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Joesph Allegro My major experience is 20 years as owner on large transportation projects - highways, tunnels, bridges, and rail, followed by over 15 years as self-employed consultant. Well versed in DBB and DB project delivery, as well as  some experience in CMGC and PPP delivery. I have served on 10 DRB's as member or Chair.
  Brian R. Barth is the Deputy Executive Director for Program Delivery for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), responsible for overseeing all program and project delivery for the Department. A member of the TxDOT family since 1988, Mr. Barth began his career as an engineering assistant in the Dallas District. In 2003, he was appointed as the Dallas District’s director of transportation planning and development. From 2009 to 2013, he served as the Fort Worth District’s deputy district engineer, providing joint oversight and development of the DFW Connector, North Tarrant Express, I-35W, I-30 and Chisholm Trail Parkway. In November 2013, Mr. Barth was appointed as Fort Worth district engineer and served on the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments working to solve Metroplex-area transportation issues. In that role, he also oversaw over $1 billion in construction work each year in addition to major projects on I-35W, SH 360 South and the I-30/SH 360 Interchange. In June 2018, Barth was named the Director of Project Planning and Development for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), responsible for overseeing the Transportation Planning and Programming, Right of Way, Environmental Affairs, Professional Engineering Procurement and Transportation Programs divisions. Mr. Barth graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Paul Carter has twenty-seven years of construction industry experience. He was previously with Kiewit for twenty years and for the past seven years with Archer Western. Paul is currently Senior Vice President and Principal in Charge in the Walsh Heavy Civil Group managing the Southeast US, from Maryland to Alabama. Paul's extensive experience covers multiple project types and procurement models. He is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Building Construction and of the University of Chicago- Booth School of Business Advanced Management Program. Paul is a past-President of the DRBF Region 1 Board of Directors. 

 

Rammy Cone is a 3rd generation road and bridge builder in the state of Florida. Projects included interstates, US Highways, concrete paving and sitework for airports. Since 1997, Rammy has been serving on DRB mostly in Florida. Two projects have been 3P (both over $1 Billion). Rammy has been on over 200 DRBs selected by the owner, contractor, and as Chairman.

 

Catherine Cronin has more than 30 years of experience in planning, designing, and implementing capital improvement projects in the transportation industry. Catherine began her career at San Francisco Municipal Railway and transitioned to Booz Allen Hamilton where she worked worldwide on alternative delivery transportation projects. She joined Parsons in 2021 from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey where she most recently held the position of Project Executive for the Aviation’s Redevelopment Programs, responsible for the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and AirTrain LaGuardia (LGA) redevelopment programs. Throughout her career she has  managed various infrastructure elements, such as terminals, airfield, roadways, parking garages and Airtrain projects in various phases of planning, procurement, and construction.

 

Leona Cummings, Esq. brings 30 plus years of transferable experience in dispute resolution, mediation and contract negotiations, interpretation and implementation from the private and public sectors to the DRB profession.  Her experience and training include, but is not limited to: Labor and Employment Law Attorney and Labor Relations Professional in Pharmaceuticals, Railroad, Healthcare, Public Schools, Major Airlines, Trucking and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  She advised and counseled management in numerous areas including the labor aspects of on-site construction projects (new schools, school and office renovations, new biotech buildings, etc).  Ms. Cummings earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific and her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California.  She also took courses and earned certifications from Columbia Law School and Duke University.  She currently serves as an independent Arbitrator for the New York City Transit Authority-Transport Workers Union, the American Arbitration Association and the Better Business Bureau.  After completing the DRBF Administration & Practice/Chairing Workshops in California and Florida, Ms. Cummings is now a DRBF apprentice in Florida.

