Kelly McDonald is considered one of the nation’s top experts in diversity & inclusion, leadership, marketing, the customer experience and consumer trends. She is the founder of McDonald Marketing, which has twice been named one of the “Top Ad Agencies in the U.S.” by Advertising Age magazine and ranked as one of the fastest-growing independently-owned companies in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine. Her client experience includes brands such as Toyota, Chubb, NASA, Kimberly-Clark, Nike, Harley-Davidson, Miller-Coors, and Sherwin-Williams. Kelly was named one of the “10 Most Booked Speakers in the U.S.” and ranked #1 on the list of “25 Hot Speakers” by Successful Meetings Magazine. She has been featured on CNBC, in INC. Magazine, Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, on CNNMoney.com and more. She is the author of four bestselling books on business topics including marketing, the customer experience and leadership. Her latest, “It’s Time to Talk about Race at Work: Every Leader’s Guide to Making Progress on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” is one of the top Bestselling Business Books in the U.S. Kelly lives in Denver and when she’s not on the road speaking, she enjoys boxing (yes, boxing, not kickboxing) – and shopping for high heels.

Executive Advisory Board Member Lisa Smola-Hollo has over 25 years of experience in various aspects of retail project management, asset procurement, energy procurement, facility maintenance, managing value engineering initiatives, facility audits, and branded design execution. As project manager, growth and development for ULTA Beauty, Lisa manages construction negotiations for leases, is responsible for the execution of ULTA’s brand design in its construction drawings, and does construction management for new construction projects. Lisa is also a multi-year SPECS Executive Advisory Board Member. In this role, Lisa is closely involved in the development of the educational program for SPECS Show 2020.

Joshua Witte has nearly 25 years of experience in the facility management industry. Currently, Joshua serves as the Director of Store Operations, Brand Maintenance and Repair for Ross Stores Inc., a position he has held since November 2017. In this role, he is responsible for maintaining the brand elements and image of Ross inside the physical box of the store. This encompasses fixtures, graphics, signage, cosmetic repairs, contracted services (primarily janitorial and floor care, but also includes vending, mat systems, security gates, shopping carts, etc.), and non-renovation capital projects, supporting the entire fleet of nearly 1,800 stores across the country. Prior to joining Ross, he was the Director of Retail Maintenance and Development for Samsung Electronics America for five years. Here, he led the strategic direction of facilities maintenance and repair for Samsung's retail footprint across North America, encompassing over 40,000 retail doors, and including the flagship located on Washington Street in lower Manhattan. Previously, Joshua was also the Director of Industry Programs at the PRSM Association, and a long-time project manager in the facilities management and construction departments of J.C. Penney. He also spent significant time on the vendor side of the industry.

David Shotwell, who holds a North Carolina General Contractor License, has more than 20 years experience working in the food and beverage industry. He is currently director of construction and facilities for Atticus Franchise Group, which operates Massage Envy and Sonic Restaurants. Throughout his career, David has worked for different companies in a variety of roles managing construction and corporate facilities. Among the brands where he applied his expertise include Applebee’s, Arby’s, Biscuitville, Bojangles’, Cook Out Restaurants, Panera Bread and Taco Bell. He has also held various roles at Commercial Finish Group, including Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, Project Manager and Senior Project Manager. David has been a member of the SPECS Advisory Board since 2008, holding positions on the Executive Advisory Board, the Ambassadors Club and SPECS Advisory Board. He revealed that being part of the SPECS family has empowered his self-development, networking, and the experience offers a wealth of opportunity and knowledge into the building industries.

