Facilitator: Debbie Hicks, B.Sc. DSH Consulting
With a comprehensive and varied education background, learning has been at the core of her career. As former President of the Southern Interior Construction Association in BC for 22 years, liaising with the buyers of construction services, architects, engineers and contractors in advocacy and education brings a solid base to her expertise. In addition, her experience as the owner representative for the construction of the new Clubhouse for the Kelowna Yacht Club has provided additional perspective. She has been fortunate to work with the Alberta Construction Association to facilitate industry dialogue on “Optimizing the Flow of Money” and “Non-Standard Contract Clauses and their Costs”. Through these experiences, with a lot of passion and enthusiasm, Debbie is able to bring both knowledge and insight into her work and presentations for the construction industry.
Rick Boates, AScT, GSC, LEEDAP, Lean Green Belt
President, Unitech Construction Management
Rick’s career in the construction industry spans 49 years including 14 years in design consulting, 2 years as a Building Inspector and 33 years as founder and President of one of BC’s leading Construction Management firms. Rick served on the Board of ICBA, the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association for 8 years. Rick also served on the Board of Merit Canada for 8 years and is now dedicating his board efforts to the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation.
Rick has guided Unitech through the successful completion of nearly $1.5 billion worth commercial, institutional, recreational, hospitality, First Nations, Health and even civil and industrial projects throughout BC. All of these projects been implemented via Construction Manager as Agent via old CCA 5 or CCDC 5A contracts on behalf of many repeat public and private clients. He is continuing his passion for collaborative construction with $400 million in CM contracts in progress and is leveraging Unitech collaborative approach on promotion of IPD and Lean Construction on current and upcoming projects.
Bill Chomik, AAA, SAA, OAA, AIBC, FRAIC, RCA
Kasian, Senior Principal, Vice President Institutional
A leading Canadian architect and considered a visionary in his field, Bill has 40 years of experience in architecture, overseeing the design and construction of over 750 buildings worldwide.
Bill’s accomplishments include the University of Calgary’s Taylor Family Digital Library; National Music Centre, Calgary; Calgary Courts Centre; Guangzhou Planetarium, China; Alder Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois; Grande Prairie Library and Art Gallery, Red Deer Performing Arts Centre and Simon Fraser University Trottier Observatory. As a Senior Principal at Kasian, he leads the delivery of architectural, strategic planning (master planning and programming), and interior planning and urban planning services.
Hugh Loughborough, P. Eng, GSC
Hugh’s career in the construction industry spans over 40 years. Hugh has held senior management positions related to contracts and risk management. Hugh earned a B.A.Sc (Civil) in 1980 and a M.A.Sc (Construction Management) in 1986 from the University of Waterloo, is a retired Professional Engineer registered in the Province of Ontario, and is a Gold Seal Project Manager.
Hugh has been actively involved in industry associations over the years, having served as an Executive Member of the Canadian Construction Association and served on many committees. He was also President of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Kitchener - Waterloo, a Board Member of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario, and as a National Director of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada.
Mark Scharf, BA Hons, MHA
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Mark recently retired from the University of Calgary where he was responsible for the delivery of capital projects across the organization. The annual workload entailed approximately 400 capital and renovation projects per year with an annual project spend of approximately $150M. During his 12- year tenure as Director, the Project Management Office delivered 9 new buildings including multiple teaching and applied research buildings, major infrastructure renewals, new residence halls and a new main library. Mark was actively engaged with procuring design and construction teams and negotiating and overseeing a wide variety of contracts including Design Build, Construction Management at Risk, Lump Sum and performance-based engagements.
Mark brings 30 plus years of public sector experience with both post-secondary and health organizations including the Calgary Health Region and Age Care Senior Communities. Mark takes pride in building strong teams, mentoring the next generation of project professionals and engaging diverse stakeholders in achieving outstanding results.
Dean Slater, P. Eng, GSC
Dean Slater is a Professional Engineer APEGA Life Member with 40 years’ experience in the construction and development industry. He is a Past President of the Calgary Construction Association (CCA) and has held various executive level positions working in General Contracting, Development, and the Alberta Health Services (AHS) project management group. Dean has worked on many significant projects in Alberta including Calgary’s Petro-Canada (Suncor) Centre, the Olympic Saddledome, the Hyatt Hotel, Telus Convention Centre, SMART Technologies Building, major hospital expansions, and the South Health Campus. His roles spanned estimating and construction management as both the General Contractor, Project Manager, and Project Owner’s representative / Vice-President. Retiring in January 2018, Dean has embarked on a new role as a fundraising volunteer with Wellspring Calgary – a cancer support group providing programs and education to individuals diagnosed with cancer. Due in part to his volunteer efforts, Dean was recognized in 2018 with CCA’s “Person of the Year” award.