Description:
Signed into law in November 2021, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is the most significant infusion of investment in our infrastructure since the enactment of the Interstate Highway System in the mid-1950’s. It provides market opportunities for highway contractors, direct federal contractors, building contractors, utility contractors, and other markets. And it demonstrates to our existing and future workforce that there is sustainable work in the years to come.
So how much of the money has been accounted for? Are there hurdles that have slowed down anticipated projects from this increased funding? This four-part webinar series will provide contractors with an update on the new law and what they should expect in the years to come. Experts from the federal government, all the way down to the local level, will provide an update on the law’s impact on rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. In addition, participants will hear from economists and regulatory experts which will help them make informed decisions before bidding on projects.
Webinar One: Following the $$: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Current Economic Outlook
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (ET)
For nearly three years the U.S. construction industry has been buffeted by unprecedented volatility in materials costs, supply-chain bottlenecks, and a tight labor market. So, what should construction companies expect in the next year? Are there other economic or regulatory challenges we should anticipate?
During this session, our panel of industry experts will cover the following topics:
- An economic outlook and forecast for the next year
- The latest data on construction material prices and availability
- How much IIJA money has already been distributed
- What issues and challenges contractors should be aware of
Speakers:
|
|
 |
|
|
Alex Etchen |
Steven E. Polzin, Ph.D. |
Ken Simonson |
Alex Etchen
Senior Director of Infrastructure Advancement
Associated General Contractors of America
Alex Etchen joined the Associated General Contractors (AGC) in early 2021 as the Senior Director for Infrastructure Advancement. Prior to joining AGC, Alex served as Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). He served to advance the mission and goals of FHWA while working with Members of Congress and external stakeholders. Alex oversaw a staff responsible for a variety of critical and diverse topics ranging from housing FHWA’s traffic and transportation performance data, to collaborating with the international community on new highway technology, transportation research, and program innovations, and to performing studies and analyses of national transportation policy options.
Prior to joining the Department, Alex worked in Congress for nearly seven years; first for a Member of Congress from Idaho and then on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. During his tenure on the Committee, he worked on the federal-aid highway portfolio and drafted provisions included in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
Originally from Ligonier, Pa., Alex earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from the Johns Hopkins University.
Steven E. Polzin, Ph.D.
Research Professor
TOMNET University Transportation Center
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
Arizona State University
Dr. Polzin is a Research Professor at the, TOMNET University Transportation Center, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University. His current research focuses on transportation policy as influenced by the changes in demographics, technology and changing culture and values. In early 2021 he completed an appointment as the Senior Advisor for Research and Technology in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the US Department of Transportation. Previously he served as Director of Mobility Policy Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida. Prior positions included working for transit agencies in Chicago, Cleveland, and Dallas. He has served on the Board of Directors for Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and on the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board. His professional interests include transportation policy, travel behavior and travel demand, transportation system performance, travel data analysis, transportation decision-making, and public transportation.
Ken Simonson
Chief Economist
Associated General Contractors of America
Ken Simonson has been chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America since 2001. He provides insight into the economy and what it implies for construction and related industries through frequent media interviews, presentations and the Data DIGest, his weekly one-page e-newsletter that goes to more than 20,000 subscribers.
Ken has more than 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He is a Fellow and past president of the National Association for Business Economics, and he is co-director of the Tax Economists Forum, a professional meeting group he co-founded in 1982.
Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago, and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.
Webinar Two: Following the $$: Federal Agencies’ Perspective on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (ET)
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invest more than $1.2 trillion to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure. There is a lot in this law for utility contractors and for federal construction contractors. The law provides dedicated funding for ports, drinking water and wastewater systems, broadband, and inland waterways.
During this session our panel of experts will discuss:
- How much of this money has already been accounted for?
- How much money is left to be spent?
- Why has it taken so long for the broadband money to be distributed to communities?
- Are there any issues or challenges for contractors to be aware of?
Speakers:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tim Connor |
Evan Feinman |
Margarett (Mackie) McIntosh |
Lucy Moore |
Tim Connor
Office of Wastewater Management
Environmental Protection Agency
Tim Connor is a Senior Chemical Engineer in the Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) in EPA’s Office of Water. For the past ten years, Tim served as lead for the successful domestic preference programs of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Prior to joining OWM, Tim led engineering and economic analysis development for EPA’s water quality standards and industrial effluent guidelines programs. Before joining EPA, Tim was as a Defense contractor and a drilling engineer.
Tim holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and a M.S. in Environmental Science Engineering from Clemson University.