Kurt Dettman is the Past President of the Region 1 (USA and Canada) of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF), and is also the Principal of Constructive Dispute Resolutions, an ADR practice specializing in all aspects of dispute avoidance and resolution in the construction industry. He has written extensively about Dispute Resolution Boards, and conducts training on Dispute Board practice and administration, including the new Dispute Board Manual released in 2019. Kurt is co-chair of the PPP Task Force and Transit Committees.
Giovanni Di Folco is the President, co-owner and Senior Partner of Techno Engineering & Associates Group, an international techno-legal Consulting Engineering Firm specializing in Integrated Contract Management, Claims and Dispute Avoidance & Resolution internationally, with experience in representing clients in international Adjudication, Arbitration and Litigation. He is a Civil Engineer, Arbitrator, Adjudicator, Expert Witness in Delay and Quantum and a legal arbitration practitioner with more than 30 years’ experience of managing multi-disciplinary civil engineering projects around the world. Mr Di Folco is a past Director and the current President-Elect of the DRBF Region 2 Board of Directors and is listed on the prestigious FIDIC President List of Certified Adjudicators. He is also a FIDIC Accredited Trainer, a FIDIC Certified Adjudicator and an Expert in project & contract management, contract administration, claims preparation and defense, delay analysis and quantum ascertainment. He has gained extensive experience in both international arbitration and adjudication work whilst acting as Arbitrator, Adjudicator, DB, DAB, DAAB and Counsel for a wide variety of clients. In particular, he has represented international clients and been involved in more than one hundred thirty international dispute adjudication procedures and in more than 60 international arbitrations conducted under the ICC and UNCITRAL Rules relating to disputes under the FIDIC Red, Yellow, Pink and Silver Books conditions of contract. Mr Di Folco lectures at various universities, is a Visiting Professor at the Politecnico of Milano University and is a regular guest speaker at several international conferences, seminars and workshops. He is the Vice President of the Romanian Association of Consulting Engineers (ARIC) and a Director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania. He has authored and published, books and many papers and articles over the years regarding civil engineering, Dispute Boards, adjudication, arbitration, procurement, claims and contract management matters.
Graham Easton is both a civil engineer and a lawyer. He is based in Sydney, Australia and works as an independent Arbitrator, Mediator and Dispute Board Member. Formal qualifications include: B.Sc. (Computer Science), University of Sydney, 1967; B.E. (Hons.) (Civil Engineering), University of Sydney, 1969; M.Eng. Sc., University of Birmingham, U.K., 1972; LL.B., University of New South Wales, 1988. He is a Barrister of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; a Grade 1 Arbitrator and Accredited Mediator, Resolution Institute, Australia; a Member of the London Court of International Arbitration; an Accredited Arbitrator, Singapore International Arbitration Centre. Mr. Easton has lectured extensively on the contractual and legal aspects of engineering and related technical areas, both in Australia and overseas, including a seven-year period teaching Construction Management at the University of New South Wales. He was the joint author of a standard textbook “Civil Engineering Construction” published by McGraw Hill in Australia. For more than 30 years, Mr. Easton has acted as an arbitrator / court referee / mediator in over 250 disputes throughout Australia and overseas. He has been a member of many Dispute Boards on major projects and has been appointed to several international arbitration tribunals in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Easton is a Past-President of the DRBF Executive Board of Directors and is a recipient of the Al Mathews Award for Dispute Board Excellence, the DRBF's top honor. He is the Lead Editor for the DRBF Manual – Guide to Practices and Procedures, published in 2019.
 

Zey Emir was named President of Revay in 2013. She is a professional engineer with over thirty years of experience in consulting to the construction industry, primarily in dispute resolution. Her areas of expertise include loss of productivity calculations as well as complex delay analyses. She has prepared, analyzed and negotiated the resolution of countless construction claims. Zey’s diverse project experience includes work on bridges, power plants, pipelines, tunnels and special purpose facilities in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. She has been recognized as an expert witness in court, in arbitration as well as DRBs in the areas of delay and productivity analysis, as well as the quantification of damages. Zey has been an active member of several construction associations, most notably the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) where she joined the board and later the executive committee. She was appointed Chair of the association for 2018.

