Events

Presenters: Steve Knight-Willcock,  PMP is currently a Senior Director for Construction Data Intelligence, Project Services with AtkinsRéalis

Abstract: Economic Market Intelligence: Understanding Construction Cost Drivers in Southern California

Southern California continues to be one of the most complex construction markets in the United States, driven by competing capital programs, constrained labor availability, and ongoing material price volatility. This presentation will summarize key findings from a recent Southern California construction market activity report and translate those findings into practical insights for owners, estimators, and cost engineers.

The session will examine current and forecast labor costs and availability across major trades, the impact of large-scale city, airport, transportation, industrial, infrastructure, and life sciences projects on market saturation, and recent trends in contractor pricing behavior. Material cost escalation, bid price indices, and supply chain pressures will be discussed in the context of how they influence both baseline estimates and contingency development. The presentation will also highlight regional differences within Southern California and identify leading indicators that signal shifts in market conditions.

Attendees will gain an understanding of how structured market intelligence can be incorporated into early estimating, escalation forecasting, and risk management, enabling more informed investment and execution decisions in a highly competitive construction environment.

RSVP:https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/CV3VA6PME5V7Y  

Presenter: Peter Lasensky is the co-founder of Command Post

Peter Lasensky builds tools that change how construction gets done. He is the co-founder and CEO of Command Post, the software that thinks like a contractor designed to cut through the chaos of running a construction company. Before Command Post, Peter led Construction Product Research & Strategy at Bentley Systems, shaping technology used by engineers, architects, and builders around the world. He previously founded NoteVault, the “Talk. Add photo. Get a report.” platform that reinvented field reporting and later became part of Bentley Systems. Peter also co-founded and served as CEO of Pacific DataVision (now ATEX, NASDAQ: ATEX), and built Peterbuilt Corporation into one of San Diego’s top construction firms before its acquisition. Peter holds 14 U.S. patents. 

RSVP Details to follow.

Presenter: John Jackson is currently a Senior Director for Ya Group

John Jackson is a distinguished project management consultant with deep expertise in construction and litigation analysis. His core competencies include construction scheduling, cost control, documentation management, and the implementation of project controls software. Renowned for his analytical precision, John specializes in organizational, economic, and forensic construction analysis, including damage quantification and the management of complex project information systems.

Over the course of a diverse and accomplished career—as a consultant, software developer, educator, and industry expert—John has managed construction projects ranging from $1 million to over $5 billion. His extensive portfolio encompasses a wide array of sectors, including heavy civil infrastructure, airports, rapid transit systems, hotels and casinos, manufacturing facilities, and commercial and industrial developments. With oversight of more than a thousand projects, he brings comprehensive expertise across all phases of project delivery—from conceptual planning and procurement through execution, closeout, and dispute resolution.

John is particularly recognized for his litigation support work, where his clear, methodical schedule impact and delay analyses have set industry benchmarks. Throughout his career, he has established project budgets, developed critical path method (CPM) schedules, and resolved numerous claims and change orders.

For more than two decades, John has led internationally recognized workshops on “Planning and Scheduling” and “Managing Delays,” with a focus on proactive dispute resolution. As a project executive, he has directed large-scale implementation and training initiatives for hundreds of organizations worldwide.

Currently serving as President of the PM College of Scheduling—the construction industry’s premier association for scheduling education—John continues to lead advancements in project controls. Under his leadership, the organization delivers implementation and training services to public agencies and leading global construction firms, reinforcing his position as a key figure in the evolution of construction project management practices.

RSVP Details to follow.

AACE International Conference & Expo

CPM Schedule Validation in Forensic Delay Analysis

November 2026, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Date TBD

Orange County, Location TBD

Presenters: Jerry L. Vogt, Project Delay Analyst with Planning Forensics LLC and David Ponte, Managing Director with Ankura Consulting Group LLC

Abstract: Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules are routinely relied upon in construction disputes to evaluate alleged delays. However, schedules that have not been validated for structural integrity, logic, traceability, and credibility may yield unreliable critical paths and distorted float calculations. Federal agencies and industry organizations—including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)—have published guidance addressing schedule quality and reliability. While these documents were developed primarily for program management and compliance purposes, they collectively establish principles directly applicable to forensic delay analysis.

This presentation will compare and contrast these protocols from a forensic perspective and synthesizes them into a unified, tiered schedule validation framework suitable for expert analysis and reporting. The proposed framework establishes schedule validation as a necessary predicate to the selection and application of forensic delay methodologies.

RSVP Details to follow. 

Past Events

San Diego State University 

Student Outreach Event, March 4, 2026

Guest Lecturers: Phil Peterson, PSP, Principal at Civic CMUSC Alumni BA International Relations, AACE Board Volunteer – Treasurer & Stephanie Lightner, PMP, Senior Scheduler at CPM Partners, Inc., SDSU Alumni Green Energy Mgmt., BU Alumni MS Project Management, AACE Board Volunteer – Website

Professor: Thais da C. L. Alves, Ph.D., Professor, The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management, Senate Distinguished Professor

Link to Presentation

Thank you to SDSU and Dr. Alves Ph.D. for inviting AACE SoCal to present as guest lecturers to the College of Engineering

Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. The presentation provided an introduction to AACE, career pathways, and scholarships. We shared some experiences about out career journeys and have a lively discussion with the students.  

Presenters: Rad Lazic is currently a Senior Solutions Engineer, Transportation and Civil Engineering at Autodesk. He has a Master of Civil Engineering. He is a leader in Digital Project Delivery Systems Integration, Process Automation with AI, and organizational digital transformation with more than three decades of experience in Europe, Australasia, and North America. Rad also shares practical implementation guidance with a LinkedIn audience of nearly 3,000 followers, including workflows that connect designed and existing facilities to Autodesk Tandem and Construction Cloud in a common data environment. 

Abstract:  Introduction to Autodesk Takeoff with AI

Rad Lazic’s presentation will show how Autodesk Takeoff, combined with AI customization and API-driven automation, can improve the speed, consistency, and value of estimating workflows. Rather than focusing on AI as a trend, the session will concentrate on practical use cases that help estimators reduce repetitive work, improve accuracy, and gain better control over quantity and cost information.

Autodesk Takeoff can be enhanced through APIs, integrations, and tailored automation to streamline tasks such as classification, quantity organization, data normalization, cost-code mapping, and movement of takeoff data into connected preconstruction workflows. It will also highlight how AI can support estimators by identifying patterns in historical data, flagging anomalies, assisting with scope review, and helping teams standardize estimating approaches across projects and regions. The session will also address the limits of automation and why estimator judgment remains critical in evaluating risk, interpreting scope, and making pricing decisions.

Attendees will leave with a practical understanding of what is achievable today and where AI-enabled workflows can create measurable competitive advantage.