Danielle Mosley is a senior facility management professional with 14 years of experience in property/facility management. In her current role as Aaron’s senior facility manager, she is tasked with ensuring that CBRE and their vendors provide a high level of ser-vice of maintenance and repairs for the stores within an efficient and effective timeframe. This includes managing the budget to en-sure that all quotes remain at or under budget. She also oversees the call center and leads two facility managers within the facilities department. Danielle began her career with Aaron’s in 2016 as a facility manag-er for stores located in the Northern region of the United States and all of Canada. In 2019, Danielle was promoted to her current position as senior facility manager. Prior to working for Aaron’s, Danielle worked for CBRE and JLL in facilities roles. She received her undergraduate degree in Business Management, and graduate degree in Healthcare Administration from Strayer University, Herndon, VA. Danielle enjoys shopping, traveling and spending time with my family (including her two daughters) and friends.

Kevin Kilgore has a 30-year Design and Construction background with various restaurants and retailers, architects and developers. As VP of design and construction for FOCUS Brands, Kevin leads all design initiatives for the portfolio’s restaurant brands and oversees all East coast development. Prior to joining FOCUS Brands he was director of construction for Jim N Nicks BAR-B-Q, responsible for all design, entitlement, due diligence and construction activities for the brand. Previously, he was also director of construction for Steak N Shake, senior program manager for Chick-fil-A, director of construction for CVS/pharmacy, and he has held various other project management positions with developers and architects. An architect by education, Kevin has a very strong background in multiple unit rollouts, national retail development, national construction programs, restaurant design and retail branding programs.

David Dillon is an established and results-oriented professional with more than 25 years of experience leading cross-functional teams in all phases of architectural engineering and interiors projects. He also has demonstrated expertise in a broad range of disciplines, including strategic planning and implementation; talent management; project documentation and delivery; project management; corporate standards development and application; sustainable design; building and safety codes; retail display safety and performance; risk management; contracting; change management, and construction administration. David is currently the Senior Manager of Facility Standards at the Walgreen Co., and responsible for overseeing the creation and maintenance of the company’s design and technical standards for all retail and healthcare facilities. He is a passionate and collaborative leader focused on driving technical innovation in new and remodel design and implementation. He also leads the exploration and leveraging of new technologies to deliver value-added outcomes that improve efficiency and quality and result in safer and more cost-effective retail and healthcare environments.

Since 2017, Aaron Harris has lead all development functions at fast-growing coffee retailer Dutch Bros Coffee. During his tenure, Aaron has overseen real estate, construction and facilities man-agement. His team is currently building more than 100 locations annually across 15 states. Prior to Dutch Bros Coffee, Aaron lead development for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for almost a decade. Aaron has been working in the QSR Industry since 1988, and worked with many different brands such as Arbys, Captain D’s, and Jack In the Box. He is fortunate to have worked on six conti-nents, and is still looking for a way to sell coffee in Antartica. Aaron has undergraduate degrees in History and English from St. Louis University and an MBA from Duke University. He lives with his wife and three teenage sones in Redondo Beach, CA. He likes to spend his free time complaining about traffic and training in mixed martial arts.

Jason Miller has more than 20 years of retail construction experience, Jason is the VP of Construction Services and Stores. His responsibilities include architecture, engineering, planning and construction services for JC Penney. In his role, he provides leadership for the store environment team which is responsible for all of the development, renovations and capital pro-jects for JC Penney both domestically and internationally. Prior to join-ing JC Penney, Jason held leadership positions in construction and de-velopment at Kohl’s and Best Buy. Jason serves on the Advisory Board of the Retail Contractors Associa-tion (RCA), is a member of ICSC, and serves on the Advisory Council for the ICSC+CENTERBUILD Conference.

Steven Olson has more than 25 years experience as an architect. As president of CESO, Inc., a national architectural/engineering (A/E) firm with commercial concentrations in the retail, hospitality and industrial markets, Steve leads a team of over 275 associates across 10 offices that serves clients coast-to-coast. In this role, Steve provides executive leadership over the firm's vision and strategy; emphasizes company culture, and is dedicated to establishing strong client relationships. His collaborative nature draws together the firm's A/E talents to provide comprehensive solutions that support its clients' visions.

