Keynote Speaker

Jason Redman

Retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jason Redman electrifies audiences with his high-energy presentations on leadership, failure, redemption, catastrophic injury and his breathtaking journey to “overcome all” in the aftermath of wartime enemy ambush and in the face of what he calls life ambushes during the years that followed.

During his 21-year Navy career, Jason spent 11 years as an enlisted SEAL and 10 years as a SEAL officer leading teams in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today he puts his vast experience and expertise to work as speaker, coach, author and trainer, helping individuals, teams and organizations of all types and sizes to define and implement lasting change, even in the wake or face of failure, crisis and adversity.

Sponsored by Gold National Partner Core & Main

Workforce Session

Jen Newman

Winning the Talent War with a Strategic Recruitment Strategy

In today’s construction industry, gaps in talent put your strategic goals at significant risk. With the ongoing shortage of skilled professionals, the industry is entrenched in a fierce talent war, making recruitment the biggest challenge firms face. To attract the best and brightest, merely posting job openings online isn't enough—you need a strategic approach to hiring and retaining top talent in this tight labor market.

This immersive workshop will equip construction firms with the tools and strategies needed to win the recruitment battle as part of the broader talent war. Attendees will explore AI-driven solutions that transform recruitment practices, enabling firms to perform in-depth market analysis, identify competitive advantages, and segment candidates for more targeted hiring. Through these advanced strategies, firms can enhance their workforce recruitment efforts, attract top-tier talent, and ensure long-term success.

If you're ready to dive deeper into recruitment strategies, join us again at 4 PM for a one-hour workshop. In this session, we will identify a target demographic, define a position, and collaborate to create an actionable recruiting strategy that you can take back to your firm and tailor to its specific needs.

Throughout her career, Jen's taken the lead in various industry and community groups, including the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), and the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE). She's passionate about crafting a legacy that lasts in the A/E/C industry. Her legacy is evident, with both her sons following in her footsteps, making their own mark in the engineering world.

Construction Economic Outlook

Anirban Basu

Monetary Masala

Has the Federal Reserve successfully engineered a soft landing? Or, is the confluence of geopolitical conflict, policy uncertainty, rising consumer debt levels, and still high interest rates conspiring to produce economic downturn in 2025? It is difficult to know whether 2025 will be a good year – but one thing is clear – it will be a very interesting one as a new administration is seated in Washington, D.C.

This presentation will supply in-depth analysis of major factors that will shape economic outcomes, including interest rates, global conflict, wage dynamics, business confidence, demographics, and public policy. It will then turn toward a forecast for the coming year, highlighting the major risks that economic stakeholders will likely encounter.

Anirban Basu is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consultancy he founded in 2004. He serves the Chief Economist function for many organizations, including the Maryland Bankers Association and Associated Builders and Contractors. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010. In 2022, he entered the Daily Record newspaper’s Circle of Influence. He is the Distinguished Economist in Residence at Goucher College, where he teaches History of Economic Thought. He holds four graduate degrees, including a J.D. and a Ph.D.