Billy Jones is a Vice President and the Director of Roofing and Waterproofing Consulting services for the Central US and Latin American Region for CDC. Billy has provided roofing, waterproofing and building enclosure consulting services to architects, owners, contractors and attorneys for over a fifteen years. He provides design consulting services for a wide variety of new construction and remedial construction projects, including, but not limited to, hospitality and gaming, resorts, healthcare, universities, stadiums, museums, institutions, low and high-rise commercial office, residential, low and mixed-use in both the public and private sectors.

With nearly 20 years of professional experience, Cory Boden has built a diverse portfolio that includes hospitality, institutional, and healthcare projects, with a specialization in urban, high-end, large-scale mixed-use residential and office developments. He has extensive experience in all phases of project delivery, from master planning to concept design and project close-out, providing a deep understanding of the relationship between design and construction. Early projects at Page include the University of Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley Performing Arts Complex and the 2400 Nueces student housing high-rise. During a 5-year tenure at Handel Architects in New York, Cory contributed to the design and construction of 111 West Wacker in Chicago and Millennium in Boston. Since returning to Page, Cory has enhanced his design and leadership skills, working on high-profile projects such as Indeed Tower, 321 West 6th Street, and 6th & Blanco in Austin.

Cynthia Bowden is responsible for managing Tishman Speyer’s design and construction activities in Texas. Cynthia joined Tishman Speyer in 2006 and during her tenure has worked on signature development projects in Washington, DC and Austin, Texas. She recently completed the ground-up development of Crossing DC, a multifamily development consisting of 818 luxury rental units in the Capitol Riverfront district of Washington, DC. Prior to joining Tishman Speyer, Cynthia was a senior designer and project manager at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and SmithGroup, working on projects in Canada, New York and the greater Washington, DC area. With approximately 20 years of experience as an architect, her project experience focused on government and commercial office buildings. Cynthia is a Registered Architect in Virginia and a member of the American Institute of Architects. She holds a B.Arch. from the University of Virginia and an M.Arch. from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

David Nicastro founded Engineering Diagnostics, Inc. in 1994, which grew to be an Inc. 500 firm by 2000. He also founded Building Diagnostics, Inc., which was the parent company until merging in 2022 with Allana Buick & Bers, Inc. Before starting these firms, David was a Principal Design Engineer for Law Engineering and a national leader of its forensic services.

He is an expert in causation theory, with an emphasis on failure mechanisms of building materials and systems. He analyzes existing buildings and designs remedies.

David is also an expert in durability, and created The Durability Lab, a testing center in Austin, Texas. With local professors, students, and colleagues, he studies the durability of building components, identifying factors causing premature failure.

Dickson Fogleman is an Associate and a Senior Building Enclosure Consultant for CDC. Dickson has provided building enclosure consulting services to architects, owners, contractors and attorneys for over a fifteen years. He provides design consulting services for a wide variety of new construction and remedial construction projects, including, but not limited to, hospitality and gaming, resorts, healthcare, universities, stadiums, museums, institutions, low and high-rise commercial office, residential, low and mixed-use in both the public and private sectors.

Edward Muth has more than 19 years of architectural experience successfully leading corporate campus, commercial office building, retail, financial services, and workplace projects. Ed has managed a team of more than 30 architects and designers who delivered one of the largest corporate campus projects in the world. With his deep bench of expertise, Ed oversees design management for Gensler’s South Central Region. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is an avid supporter of the local not-for-profit Friends for Life.

Felipe Flores joined Arup’s façade engineering group in 2008. His experience includes the development of building envelope components on various building types located in the US, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. Before joining the Buildings Group in Los Angeles in 2019, Felipe spent 12 years at the Sydney office in Australia where he worked on some of the most iconic buildings of the city.

He has designed the façades for new developments, as well as façade upgrades of several adaptive reuse projects which typically include onerous performance and budget requirements including coordination with other disciplines. He also has extensive experience working on a variety of façade upgrade projects and complex audits of building portfolios such as Commercial, Government Education, etc.

Felipe now leads the Arup Facades Discipline Team in Houston aiming at delivering significant projects for Arup and his clients and to broaden and develop the façade business in the Americas.

A Senior Associate Principal with over 16 years of experience, Franz Prinsloo has contributed to KPF’s portfolio of iconic projects, from Austin’s first supertall tower to the final plot at New York’s World Trade Center. He has been central to the studio’s efforts in developing advanced computational tools for complex façade studies during the design and documentation processes, aiding consultant collaborations and streamlining data sharing methods between architects and contractors.

Franz has served as a Project Manager on many local and global developments, and his works emphasize the project’s context, taking thoughtful consideration into the design and impact of the new development. In Austin, Franz manages Waterline, which embraces its site along Waller Creek through its set-back form, taking inspiration from the neighboring waterways. Franz also worked on 5 WTC, a mixed-use tower that mediates between the historic texture of the neighborhood and the modern character of the World Trade Center. And in Atlanta, 1020 Spring Street is a “hospitality-forward” office building with lively collaboration spaces and flourishing greenery.