With more than 25 years of retail construction experience, Ray Catlin was recently named president of Threecore, LLC, a nation-ally licensed general contractor and full-service construction firm dedicated to the successful delivery of projects spanning all sizes and degrees of complexity. Ray is responsible for all corporate operations including defining key initiatives, identifying emerging markets, and executing the company’s strategic vision for the future. Threecore’s values-driven foundation aligns with Ray’s personal mission to positively impact those around him, and foster a culture where emphasis is placed on building relationships internally and externally. Ray is the current Board President of the Retail Contractors Association and is a member of ICSC and NAIOP. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and earned his MBA from Texas Christian University.

Craig Hale has been in the retail A&E industry for more than 35 years. He is currently a principal at Stantec Architecture, and has provided oversight for the architectural and engineering needs of many of the top retailers, restaurateurs and grocers in America throughout his career. Craig is an Executive Member of the SPECS Advisory Board, and actively involved in the content planning for SPECS 2020.

Kelly McDonald is considered one of the nation’s top experts in diversity & inclusion, leadership, marketing, the customer experience and consumer trends. She is the founder of McDonald Marketing, which has twice been named one of the “Top Ad Agencies in the U.S.” by Advertising Age magazine and ranked as one of the fastest-growing independently-owned companies in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine. Her client experience includes brands such as Toyota, Chubb, NASA, Kimberly-Clark, Nike, Harley-Davidson, Miller-Coors, and Sherwin-Williams. Kelly was named one of the “10 Most Booked Speakers in the U.S.” and ranked #1 on the list of “25 Hot Speakers” by Successful Meetings Magazine. She has been featured on CNBC, in INC. Magazine, Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, on CNNMoney.com and more. She is the author of four bestselling books on business topics including marketing, the customer experience and leadership. Her latest, “It’s Time to Talk about Race at Work: Every Leader’s Guide to Making Progress on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” is one of the top Bestselling Business Books in the U.S. Kelly lives in Denver and when she’s not on the road speaking, she enjoys boxing (yes, boxing, not kickboxing) – and shopping for high heels.

Chris has more than 25 years of construction management experience in new concept and national expansion roll-out programs as both an owner’s representative and as a general contractor. Chris is responsible for overseeing well over 3,000 nationwide projects and programs annually, with values ranging from $2K to $100MM.

Kathleen Walch is a serial entrepreneur, savvy marketer, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) expert, and tech in-dustry connector. She is a principal analyst, managing partner and founder of Cognilytica, an AI-focused research, advisory and edu-cation firm. She is also co-host of the popular “AI Today” podcast, and regularly interviews thought leaders in the AI and ML space. She is also a contributing writer to both Forbes and TechTarget where she writes about AI, ML, big data and data science.

Sarah Kovac oversees the store and site design across the Maverik fleet. In addition, she is responsible for an internal design and engineering team, focused on providing schematic designs, construction documentation, and construction administration in support of the company’s aggressive growth strategy. Prior to joining Maverik, Sarah was with RaceTrac Petroleum based in Atlanta, as part of the Architecture and Design team. She has also worked for NELSON, in the company’s Atlanta office. Here, she managed multiple clients within varying sectors, including multi-family developers, retailers and financial institutions.

Rodolfo leads the Water and Materials concepts in the Standard Development team at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), which created and maintains the WELL Building Standard and the WELL Health-Safety Rating. Before joining IWBI, he worked in the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where he participated in citywide Legionella and drinking water surveillance. He began his career developing nanoparticle-based technologies from lab experiments to prototypes. He holds MS and PhD degrees in Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and undergraduate degrees in Engineering and Aesthetics from the Catholic University of Chile.

