Leadership and Management (Track 1)

Address the challenges and priorities relevant to firm owners and management through topics that identify potential opportunities for marketing professionals to add value and create greater impact within their firms.

Branding Strategies to Attract & Retain Top Talent

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | Time: 8:00am - 9:15am

In a competitive talent market, AEC firms must go beyond compensation to attract and retain top performers. This session explores how leaders can align internal culture, values, and brand to create a compelling employee experience. Attendees will learn how to evaluate their current efforts and walk away with actionable steps to stand out as an employer of choice. This session empowers marketing leaders, HR professionals, and firm principals to take ownership of their firm's employer brand. By bridging marketing and talent strategy, attendees will discover how to improve employee engagement, increase retention, and build a culture that reflects their brand values from the inside out.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Define the role and impact of employer branding in AEC firms. 

  • Identify gaps between their stated values and lived employee experiences.

  • Understand how to align marketing and HR in recruitment messaging.

  • Apply low-lift strategies to enhance brand alignment and talent retention. 

Susan Quinn

Susan Quinn is a business strategist, executive coach, and CEO of circle S studio. With over 30 years of experience, she helps firms drive growth by aligning brand, marketing, and leadership strategies. A frequent speaker and podcast host, Susan is passionate about helping leaders create exceptional experiences that elevate culture, attract talent, and build long-term success. 

Delegation Strength Training: Pass the Ball Like a Pro

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | Time: 9:45am - 11:00am

You're doing a lot and not all of it needs you. If you lead a team, committee, or collaborative projects, delegation is how you empower your team and free yourself up to focus. In this interactive session, you'll map your workload, identify what's overflowing, and use the PLATES framework to delegate one task, one meeting, and one project. You'll leave with three ready-to-use delegation briefs that build team strength and help you pass the ball like a pro.

Delegation is about putting the right tasks into the right hands. This session helps you figure out what to hand off, who's the best fit, and how to delegate in a way that sets them up to succeed. You'll leave with a clear framework, three ready-to-use plans, and more space to lead effectively. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Spot workload blockages that are clogging the field.

  • Design passing plays that move tasks, meetings, and projects to the right team members.

  • Draft delegation briefs that strengthen others and free up their own time, energy, and focus.

  • Apply a repeatable framework to delegate with clarity, confidence, and follow-through. 

Katherine Robinette, CPSM

Katherine is a leadership champion with 20+ years in marketing and business development for AEC firms. She's helped teams boost pursuit success, develop confident leaders, and strengthen culture from the inside out. Now a consultant and speaker, she supports organizations through groundwork, strategy, and traction to achieve bold goals with sessions known for clarity, energy, and tools leaders actually use. 

The View from the Top: Build Your Future-Ready Team 

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | Time: 2:00pm - 3:15pm

In the fast-paced AEC world, how do you grow and build a future-ready team while aligning work with your company's vision, especially in uncertain times? This interactive workshop will explore leading vs. managing across generations, introduce leadership styles and team-building activities, and provide tools to engage, communicate, and empower your staff for lasting success.

This workshop equips AEC leaders to build future-ready teams that align with company vision, even in uncertain times. Gain practical tools to lead across generations, improve communication, and empower your staff through engaging activities. Walk away with strategies to grow your team, enhance culture, and elevate your leadership so you can focus on what matters while ensuring your team thrives.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Identify their leadership style and how it aligns with the company's vision.

  • Learn effective communication strategies across multiple generations. 

  • Utilize team-building techniques to engage and empower staff. 

  • Develop actionable strategies to build a future-ready, high-performing team. 

Sandi Ballard

Sandi Ballard is a DiSC® certified business coach, award-winning business owner, and four-time author. Host of the "No More Excuses" podcast, she speaks nationwide, leading team building and leadership workshops for companies like Revlon and Verizon. Sandi helps leaders and teams communicate better, boost productivity, and build cultures that thrive. Her favorite topics include vision, authentic leadership, and mastering communication.