Dr. Ghada Gad is an Associate Professor in Construction Engineering and Management in the Civil Engineering Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in which she focused on contracts, risks, and disputes. Since then, she has been heavily involved with transportation related research (highways and airports) on the federal and state level, specifically risk management, contracting methods, procurement strategies, cost forecasting, and project performance. She worked on more than 10 national (NCHRP, ACRP, and NSF) and state level (Minnesota DOT and Colorado DOT) projects as both PI and Co-PI. She just completed a project for the Dispute Resolution board Foundation (DRBF) investigating the effective use of DRBs on P3 projects, and is currently leading a Colorado DOT research project on effective dispute resolution processes. Given her research expertise, she has published, presented, and have been an invited speakers in multiple national and international avenues. Having worked for a Bechtel subsidiary through all the construction procurement process stages from contract development, negotiation, administration, and claim analysis, Dr. Gad brings along industry experience specifically tailored to mega construction projects, complementing her theoretical background and past research. Dr. Gad has been an active member of national committees including being the Research Coordinator of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Contract Law Committee, the Communications Coordinator of the TRB Project Delivery Methods Committee and a member of the DBIA Transportation and Aviation Committee.

Steve Goldstein was admitted as a Barrister in 1993 and specializes in building and construction matters. Steve is heavily involved in all forms of alternative dispute resolution including as arbitrator, mediator, facilitator, expert determiner and Dispute Avoidance Board member. Steve has been appointed as a Dispute Board Member on more than 15 occasions. He has also acted as a Supreme Court Referee, District Court referee and Local Court arbitrator. Steve is President of the DRBF Executive Board of Directors and was formerly President of Region 3. Steve is a fellow of the Resolution Institute and held the position of NSW Chapter Chair for 4 years. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Member of Engineers Australia. Steve practized as a civil engineer in the construction industry for 17 years prior to being called to the Bar.

Diane Gollhofer Raines has over 35 years of progressive engineering, technical, and procurement experience in the construction industry mainly overseeing major capital construction projects with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and currently serves as DRBF Director for Region 1. Her signature projects were overseeing the award winning $1B Light Rail Green Line (CMGC), the Downtown CBD Mall Line, a mile-long commuter line grade separation bridge for TRE - built during operations, and a LEED’s Certified Police Headquarters in a historic trolley building. Diane’s projects were all completed on-time and claims free. As the South-Central Region Dispute Resolution Board Foundation’s (DRBF) Representative Diane successfully brought and implemented the DRB concept to DART, using it successfully for over 15 years. In 2011, Diane established DGR Consultants LLC, an engineering consulting firm specializing in construction management and dispute resolution and has since worked with DART, DFW International Airport, and TxDOT on claims avoidance and resolution, quality and safety management. DGR Consultants is a certified DBE, SBE, and WBE. Diane graduated from Texas A&M University, College Station with a BS in Civil Engineering specializing in Construction Management and holds a Professional Engineering License in the State of Texas.

 

Robert Hoxie is responsible for overseeing planning, environmental, design and construction activities for O’Hare and Midway International Airports. Chicago O'Hare is now focused on delivering its multi-billion dollar O’Hare 21 terminal-focused capital program, which comes on the heels of a US $6bn airfield realignment program that included four new runways and two reconstructed and lengthened runways in the midst of one of the world's busiest airfield. O’Hare 21 includes more than $6bn in major terminal expansion and modernization projects and approximately 100 individual projects to upgrade and replace airport facilities and infrastructure. Prior to joining the CDA, Robert provided strategic and technical advice across a range of aviation facilities planning, environmental and business disciplines to airport owners, operators and investors. He led or supported several airport master planning projects, for O’Hare International Airport as well as for other US and international airports. Robert has also assisted private sector investors and national governments with privatization and infrastructure transactions for airports in Asia, Europe and South America on issues related to demand/capacity analyses, business planning, capital expenditure program structuring and traffic forecasting. Robert holds a BA in architecture and a BS in civil engineering from Lehigh University.