Executive Advisory Board Member Lisa Smola-Hollo has over 25 years of experience in various aspects of retail project management, asset procurement, energy procurement, facility maintenance, managing value engineering initiatives, facility audits, and branded design execution. As project manager, growth and development for ULTA Beauty, Lisa manages construction negotiations for leases, is responsible for the execution of ULTA’s brand design in its construction drawings, and does construction management for new construction projects. Lisa is also a multi-year SPECS Executive Advisory Board Member. In this role, Lisa is closely involved in the development of the educational program for SPECS Show 2020.

Casey Fitzpatrick brings almost 20 years of experience in the construction industry to the SPECS Advisory Board. Currently, he is Construction Project Controls for Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., a position that requires him to work closely with project management staff, partner contractors and internal stakeholders to ensure accuracy and “best-value” with regard to construction project costs. After spending almost two decades filling various roles in the construction industry, Casey knows the true meaning of “best-value” and how to strategically leverage his knowledge of building construction, broad experience within the industry, and partner relationships. By applying this knowledge at Wegmans, Casey helps the company to produce state-of-the-art, truly immersive food markets while maintaining a cost efficient approach. In addition to his extensive experience in construction cost analysis, he is also seasoned in construction project management, and has a talented background in the field of carpentry. Casey is a returning member of the SPECS Advisory Board. He has also been a panelist for two showcased topics at past SPECS shows, and has co-moderated various table topics, as well. Casey holds a degree in Building Trades-Construction from the State University of New York at Alfred.

Rhiannon Jacobsen is the Managing Director of U.S. Market Transformation & Development at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Here she leads a nationwide team focused upon realizing the organization’s mission to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. She directs and engages USGBC’s U.S. market transformation and development through local communities, members, volunteers, clients, thought leaders, and stakeholders. A15-plus-year veteran of USGBC, Rhiannon’s accomplishments and contributions are varied. Prior to her current focus, Rhiannon previously led the U.S. South Atlantic and South Central regions, as well as served as the global lead for key market sectors, such as retail, manufacturing, sports, and hospitality – aligning people, projects, and places worldwide. One of Rhiannon’s areas of specialization includes the philanthropic engagement of corporations and foundations. Through this work she has raised more than $10 million in charitable funds for the Council. Her career started with USGBC as a member of the leadership team for the award-winning Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. Rhiannon is a graduate of Brandeis University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and History. She lives and works in Washington, DC – when she’s not traveling to any number of localities representing USGBC.

Darion Cranfield leads multi-site, retail efficiency project execution for 4 asset-specific programs. He leads the team working to execute capital programs aimed at maintaining the company brand standard, improving energy efficiency, and enhancing the customer experience. He also champions an initiative to launch a divisional internship program focused on seeking and developing diverse talent. In addition to these roles, Darion serves as chair of WBA’s African American Leadership business resource group. His passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion helps to propel AAL’s mission to educate and empower team members while embracing the culture of African Americans through partnership and engagement.

Isyol Cabrera is originally from Venezuela, South America. A visionary, creative professional, and architect by trade, Isyol is the Director, Real Estate and Construction for Edible Arrangements, LLC. Prior to joining Edible Arrangements, Isyol worked for FOCUS Brands' Carvel brand. Here, she worked on the share services team of design and construction for the snacks group within FOCUS Brands as a director. She was responsible for overseeing the store development phase of a project from initial concept design through construction and store opening, and ensuring that the brand’s image and operational standards were upheld to reflect Carvel’s design guidelines and standards. Isyol’s experience includes over a decade of store development, design, construction, and project management for different companies, including Starbucks and Church’s Chicken.h’s Chicken.

Elizabeth Haze is a Senior Manager of Store Preservation at Sephora, a leading beauty retailer dedicated to championing all beauty fearlessly and building inclusive environments for their employees, consumers and communities. Elizabeth began as a seasonal hire in the stores and has worked at Sephora for eleven years, currently overseeing fixture repairs and brand display maintenance. She is also a liaison between stores and responders on Sephora’s facilities management platform. Prior to working in Retail, Elizabeth worked in the Food and Beverage industry for a decade.