Evan Feinman
Director, Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
National Telecommunications & Information Administration
Evan Feinman is the director of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, the primary program deploying broadband created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He has previously served in multiple roles within government, on political campaigns, and in the private sector; most recently directing both the Virginia broadband effort and a state economic development agency. Evan received his bachelor’s degree from UVA, his law degree from Washington and Lee, and has completed multiple public policy fellowships.
Margarett (Mackie) McIntosh
Programs Integration Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
An Athens, Ga., native and University of Georgia alumna, Margarett (Mackie) McIntosh is the Deputy Chief and Program Manager with the Emergency Supplemental Branch and is responsible for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ portion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a $17 billion dollar program that spans all appropriations and mission areas of the Corps’ Civil Works Program. She is the former Chief of Civil Works Programs and Project Management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District. More recently, in 2021, she served on a year-long detail to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, representing the Corps in all legislative activities, including identification of legislative priorities, drafting of legislation, and negotiating on behalf of the committee Chairman, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware. In that role, she participated in the consideration, debate, and passage of the $1.3 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a monumental piece of legislation that includes generational investments in our Nation’s infrastructure.
McIntosh has more than 15 years of previous experience with the Corps in civil works planning and policy, engineering, and project management, in addition to private sector experience as a staff geologist and environmental consultant. Her expertise with the Corps is focused on deep-draft navigation projects and coastal civil works projects.
McIntosh, who graduated from UGA with a Bachelor of Science in geology in 1999, also holds a Master of Science in geology from the University of Utah. She is a Registered Professional Geologist in Georgia and a Registered Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute.
Lucy Moore
Special Policy Advisor
National Telecommunications & Information Administration
Lucy Moore joined NTIA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary as a Special Policy Advisor focused on workforce development initiatives in January 2022. She most recently served as Associate Staff Secretary in the White House. Lucy previously served as a Policy Associate for Middle Class Economics and as Co-Editor of the Biden Forum at the Biden Foundation. Before joining the Biden Foundation, she served as Special Assistant to U.S. Secretary Thomas E. Perez at the Department of Labor. Lucy received her BA from the University of Southern California and her master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Webinar Three: Following the $$: State and Local Perspectives on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (ET)
It has been over a year since the since the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was passed and signed into law. The IIJA is the most significant infusion of investment in our infrastructure since the enactment of the Interstate Highway System in the mid-1950’s. The IIJA includes historic funding for state and local governments to repair the nation’s infrastructure – including roads and bridges.
On the transportation side, most of the funding goes out to state and local governments by a formula. This flexibility allows them to address and prioritize their unique transportation needs as Congress intends.
During this session, our panel of industry experts will cover the following topics:
- Are state and local governments seeing an uptick in construction projects?
- Are there hurdles that have kept them from undertaking more projects?
- How has the IIJA impacted state and local transportation spending?
- What should contractors expect in the coming years?
Speakers:
|
|
 |
|
| Alex Etchen Senior Director of Infrastructure Advancement AGC of America |
Susan Howard |
Mark Ritacco |
Alex Etchen
Senior Director of Infrastructure Advancement
Associated General Contractors of America
Alex Etchen joined the Associated General Contractors (AGC) in early 2021 as the Senior Director for Infrastructure Advancement. Prior to joining AGC, Alex served as Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). He served to advance the mission and goals of FHWA while working with Members of Congress and external stakeholders. Alex oversaw a staff responsible for a variety of critical and diverse topics ranging from housing FHWA’s traffic and transportation performance data, to collaborating with the international community on new highway technology, transportation research, and program innovations, and to performing studies and analyses of national transportation policy options.
Susan Howard
Director of Policy and Government Relations
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Susan Howard serves as Director of Policy and Government Relations at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. She works to advance AASHTO’s federal legislative and policy efforts and serves as a key liaison between AASHTO and Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other national organizations. Susan previously held the position of Program Director for Transportation Finance and Program Manager for Freight at AASHTO.
Mark Ritacco
Chief Government Affairs Officer
National Association of Counties
Mark Ritacco serves as the chief government affairs officer for the National Association of Counties. Mark leads NACo’s congressional and executive branch outreach, coalition building and advocacy on behalf of NACo’s members and America’s 3,069 counties.
Before joining NACo, Mark spent over a decade on Capitol Hill working in both the U.S. House and Senate. Most recently, Mark served as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, where he directed the Senate Appropriations portfolio, cultivated diverse bipartisan relationships, and built coalitions to pass economic policy, influence agency rulemaking, and shape regulatory policy.
Throughout his career he has focused on demonstrating how government can solve the problems facing America both today and into the future. He is a volunteer with Center for Civic Education, whose mission to develop the next generation of enlightened and responsible citizens.