 

Edmond Hunter, CCM – HNTB Corporation, Technical Advisor | Ed is a Senior Project Manager with over 45 years of combined engineering, construction, and operations experience. Ed is currently a technical advisor for various HNTB design projects with the MBTA and serving on a DRB for a Design-Build Signal upgrade for the red and orange transit lines. Ed previously worked for the MBTA in a variety of leadership positions as Director of Construction and Assistant General Manager for Design and Construction, where he oversaw over 200 projects, all with an extensive civil/ operations systems integration components totaling approximately 11.7B. Ed's oversight included projects in the following areas: transit operations (in the areas of track, signals, and power), transit station renovations, commuter rail upgrades, facility upgrades and renovations, and bridge and tunnel projects. He also had direct responsibility for construction oversight and cost and schedule management on large complex construction projects valued at $340M and $500M.

Matt Michalak has been a DRBF member since 1998 and is Past-President of the Board of Directors of DRBF Region 1 and Past-President of the DRBF Florida Chapter. He has served as a member/chairman on over 70 Dispute Resolution Boards for bid-build, design-build, and design-build-finance-operate construction projects in various states. Mr. Michalak has over 45 years of extensive broad-based hands on management experience in the domestic and international heavy civil and marine construction industry and for the past 20 years been a construction consultant assisting clients with construction related matters including preparation and analysis of construction claims and disputes, CPM schedule development and analysis, estimating and cost evaluation, project management, constructability reviews, litigation support, and expert testimony.

Prior to starting his construction consulting business, Mr. Michalak worked as a structural design engineer and field engineer for Bechtel Corporation designing and constructing large electric power generating plants and as an engineer and manager for Misener Marine Construction constructing heavy civil marine projects throughout the Atlantic and Gulf coast states, the Caribbean Basin, and
Central America.

 

Tina Millán As a former Owner, Tina understands client’s needs and tailors service offerings to support clients as they face the demands of a large-scale capital program. As a consultant Tina prides herself on a history of successful project delivery and strong client relationships. Currently she leads the Aviation Market for TRC Engineering. TRC is among the top-rated consultancy in Power and Environmental both specialties which are central to the success of airport development. From 2020-2022 Tina launched the Owners Services Practice for Aegis Project Controls and helped align Owners with robust processes of managing their facilities and investments. Millan, through 2019 was a senior vice president of WSP and responsible for their U.S. aviation practice, including overseeing and developing the talent of 70+ staff, managing major projects, and leading business development. She was instrumental in expanding the firm’s geographic presence, diversifying its client base and selling services across the business sectors to their aviation clients. Prior to joining WSP, Millán served as vice president for the North American infrastructure division of a Turner & Townsend where she was responsible for establishing the U.S. Business and managing a team of aviation experts on projects for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Houston Airport System, and San Francisco International Airport. Millán earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a master’s degree from Florida International University. Among her professional certifications, she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Project Management Professional

Marcela Radovic is an attorney with more than 18 years of experience in contractual and claim management in construction industry in Chile and other countries in Latin America, focusing mainly in the mining, energy, retail and public infrastructure sectors. She is Founder and Director of Chilean Society of Construction Law and has earned a master’s degree in Regulation at London School of Economics University. Marcela is also a Professional Coach and Candidate for a Master's Degree in Coaching and Leadership from Barcelona University. Concerning her teaching experience, Marcela is Professor of “Magister de la Construcción” of the Engineer Faculty of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Professor of Universidad de Los Andes in Construction Law and Professor of Universidad de Talca in Construction Law. She has been a member of Dispute Resolution Board Foundation since 2009 and serves as the DRBF's Representative for Chile. She has also been a member of International Bar Association since 2014.