Marilyn Nolte has been with Walgreens 9 1/2 years and served in multiple roles. Currently, leads multi-site Retail Program Management within Walgreens’ Design and Construction team. Her FY23 Capital Refresh and Energy Efficiency program team led 15-plus programs and delivered approximately 8,000 projects. To quickly scale for execution, Nolte’s team collaborates cross-functionally on program development and invests in building close vendor partnerships that enable program teams to deliver with agility and a continuous improvement methodology. Previously, Nolte was senior director in Walgreens’ goods not for resale procurement group and her team supported commodities, construction, distribution centers, facilities, fixtures, marketing, and supply chain. She also chaired the Women in Supply Chain group, promoting the growth and advancement of women. Prior to Walgreens, Nolte served in a variety of leadership roles including Sr. Director of IT Strategy, Planning and Delivery, Director Procurement, PeopleSoft Practice Director and Controller. Marilyn has a BA in Accounting and an MBA from North Central University. Nolte also volunteers for several noteworthy not-for-profits such as Chicago Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Chicago Executive Challenge Chair) and is Treasurer for Sierra Vista Water Association.

Kathleen Eaton is vice president of safety, building services and energy management for The Home Depot. She leads a field team and corporate staff responsible for providing a safe, comfortable, efficient, and sustainable environment across the enterprise Kathleen Eaton joined The Home Depot in 2005 and has held roles of increasing responsibility within store operations. Prior to joining the Company, Kathleen spent several years in the 3 rd party property and energy management industry and a decade in the logistics space. Kathleen holds a bachelor of arts in English from The College of the Holy Cross and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Hartford. She currently serves on the board of directors for The National Safety Council.

Kelly McDonald is considered one of the nation’s top experts in diversity & inclusion, leadership, marketing, the customer experience and consumer trends. She is the founder of McDonald Marketing, which has twice been named one of the “Top Ad Agencies in the U.S.” by Advertising Age magazine and ranked as one of the fastest-growing independently-owned companies in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine. Her client experience includes brands such as Toyota, Chubb, NASA, Kimberly-Clark, Nike, Harley-Davidson, Miller-Coors, and Sherwin-Williams. Kelly was named one of the “10 Most Booked Speakers in the U.S.” and ranked #1 on the list of “25 Hot Speakers” by Successful Meetings Magazine. She has been featured on CNBC, in INC. Magazine, Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, on CNNMoney.com and more. She is the author of four bestselling books on business topics including marketing, the customer experience and leadership. Her latest, “It’s Time to Talk about Race at Work: Every Leader’s Guide to Making Progress on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” is one of the top Bestselling Business Books in the U.S. Kelly lives in Denver and when she’s not on the road speaking, she enjoys boxing (yes, boxing, not kickboxing) – and shopping for high heels.

Steve McClanahan brings more than three decades of experience to the SPECS Advisory Board. He has spent more than 30 years with AutoZone in various roles. Currently, he is the Director, Store Maintenance and Store Set Up, Customer Satisfaction. Among his responsibilities include overseeing facilities maintenance for more than 5,700 stores related to repairs, preventive maintenance, and capital projects. He also oversees 30 maintenance managers and 115 maintenance technicians. Additionally, he is responsible for the set up of new stores and remodels, and overseeing 104 set up technicians. He also oversees energy procurement, capital projects, and store systems controls. His tenure at AutoZone dates back to 1984, when he joined the company as a regional manager. Later, he moved up to VP of store operations for 700 locations. This included all aspects of P&L, sales, staffing and training. Steve earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Joshua Witte has nearly 25 years of experience in the facility management industry. Currently, Joshua serves as the Director of Store Operations, Brand Maintenance and Repair for Ross Stores Inc., a position he has held since November 2017. In this role, he is responsible for maintaining the brand elements and image of Ross inside the physical box of the store. This encompasses fixtures, graphics, signage, cosmetic repairs, contracted services (primarily janitorial and floor care, but also includes vending, mat systems, security gates, shopping carts, etc.), and non-renovation capital projects, supporting the entire fleet of nearly 1,800 stores across the country. Prior to joining Ross, he was the Director of Retail Maintenance and Development for Samsung Electronics America for five years. Here, he led the strategic direction of facilities maintenance and repair for Samsung's retail footprint across North America, encompassing over 40,000 retail doors, and including the flagship located on Washington Street in lower Manhattan. Previously, Joshua was also the Director of Industry Programs at the PRSM Association, and a long-time project manager in the facilities management and construction departments of J.C. Penney. He also spent significant time on the vendor side of the industry.

