE’s objectives.

 

Lucia Vernon, PSP
In 2016, Lucia accepted the invitation to be part of the AACE Qatar Section Board of Directors in the role of Director of Marketing and Publicity. In 2017, she became President-Elect which was the precursor to the taking on the President role for the 2018-2019 period. In her previous roles Lucia helped the organization to host regular technical workshops, she delivered the workshop ‘Practical Training – Windows Analysis’ and helped the team to organize best practice events with industry experts to further enhance awareness of AACE International amongst professionals in the State of Qatar and the Middle East. She recently developed the recommended practice paper for AACE (CDR.2849) ‘Time Impact Analysis in Windows - Concurrency Analysis’ which was accepted for presentation at the AACE Annual Conference & Expo 2018 in San Diego, USA.

In her professional life she holds the position of Forensic Planning Director working for Quantum Global Solutions as a delay analyst with 13 years’ experience in carrying out all types of forensic delay analyses in several different countries.  Recently she has been managing the planning department.
 
She has a sound working knowledge of planning software programs including MS Project, Primavera P3 and P6 and forensic guidelines such as AACE Recommended Practice 29R-03. She has used these expert skills across multiple sectors including hotel development, football stadia, convention center, power station construction, water and wastewater management, infrastructure, petro-chemical development, nuclear power and building construction. Lucia has an RICS recognized ‘Legal Experience Training Advanced Professional Award in Expert Witness Evidence (LETAPAEWE) accredited by Pearson Learning at a level 7 (Masters level) BTEC.’

She consistently takes a proactive approach and has good inter-personal skills which are essential elements that enable her to produce the required analysis schedules for claims and produce high quality and consistent results.

She believes that, a big part of her success story is due to reading the documentation available on the AACE International portal, being informed and adopting the knowledge which AACE offers to professionals around the world. She believes in the motto “Work hard, follow your dreams and they will come true.”

Goals/Objectives:

One of the main goals for myself will be to unify the Region 7 members, to give everyone the opportunity to see the benefit that AACE brings to its members in other parts of the world. Also, it is important that our organization is supported by the state authorities in the Middle East so that our members will be recognized for their knowledge that they gained from AACE membership.”

 

Johnson Awoyomi, CCP CEP
Engr. Johnson Awoyomi is the Group General Manager Engineering and Technical Division, in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He graduated from the University of Ife with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in the mid ‘80s. He was the Senior Technical Assistant to Hon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Nigeria. He oversaw transparency, accountability and efficiency (cost and contracting cycle issues, performance management, etc.) in the oil sector. His career journey in NNPC has run through NETCO, Nigerian Content Division, Transformation Office and Cost Engineering Division. He is a PMP, a COREN registered engineer and belongs to many professional associations. He is President of the AACE Nigeria Section. He has organized two Nigerian Section Annual Meetings (Lagos 2017, Abuja 2018, and the 2019 edition is scheduled in Portharcourt). He is a CCP and CEP. He has mentored cost professionals. He is a recipient of many awards He is a writer and presenter. He is a grader of the CCP memo since 2017. He is married with three children.

Goals/Objectives:

My goals and objectives will include, but not limited to:

• Entrenchment of AACE Total Cost Management (TCM) principles in the management of capital program in my region by engaging key stakeholders on the value and benefits of deploying TCM. This approach is working currently.
• Growth: The growth of sections in the Region will be my priority – through publicity of the benefits of membership.
• Annual Conferences: I will ensure that each Section in the Region continues to have its own Annual Conference and encourage other Sections to start doing this.
• Regular Meetings and Effective Communication: Will encourage and ensure regular meetings or telephone calls.
• Capacity Development: I am going to encourage technical activity capacity development within the Regions by having regional workshop/seminars, etc., at least once year.
• AACE Certification: Will encourage each Section president to have a goal to increase the number of AACE Certificants in their respective Sections yearly. This will be supported by deliberate AACE Certification program.
• Attendance at AACE Annual Conferences: I am going to put in place a mechanism that will enable massive participation of our members at the AACE Annual Conferences.
• Will encourage our members to be active in presentation of technical papers at both the regional and AACE Conference & Expo; Maintaining a strong technical and educational program; Establishing local technical study groups and Coordinating technical committee activity at the Section level with the various AACE technical committees.  Teamwork:  I am going to work collaboratively with each of the Section Presidents to ascertain their problems and concerns and assist in resolving them. Outreach programs for both students and young graduates; Collaboration with other professional bodies; Creation of new sections as may be required.

 

Joao Paulo Matos Dias, PSP

Mr. Dias is a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional by AACE International. He has developed his academic interests in heavy infrastructures through the Integrated Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, between 2004 and 2009. Further interests in Construction Management led him to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, in 2012.

Mr. Dias is a chartered Civil Engineer with approximately 10 years’ experience. Throughout this period his responsibilities included Planning, Scheduling, Cost Estimation and Control, and Change Management, performed in some of the world's largest construction companies and in large-scale international infrastructure projects at tender and/or construction stages.

His whole career has been developed in several different countries in Europe (Portugal, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia), Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Congo and Niger), Central America and the Caribbean, where he had the chance to be the counterpart of key stakeholders namely from major subcontractors, governmental clients, international consultants, among others, which has given him a truly global perspective of the construction markets and business.

Goals/Objectives:

• Consolidate the current Sections in the region, promoting more dynamism and networking opportunities.
• Promote the creation of new Sections in the region.
• Add greater added value to the memberships in the region, through integration activities between Sections and members, as for example: shared webinars, workshops, regular communications, etc.
• Seek greater benefits for the members of the region in relation to third party conferences and workshops, and potential other discounts.
• Implement a clear and integrated marketing strategy to attract new members in the Sections of the region, showing the benefits of belonging to the organization.
• Promote partnerships with other key organizations/association, universities and relevant working groups.
• Promote the TCM Framework and Recommended Practices across the industry and academic institutions.
• Facilitate the communication between young professionals in the region and the Rising Professionals Committee.