Kate Raum is the Director of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Services for the Construction Division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in Houston, Texas. The AAA is a neutral, not-for-profit organization founded in 1926 that offers mediation and arbitration services as an alternative to court proceedings. Ms. Raum oversees the administration of large, complex construction cases in South Texas and supports arbitration outreach efforts to various construction law and industry groups. Ms. Raum began her career at the intersection of public safety and public health as the Director of Amend, a small road safety nonprofit organization in Tanzania, East Africa. From there she became Communications Advisor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Tanzania, providing public affairs support to the US Embassy and US Government agencies in Tanzania. The Pandemic brought Ms. Raum back to Houston, where she worked in strategic policy and planning for Harris County Public Health’s COVID-19 response. Ms. Raum holds a BA from Missouri Southern State University, JD and Master of Public Service degrees from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, and International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from the National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH).

John Rhone is the Deputy Program Officer for Austin Transit Partnership. His career in the industry includes extensive maintenance, operations, design and construction experience in a number of key system maintenance and project management roles, which he has acquired over 25 years of work as it relates to mass transit. Mr. Rhone holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University.  In his capacity as Deputy Program Officer, he directs and oversees the activities of personnel engaged in planning, design, construction, utility coordination, commissioning, testing, and safety certification functions associated with Project Connect.
  DeAndra Roaché is the Founder and President of Cynergis Dispute Resolution Services, an alternative dispute resolution services company that specializes in arbitration, mediation, facilitation, conflict resolution training, conflict management program design, conflict coaching and consulting located in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.  Ms. Roaché is also a professional independent neutral concentrating in arbitration, mediation and fact-finding of various disputes such as construction, labor, employment, maritime and other business disputes.  In addition to an active arbitration and mediation practice, Ms. Roaché is an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law where she teaches mediation.  She co-chairs the International Institute of Conflict Prevention and Resolution’s Dispute Resolution Board (DRB) Identification of Neutrals and DRB Training Development working groups.  She works with companies, court systems and individuals in various industries to assist with their conflict prevention, conflict resolution and conflict management needs. She is a DRB member with the Florida Department of Transportation.  As an ADR Construction Specialist, Ms. Roaché has moderated a panel on Using DRBs to Prevent and Resolve Disputes on P3 Projects at the Maryland State Bar Association’s Legal Summit in May 2021.  In August 2022, she was a guest speaker at the Global Collaborative Law Council's Advanced Civil Collaborative Law Conference at the University of Nebraska College of Law where she spoke on Designing Collaborative Conflict Prevention & Resolution Systems on a panel entitled "What Businesses Need to Resolve Conflict Well".
Kenneth M. Roberts is Chair of the Construction Law Group at the law firm of Venable, LLP in Chicago. Mr. Roberts obtained his B.A. degree from the University of Iowa (1982) and his J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law (1985). He has been an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Department of Civil Engineering Graduate Program since 2012. Mr. Roberts concentrates his practice in the field of construction law, project controls and procurement contracts. He engages in a range of services from preparation of and negotiation of contracts, project controls monitoring and advice during ongoing projects, negotiation of change orders and contract additions, alternate dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration, dispute review boards, and when necessary, litigation.
Ann Russo is Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, the non-profit association dedicated to the use of Dispute Review Boards worldwide. She is co-editor of the "Dispute Board Manual: A Guide to Best Practices and Procedures." Prior to joining the DRBF, she served as Public Relations Manager for J.A. Jones, Inc., an international construction and engineering firm based in Charlotte, NC, USA. She received the DRBF's President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
Hyattye Simmons has over 38 years of legal experience. In January 2019, Mr. Simmons began serving as the Presiding Judge of Municipal Court for the City of Combine, Texas. Additionally, Mr. Simmons has also served as an Associate Municipal Judge for both City of Seagoville and the Town of Sunnyvale. Mr. Simmons' prior legal experience includes over a quarter century as a Texas civil trial and appellate attorney, General Counsel for Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and General Counsel for the Texas Secretary of State. Mr. Simmons’ Pro Bono work includes serving as General Counsel and Board Member (since 2014) for Dallas Asian American Youth Orchestra, a non-profit corporation. Mr. Simmons is also the current Chair of the State Bar of Texas Standing Committee on Pattern Jury Charges for General Negligence, Intentional Personal Torts & Workers’ Compensation: first appointed to that position in June 2021 and reappointed in June 2022. Judge Simmons has served as a member of this Committee since June 2013. Mr. Simmons has received numerous professional honors including but not limited to Associate member and Life Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA); Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation; Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation; and Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation. He was the 2009 recipient of the Magna Stella Award for excellence in leadership and management for a non-profit or government agency from the Texas General Counsel Forum, a legal association of over 600 general counsels and senior managing counsel. Mr. Simmons is a 1984 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Science in Government from Lamar University, where he completed a 4-year program in 2 1/2 years with High Honors. In 2017 he received the Lamar University Distinguished Alumnus Award.
 