Clark Reed serves as a National Program Manager for ENERGY STAR at the US Environmental Protection Agency where he works with commercial building partners to identify energy opportunities, promote energy efficiency best practices, and recognize top performing buildings.  He managed EPA’s efforts to establish ENERGY STAR scores for hospitals, medical offices, senior living communities, and most recently hotels.  Mr. Reed has over twenty years of experience writing and speaking on energy issues for the EPA.  He earned a BA in Economics from the University of Washington and his MA in Environmental Policy from Tufts University.

Ron Schmelzer is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), enterprise architecture, venture capital, startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems. He is principal analyst, managing partner and founder of the artificial intelligence (AI)-focused ana-lyst, advisory and education firm Cognilytica, and is co-host of the “AI Today” podcast. Prior to founding Cognilytica, Ron founded and ran ZapThink, an industry analyst firm focused on service-oriented architecture (SOA), cloud computing, web services, XML, and enterprise architecture. ZapThink was acquired by Dovel Technologies in Au-gust 2011.

Kathleen Walch is a serial entrepreneur, savvy marketer, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) expert, and tech in-dustry connector. She is a principal analyst, managing partner and founder of Cognilytica, an AI-focused research, advisory and edu-cation firm. She is also co-host of the popular “AI Today” podcast, and regularly interviews thought leaders in the AI and ML space. She is also a contributing writer to both Forbes and TechTarget where she writes about AI, ML, big data and data science.

Graduate of University of Pittsburgh BA in Architectural Studies; 37 years in retail with extensive experience in design, store planning, construction and purchasing in drug store, specialty retail, department store and big box. I have been successful in leading teams to be their best selves. Pittsburgh, PA native that work for the majority of the retailers in the Pittsburgh area. Like fishing, biking, kayaking and most outdoor related sports and recreation.

Executive Advisory Board Member Tracy Zaslow is a design professional with more than 30 years of design and construction experience within the retail business sector. She combines creativity and strategic thinking to deliver out of the box solutions for a variety of clients. Tracy leads multidisciplinary teams on a broad range of projects, and uses collaboration to deliver excellence in design — and to ensure success throughout the execution. Tracy oversees all retail design/construction/maintenance/visual for Luxury Brand Holdings. She is also engaged in consulting work and teaching at Rhode Island School of Design. Tracy remains active as a Board member and past president of the N.E. Chapter of the Retail Design Institute. She currently serves as an Executive Advisory Board member for SPECS, and is closely involved in developing the SPECS Show 2020 program.

Monica Muñoz is director, asset/facilities management at DaVita Kidney Care, overseeing portfolio reinvestment initiatives. Her career spans over 20 years of development and management of the asset lifecycle, from lease, design, construction, project and program management, to maintenance and portfolio oversight. Monica was formerly the renovation program director for Microsoft Retail stores, and the director of design, construction and facilities at the Zale Corporation, throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Monica is passionate about partnerships and cross-functional team engagement. She is also a registered interior designer in the state of Texas.