Outside of the US, Franz worked on CITIC Tower, a 528-meter tall office that serves as the crown jewel of Beijing’s Central Business District. His work in Asia also includes mixed-use developments in Wuhan, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.

Franz is a member of the ULI and AIA. He has guest lectured for the Graduate Real Estate Development Program at Columbia University and has guest critiqued for the Architecture Program at North Carolina State University. He graduated in 2006 from University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Jim Hakes is a Principal at Handel Architects with over 25 years of experience in the design and management of a variety of project types including mixed-use, hospitality, high-end residential, office, retail, museum, and university buildings.

Jim is currently Principal-in-Charge for the 58-story ATX Tower which is under construction in Austin, as well as for Angels Landing in Los Angeles.

Recently completed work includes serving as Project Manager for Union House, a luxury residential building on the border of the Pacific Heights and Russian Hill neighborhoods in San Francisco. Previously he led The Pacific, Handel Architects’ conversion of an existing building into luxury residences in Pacific Heights. Mr. Hakes was also Project Manager for Ten Thousand, Handel Architects’ luxury residential tower in Los Angeles. Other completed work includes Rowan, an exoskeleton residential building in San Francisco’s Potrero neighborhood, and 450 Hayes, a new through-block residential building in the Hayes Valley neighborhood.

Jim was Project Manager of the Rosewood Abu Dhabi, a mixed-use high-rise of 1.1 million sf with a five-star hotel as its anchor. Other work includes Blu Residences in San Francisco; Nove, a LEED Platinum townhouse development in San Francisco’s Mission District; and Alto El Golf, a new office tower in Santiago, Chile.

Prior to joining Handel Architects, Jim was a Project Manager at GBQC Architects in Philadelphia where he worked on university, hospitality, office, museum, and federal government projects. He is a licensed architect in California and Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.

Karen Zabarsky Blashek is the Founder of Ground Up, a multi-disciplinary creative studio for the built environment, and the Editor-in-Chief of Austin Home Magazine, the city’s pre-eminent design publication of 20 years. Through Ground Up, Blashek executes the strategy, design, and branding for projects in the built environment, from luxury residential towers in Toronto, to pre-seed Proptech start-ups based in the Bay, to historic hotels in San Antonio. Her platforms are informed by her time as the Head of Design and Branding for Kushner, one of the largest real estate development and management firms in the country, and as the co-founder of The Tanks, a pro bono advocacy effort for the adaptive reuse of decommissioned oil infrastructure into next gen public space. Blashek serves on the steering committee for ULI Americas YLG and ULI Austin Housing Innovations Council, and is the lead singer of the band Local Law.

Martin Voelkle is a Partner at BIG and focuses on architecture, sustainable construction, and technology. Martin has been leading BIG’s collaboration with ICON Build, a developer of advanced construction technologies, including 3D printed buildings that are produced with less waste and in a more expedited manner than typical construction methods. Collaborations with ICON have included affordable housing communities, market rate residential, hospitality and event spaces, and NASA Project Olympus—a research base that will be the first lunar surface construction on another planetary body. Martin is leading BIG’s transportation portfolio with the Zurich International Airport Dock A in Switzerland, a design that celebrates the passenger experience and ease of movement by way of its flexible framework constructed of renewable timber, the largest of its kind. Additionally, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Central, a reconsideration of the BQE transit corridor thru Brooklyn with a focus in accessibility, integration with growing neighborhoods, and incorporated public realm. Martin’s work varies from cultural, infrastructural, residential, and commercial buildings including the Shenzhen Energy Mansion HQ in China; Gowanus active community hub and residence in New York; and the Qianhai Prisma Towers in Shenzhen, China, designed to be a landmark gateway integrated thoughtfully with the existing skyline and public realm; and NABR, a residential building in San Jose. Martin’s design interest and expertise expands to the urban scale with the development of King’s Cross Google HQ in London and Telosa the design for a new city in Nevada. Martin began working at BIG Copenhagen in 2010; he helped build the BIG New York office in 2012; and in 2016 he led the enterprise of BIG’s London office before returning to BIG New York.

Melodie Yashar is the VP of Building Design & Performance at ICON, a construction technologies company focused on large scale additive manufacturing for Earth and in space. Melodie oversees the architectural direction of ICON’s built work as well as the performance of ICON’s building systems to deliver optimally-performing structures that shift the paradigm of homebuilding on Earth and beyond. Collaborating across technology and construction teams, her department supports the design and construction of dignified and resilient terrestrial housing solutions in addition to supporting the development of ICON’s off-world construction systems. Divisions within her department include: Construction Architecture, Architectural Technology, Structural Engineering, Building Science & Performance, and Regulatory Affairs.