Reza Shirmanesh has a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Houston. He is a Texas Professional Engineer with 35 years of experience. He has a well-rounded public and private sector experience mainly in transit and transportation industries managing all phases of projects from cradle to grave including design, construction, and professional services. He has performed as a Project Owner, General Contractor, Consultant, and Designer on programs he has delivered. He has spent his last 28 years of his professional life contributing significantly to the success of the largest transit systems in the USA by directing and delivering multifaceted and highly complex Light Rail, Commuter Rail, and Streetcar Capital Transit Programs for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) from planning through engineering design, construction, integration, and handover to operations as the lead program manager. He has successfully delivered mega projects using various alternative delivery methods including Lump Sum, Firm Fixed, and Cost-Plus Professional Services and Construction Management contracts. He is also well experienced in mega construction implementation programs using various construction delivery methods including Design-Bid-Build (DBB), Design-Manufacture-Build-Maintain (DMBM), Design-Build (DB), Construction Manager-General Contractor (CMGC), Research-Development-Design-Build (R&D-DB), and Hybrid DB/CMGC. He was an active member of TRB’s Rail and Transit Committee for the past eight years and participates in the APTA, AREMA, and DRBF committee activities.

Greg Snider is the Section Branch Manager of the Alternative Delivery Division for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), responsible for overseeing TxDOT’s Alternative Delivery Program, which includes projects delivered using Design-Build (DB) contracts and Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs). Mr. Snider has over 18 years of civil engineering experience on infrastructure projects both domestic and internationally. A member of the TxDOT family since 2013, he began his career with TxDOT in Houston’s alternative project delivery program tasked to; develop, procure, implement and oversee the operations and maintenance of the Districts' alternative delivery projects. His leadership was integral in delivering Segments F1, F2, and G of the SH99 Grand Parkway, a 1 billion-dollar 38-mile greenfield Design-Build project. During his time in Houston, he was also responsible for overseeing the SH288 Toll Lanes Project, a 10-mile managed lane 52-year Concession CDA. In May 2020, Mr. Snider joined the Division, where in his current role his leadership, practical experience, and understanding of program risks helps guide TxDOT’s alternative delivery program. Mr. Snider graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering.

Barry Tozer is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Arbitrator, Facilitator, FIDIC Certified Adjudicator, DAB Member (Australasia) and Valuer. He is the principal Consulting Construction Engineer of Tozer & Associates Pty Ltd, a company that provides advice and prepares expert reports on construction methods, planning and cost estimating. His specialist role in the business is in dispute avoidance as mediator, conciliator and facilitator and in dispute resolution as valuer (GC21), adjudicator, expert determiner and arbitrator.  Barry has had extensive experience over 15 years as a Dispute Avoidance Board (DAB) member in Australia and the Pacific, a role which encompasses all of these facets of dispute resolution. He is a Board Member and current Treasurer of DRBF Region 3.