Steve McMahon oversees the planning, design and permitting of all Dollar Tree, Dollar Tree Canada, and Family Dollar stores. Currently, he oversees the growth of both banners at a rate of roughly 700 new projects a year. Steve is also responsible for design and execution of prototypes, signage standards, and layouts. He also negotiates contracts for a multitude of vendors and team members. Steve leads a team of two managers of architectural services and 10 architectural project managers through support and training. In addition, he creates training guides for onboarding new A&E team members and new initiatives within the company. Being focused on growth of the individuals on his team, Steve knows the importance of leading by example. He reports to the VP of Store Design and Construction, and gives guidance to individuals from a project management level to chief level. Steve is a licensed architect in the state of Virginia and is an adjunct professor of architecture at a graduate level at Lawrence Technological University In Southfield, Mich.

Keith Johnson has 25 years experience in retail design and construction. In his 18-plus year tenure at Dollar Tree & Family Dollar Stores Inc., he has held the titles of Architectural Project Manager, Manager of Architectural Services, and Director of Store Design. In his roles, he specializes in real estate site selection due-diligence, new store design, construction document development, permitting, exterior signage and branding, prototype design, construction criteria development, value engineering, store acquisitions, existing store renovations/relocations/expansions, construction support, special projects/rollouts, strategic growth planning, leadership and management for fast growth retail, consultant and vendor contract negotiation and management, internal ADA and LEED consultant.

Dan Garneau is a licensed architect with more than 20 years of ex-perience in the retail design industry. Dan is currently Site Devel-opment Manager for Kum & Go in Des Moines, IA. Throughout his career, Dan has been a leader on a variety of tech-nical and creative projects. He is also experienced in green design and sustainability, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, as well as the design and construction of retail buildings.

Anthony is well versed in the food retail business, from a behind the counter food server to Vice President of Development, and now as the President of International Restaurant Management Group which generates over $100M in yearly revenue with over 120 Quick Serve Restaurants worldwide. He earned his Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees while working full-time in the food industry; it was during this time that he developed his keen sense of Business Acumen which has served him well over the last 30+ years especially in developing successful business partnerships

Bil Ingraham has been activating local, regional and national brands at retail for more than 14 years. In his current role at Cen-tennial, Bil leads the charge for 'un-common' area mall merchan-dising and revenue including kiosks, carts, vending, media, part-nership marketing, experiential tours, branded environments, pop-ups, sponsorships and short term in-line leasing. Prior to Centennial, Bil led marketing, media and sponsorship for regional mall owner PREIT, as VP, consumer marketing and part-nerships. He started his career in Westfield’s media & partnerships division where he placed creative mall campaigns for companies, including Proctor & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, SC Johnson, TRESemme, Nin-tendo, Playstation, Hershey, Microsoft, AT&T and Samsung, among others.

Adam Hammes is the Manager of Social Responsibility for Kum & Go, LC. For four generations, this family-owned convenience store chain has focused on providing exceptional service and delivering more than customers expect. Established in Hampton, Iowa, in 1959, the chain has since grown to employ thousands of Associates in 406 stores across Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Cayley Mullen is a pioneer in creating experiential programming. Her work adds value for retailers and other real estate uses across North American Properties’ (NAP) mixed-use portfolio. She uniquely understands how to drive traffic and activate spaces that inspire community building and increase dwell time. During her tenure with NAP, she has hosted 1,000-plus community events and raised over $1 million for local non profits. By integrating branding, digital strategies, events and PR, Cayley delivers excellent results across NAP properties, which includes Avalon in Alpharetta, GA; Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta; Newport on the Levee in Newport, KY; and Birkdale Village in Huntersville, NC.

Kevin Kilgore has a 30-year Design and Construction background with various restaurants and retailers, architects and developers. As VP of design and construction for FOCUS Brands, Kevin leads all design initiatives for the portfolio’s restaurant brands and oversees all East coast development. Prior to joining FOCUS Brands he was director of construction for Jim N Nicks BAR-B-Q, responsible for all design, entitlement, due diligence and construction activities for the brand. Previously, he was also director of construction for Steak N Shake, senior program manager for Chick-fil-A, director of construction for CVS/pharmacy, and he has held various other project management positions with developers and architects. An architect by education, Kevin has a very strong background in multiple unit rollouts, national retail development, national construction programs, restaurant design and retail branding programs.