Webinar Four: Following the $$: Navigating Federal Requirements on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Projects
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (ET)
Contractors have welcomed unprecedented funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) - significant money for federal, state, local, and even private developer work. As always, federal funds come with “strings attached” – primarily through broad expansions of existing requirements for construction materials and workforce, but also by allowing local entities greater flexibility to develop workforce and subcontractor participation requirements. These strings will create challenges and opportunities for contractors in bidding and contract performance.
This final part to the webinar series will provide tips for compliance with IIJA requirements for materials, workforce, and project procurement, including expanded Buy America requirements and mandated Buy American preferences for infrastructure; broader application of Davis Bacon requirements and increased penalties; new authority for PLAs; and increased flexibility for state and local entities to require local preferences and on-the-job training requirements.
Speakers:
|
|
|
|
|
Jimmy Christianson |
Elysha Luken |
Ron Robey |
Jimmy Christianson
Vice President of Government Relations
Associated General Contractors of America
Jimmy Christianson leads the Associated General Contractors of America’s government relations efforts in Washington D.C., both on Capitol Hill and in the federal agencies. In this role, he is responsible for advancing the interests of more than 27,000 construction firms utilizing a network of 89 chapters on issues including but not limited to public and private construction investment, workforce development, and more.
Prior to joining AGC, Jimmy worked as an attorney for the international law firm of K&L Gates and as a government affairs specialist for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Jimmy received his Bachelor of Arts degree with magna cum laude honors from the University of Pennsylvania and Juris Doctorate degree with cum laude honors from the University of Maine School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.
Elysha Luken
Partner
Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP
Elysha Luken is a Partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP, and is a Board-Certified Construction Attorney by the Florida Bar. Elysha specializes in representing contractors, suppliers, owners, design professionals and sureties in public and private construction disputes, including bid protests, prosecuting and defending contractor claims, drafting and negotiating contracts, construction lien and bond claims, and contractor and professional licensing. As an expert in legal matters related to construction and contracting, Elysha litigates in state and federal courts and arbitration and administrative proceedings, both at the trial level and on appeal.
Elysha has extensive experience on construction projects with state and local agencies, from procurement to subcontracts to litigation, trial and appeal. This work includes prosecuting and defending over a dozen bid protests on FDOT, municipal, and utility projects with project values up to $200 million on both hard bid and competitive selection procurements. On the owner side, Elysha has prepared ITBs and assisted public agencies in procurement and public records matters. Elysha has served as project counsel for roadway contractors on FDOT projects, including preparation of subcontracts and purchase orders; compliance matters; preparing Dispute Review Board presentations; defending and prosecuting subcontractor and supplier claims; and claims preparation and litigation.
Elysha lectures frequently on construction contract drafting; legal considerations for green building and sustainable projects; and alternative project delivery, design-build and P3. Elysha writes on construction contracts and industry topics and has contributed to several construction law manuals. Elysha received her B.A. degree from the University of Florida, and her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Florida State University, serving as Legislative Editor and Editorial Board member for the Florida State University Law Review. Prior to joining Smith Currie, Elysha worked as a Staff Attorney at the Florida Supreme Court and held several clerkships.
Ron Robey
Partner
Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP
Ronald G. Robey attended Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, as a National Merit Scholar. He graduated with high distinction in the Honors Program at the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in 1974. In 1977, Ron graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law where he was Lead Articles Editor of the University of Kentucky Law Journal, was Order of the Coif at graduation and received special awards in Constitutional Law and in Torts.
Ron joined Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP in 1977 and has practiced exclusively in the areas of construction law, insurance and government contracts since that time. He is admitted to the Bars of the States of Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, and Nevada, and is admitted to numerous Federal Courts. He is a member of the ABA Forum on Construction Law and the Public Contract Law Section.
Ron has negotiated and drafted hundreds of construction contracts. Also, he has handled construction and insurance disputes (CGL, builders' risk, excess and reinsurance, professional liability and OPPI). The projects have included high rise condominiums, hospitals, wastewater treatment plants, prisons, casinos, highways, airports, manufacturing facilities, locks and dams, steel plants, superfund sites, power plants, office buildings, and federal government facilities. His federal government contract experiences include claims and projects involving the Corps of Engineers, Navy, Air Force, Veteran’s Administration, and the FAA. He has extensive experience with small and disadvantaged business issues in the federal and state procurement systems. He also has experience with false claims in federal and in state procurement.
Webinar Recording:
Everyone who registers for an AGC webinar will receive a link with access to the audio recording and the presentation.
Technology Requirements:
AGC of America uses GoToWebinar to conduct its webinar. You will not incur any cost for using the platform. However, if you have not used this platform previously, please test your computer prior to the webinar. Prior to joining, be sure to check system requirements to avoid any connection issues. If you’re having trouble connecting to your webinar, please check the GoToWebinar Support page for help.