Excellent Leaders Go for Operational Gold 

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | Time: 3:45pm - 5:00pm

AEC firms need leaders who understand how operational decisions impact profitability, project delivery, and client experience. This session gives senior leaders a clear look at the business processes that drive success interpreting P&L statements, managing overhead, and understanding multipliers and how they shape project strategy. Learn how contracts can protect your firm while supporting client relationships.

Your firm's structure can either streamline or stall your pursuit of excellence. We will connect operational strategies to client experience, showing how process consistency is a critical differentiator in competitive markets. Leaders will leave this session with insights and practical tools to fine-tune their business processes, align teams with financial goals, and deliver gold-standard client experiences that fuel growth, retention, and your firm's long-term success.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Connect operations to strategy.

  • Enhance CX and therefore your client relationships.

  • Drive excellence through process.

Courtney Kearney

Courtney Kearney brings her marketing skills and years of experience to the technical world of databases, processes and numbers. She is a CRM thought leader and co-wrote the book CRM or Die: Manage Your Client Relationships or Perish. Courtney is a CPSM, a contributor to the SMPS Marketer publication and presenter at national conferences, events and webinars. She has served in several leadership roles within SMPS. She enjoys spending time with her nurse husband and two amazing daughters. 

BD to Boardroom: Translating M/BD Skills into Leadership

Date: Friday, March 20, 2026 | Time: 9:00am - 10:15am

You don't need a new title to grow your influence as an industry leader. In this lightly interactive session, we'll explore how business development and marketing skills like storytelling, relationship building, and meeting design are the foundation for real leadership in the AEC world. Through real consulting case studies and interactive exercises, attendees will learn to translate the tools and expertise they already have into strategic impact.

This session is for those who feel boxed into "just marketing" or "just BD". It reframes everyday skills as strategic leadership tools and shows how to get others to see them that way too. Attendees will leave with language and frameworks that shift how they're perceived, helping them grow influence where they are now and apply those same tools across their personal and professional lives.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Reframe soft skills as strategic leadership tools.

  • Connect current roles to organizational impact.

  • Design and lead more intentional interactions.

  • Build language and confidence to advocate for influence.

Russell Kofford

Russell Kofford is a nationally recognized AEC strategist, consultant, and two-time SMPS Oregon Business Developer of the Year. With over 20 years in the industry, he helps firms and individuals grow with clarity and purpose. Driven by one simple question: "how can I help?" Russell leads a small consulting firm delivering results for folks that want to Do More Good. A trusted advisor, strategist, connector, and occasional therapist, he brings clarity, candor, and momentum to any room he enters.

Lead Like a Champion: Laugh More, Stress Less

Date: Friday, March 20, 2026 | Time: 10:45am - 12:00pm

Discover how laughter yoga and evidence-based stress management can transform your leadership approach. This session empowers leaders to break the burnout cycle, foster resilient teams, and build a culture where well-being and high performance go hand in hand all through the power of intentional joy.

Attendees will gain actionable, research-backed strategies to reduce stress, boost morale, and improve retention. Leave equipped with practical tools to model resilient, inclusive leadership and elevate team engagement and performance immediately.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Identify the impact of chronic stress on leadership and team performance.

  • Apply laughter yoga and mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and increase resilience.

  • Foster a positive, high-performing team culture through well-being-focused leadership.

  • Implement practical tools to boost engagement, morale, and retention. 

Dr. Jaime G. Raygoza

Dr. Jaime G. Raygoza is the founder of Rainbow Career Coaching, dedicated to empowering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals and allies to achieve their career goals while prioritizing well-being. Holding a Doctorate in Human and Organizational Psychology and a Laughter Yoga Teacher certification, he blends holistic and practical strategies to help clients overcome burnout, manage stress, and unlock their full potential. 

 

 

 

 

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