Phil Singh has spent the last 15 years engaged in construction management and project management. He joined MOD Pizza more than three years ago. During his time with “the MOD Squad,” Phil has successfully built out more that 35 new stores between New York, Virginia, Missouri and Illinois.

Richard Elkins has been attending SPECS since 2012, the year he joined Firehouse Subs. His role there consists of managing the design development process and providing pre-construction services for Firehouse Subs franchisees. His attendance at SPECS and involvement with the SPECS Advisory Board has given him an opportunity to be involved with some of the finest professionals in the industry. He has also been able to find and partner with several vendors that have provided products and services used in Firehouse Subs restaurants. Richard is an avid runner, and has found a way to parlay his hobby into his professional life. He manages an annual fundraiser to support Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation — a long run, which proves to be a strong way to attract donors.

Stephanie Brager serves as Senior Vice President of Property Management for Brookfield Properties’ retail portfolio. She is responsible for the management and operations of more than 150 shopping centers encompassing over 150 million square feet of retail space across 43 states. Stephanie has spent over two decades at the company working within every sector of the property management department. Before Brookfield Properties acquired GGP Inc., Stephanie was a vice president of asset management and the general manager Tysons Galleria near Washington, D.C. Stephanie graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Josh Poag serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Poag Shopping Centers, which manages and leases 14 lifestyle centers, comprising approximately 5MM square feet. Josh is a member of ICSC and is on the board of the ICSC PAC. He serves on the Platinum CRC Council of ULI. He chairs the Committee to Nominate Alumni Trustees for Princeton and serves on the Princeton Alumni Council Executive Committee. He serves on the Real Estate Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Josh also serves on the boards of River City Capital and of the United Way of the Mid-South. Josh earned his Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Princeton University in Chemical Engineering.

Matt began his career at Fleet Feet in 2005 with a part-time position receiving inventory at a franchise location in Syracuse, NY. In 10 years in Syracuse, he held just about every position in the business, eventually serving as general manager of two locations. In five years at the Fleet Feet Store Support Team, Matt has served as the project manager for numerous major brand initiatives, led the Retail Experience Team, and currently leads the Retail Operations team, overseeing both franchise and company-owned retail.

Charlie Kwalwasser is the Chief Commercial Officer of CAMP, where he oversees real estate and legal matters. Prior to joining Camp, he served as General Counsel at two high growth consumer product companies, BARK and Quirky, Intellectual Property Counsel at Lehman Brothers and Barclays, and as an associate at the global law firm, Clifford Chance. Charlie holds a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from Cornell Law School, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Tom Kowalski is dedicated to helping companies drive change through world-class branding and experience design. Tom’s in-depth knowledge has earned him the position of director of strategic partnerships at experience agency ChangeUp. In this role, he helps clients identify the right strategic approach to achieve their brand and business objectives. Tom also spent 15 years at Interbrand leading creative teams and global design initiatives for brands like ExxonMobil, Mazda, Goodyear, Burger King, and John Deere. His design work has garnered several awards including The Hub Gold Prize and multiple Retail Store of the Year awards

Robert is a security expert and private investigator with 30+ years of experience, #1 Best Selling Amazon.com author of 5 books, and the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program. He is a frequent speaker and media commentator, CEO of Safr.Me and Head Trainer at ProtectNowLLC.com. Robert has been featured on CNN, Fox News, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightline, CBS Early Show, Today Show, Good Morning America and in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Fortune, Forbes, Entrepreneur and many more.  His personal mission is to inform, educate and empower people so they can protect themselves and their loved ones from violence and crime in their everyday lives, both in their physical and virtual interactions.