Melodie teaches undergraduate and graduate space architecture studios at Art Center College of Design. In previous roles Melodie was a Senior Research Associate with the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames via San Jose State University Research Foundation (SJSURF), a co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a research group developing human-supporting designs for space exploration, as well as a Professor within the Architecture department of Pratt Institute. Melodie obtained a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Master of Human-Computer Interaction for Robotics from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon.

Michael Salinas is a registered Architect in Lake Flato’s Urban Environments Studio, helping lead civic, hospitality, residential, and other development efforts. Based in the Austin office, his efforts span from conceptual design across to construction documents. Michael is committed to executing Lake Flato’s mission and vision for creating beautiful, inspiring spaces that are connected with their place, while navigating today’s constraints and responsibility to be great stewards of the earth. He has made significant efforts on projects like Hotel Saint Augustine (Houston), 700 River (Austin), Cedar Park Public Library, Bee Cave Public Library (in design) & more. Prior to Lake Flato, Michael has worked in New Mexico & New York, building a diverse portfolio of experience, ranging from master planning to Construction Administration, from K-12 to NYC historic landmarks.

Miguel Elizardo is the Design Performance Technologist in Lake Flato's Design Performance team, where he promotes technology and sustainable best practices. With a strong passion for sustainability and high-performance building design, Miguel believes that implementing best practices in these areas can significantly benefit the environment. He actively tests new strategies for building performance and analysis, focusing on design performance simulations for daylight, energy, and views, as well as in-house training and sustainability adaptation. Miguel earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has a diverse professional background, with nine years of experience in Retail, Commercial, K-12, and Higher Education projects.

Salvador Garcia is a valued Project Architect boasting twenty-two years of industry experience. Raised amidst the evolving skylines of Chicago, IL, and Houston, TX, Salvador's formative years were imbued with a profound appreciation for architecture's transformative influence on surroundings.

As a LEED professional in building design and construction and a revered BIM authority, Salvador's expertise is in high demand. His design ethos embodies practicality, sensibility, and rationality, while maintaining an openness to innovation.

Deeply committed to community betterment, Salvador actively contributes to advocating for sustainable housing diversity in Austin, Texas, His diverse portfolio spans residential, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, education, and healthcare projects, each reflecting his unwavering dedication to elevating built environments.

Sean Clifton, PE, SE, is a Senior Principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), an award-winning structural/civil engineering firm founded in 1920 with offices in Seattle and Chicago. He specializes in high-rise projects and has led the design of more than 50 high-rise structures worldwide, many of which used Performance-Based Seismic Design. Sean also leads the advancement of Performance-Based Wind Design (PBWD), having served as the Principal in Charge of the structural design of the first American skyscraper to incorporate the new method. PBWD aims to enhance safety, reduce costs, and curb embodied carbon of high-rise buildings.

Tamara Higgins began working for Lerch Bates in October 2020 in the Dallas, Texas office. She has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, spanning from manufacturing, subcontracting, entrepreneurship, and consulting. Tamara has been on the forefront of innovation, design-assist, sustainability, and specifications development for building envelope systems across multiple market sectors in the commercial construction industry. She provides expertise in building enclosure commissioning, design development, historical renovations, technical plans & specifications reviews, field performance testing, investigations, and quality assurance field observations. Tamara's breadth of expertise and tenacious personality allows her to effectively integrate with project teams, including owners, architects, general contractors, subcontractors, and manufacturers, while building trusting relationships. Today, Tamara manages the forensics, new construction, and existing buildings teams in the South-Central region of the United States.

Thomas has been in the metals industry for over 20 years and is experienced in a variety of different industrial and architectural metals and their applications. He has been with Stainless Structurals for 8 years and has led the business development and marketing teams for the past 3 years. With his help, Stainless Structurals has grown from being a standard structural steel profile manufacturer to an all-encompassing, one-stop solution for special steel and stainless steel profiles and value-added fabrication services.

Thomas graduated, with honor, from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Business Management. He is a family man who loves spending time with his wife and two teenage daughters. His other hobbies include playing golf or relaxing at the beach.

Wyatt Frantom, FAIA is an experienced cross-disciplinary collaborator and award-winning designer. An Architect licensed in Texas and California, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Wyatt serves as Principal and the Design Director with Perkins&Will Austin.

With over 25 years of experience designing, leading, and executing innovative projects in the U.S. and abroad, Wyatt has gained a deep understanding of markets and the global design culture while working to deliver world-class architecture. As a forward-thinking and collaborative industry leader with Practice Area specialization in Office Buildings, Headquarters, Corporate Campuses, and Higher Education, Wyatt has brought his passion for design and environmentally responsive building to a broad range of project types.