How culture is tied to success.  How the world changes and what opportunities and challenges that presents.  Part of the change is world economy and war, interest rates, and recession.  Part of the change is demographics.  This session will talk about immigration and refugees which are tied to both the world geopolitical situation and demographics.  The session will delve into the role of immigrants and how to integrate them into a successful work culture.

Jim Estill built his first business from the trunk of his car to $2 Billion in sales. He has invested in, advised and mentored over 150 technology businesses including Blackberry where he served as a board member since before they went public until 2010. He is now owner and CEO of Danby Appliances, a manufacturer of household appliances and air conditioners. Danby sells over 2,000,000 appliances per year. He has received an Order of Canada, Order of Ontario and Honorary Doctor of Laws from University of Guelph for his entrepreneurship and work sponsoring and settling over 500 refugees in Guelph, Ontario.

Chastine Taerum obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in 1999 and a Bachelor of Laws in 2003, both from the University of Calgary, before she was called to the Alberta Bar in 2004. Since 2020, Chastine has been Associate General Counsel, Infrastructure at Ledcor, where she is responsible for providing legal services on complex infrastructure projects to offices across Canada.  Prior to joining Ledcor, Chastine was Director, Legal Affairs at SNC-Lavalin, where she was responsible for providing legal services to offices and projects across Canada for the various sectors and business units including Infrastructure, O&M, Oil & Gas and Clean Power.

Chastine is actively involved in the Inclusion and Diversity program at Ledcor.  She previously chaired the Black, Indigenous, People of Colour Employee Resource Group and is currently the chair of the Ledcor Advisory Council which provides guidance and support to the Inclusion and Diversity Executive Council as it develops and implements I&D initiatives corporately at Ledcor.

Lisa is a Project Director, part of the Ledcor leadership team in the Calgary Construction branch, and is involved in operations, business development as well as companywide initiatives like Inclusion & Diversity, safety, and Lean Construction. In her career, Lisa has worked for both Owners and Contractors, which provides well rounded experience and often a non-traditional perspective to the typical conversation. Also, an active community and industry volunteer, including the Calgary Construction Association, SAIT, City of Calgary, CAGBC, as Lisa believes that giving back is important to make the future building industry even better. Over the past 2+ years she has been a co-lead for the Ledcor Inclusion & Diversity Council, and actively involved in the foundational work in this space and Ledcor. I&D needs to be a key part of all aspects of the building industry and moving forward this is the mantra that Lisa practices.

Cole is the author of multiple books and holds patents in multiple countries. An international keynote speaker at over 30 events in 6 countries, including a TEDx event, he has served on advisory boards to international organizations focusing on design and development, and his work, both fiction and non-fiction, has been published. The company he founded won the National Research Council of Canada’s COVID-19 Digital Clearinghouse Challenge and received $1.3 million in grants to examine healthcare supply chains and prototype technology solutions.

Darin is a Director of Community and Sport projects at hcma. He is a registered architect with over 15 years of experience in civic institutions, community centres, recreation, sport and aquatic facilities. He has worked with both public and private client groups to help them successfully navigate the pre-design stage for their projects. Most recently, Darin assisted the City of Kelowna with the pre-design phase of the Parkinson Recreation Centre redevelopment. He has also played an important role in the design of projects such as the Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre in North Vancouver and the Coronation Community Sports Centre in Edmonton.

Craig is an Architect and Collaborative Delivery Advisor. He is a past president of the IPDA and one of the most knowledgeable speakers on collaborative delivery in North America. Craig has participated in over 40 Integrated Contracting Models and collaborated on multiple research projects with University of Washington, UBC, and University of Minnesota. He has presented at over 40 events throughout North America on collaborative topics ranging from Target Value Delivery to Contract Impacts on Profitability, Insurability and Risk. He has worked with provincial governments, municipal authorities, private companies as well as various industry partners to advance collaborative delivery methods and innovative construction technology.

Join our panel participants as we discuss future trends in resilience planning in design and construction. Sustainability and resilience are two sides of the same coin. While sustainable design and construction seek to protect the environment from damage from building construction and operation, resilience seeks to protect the building and its operation from the environment. The panel will include representatives from The City of Kelowna, Insurance industry, Consultant and Contractor. Understand the demands and challenges of each sector?

Mike Matejka is the Director of Engineering & Development Services for the City of Cranbrook, which includes managing and motivating a team responsible for both short term capital project delivery as well as long term strategic land use and infrastructure planning. He has a diverse background of roles that span the Public, Private and Non-profit sectors, including experience in project management, operations & maintenance, and long range planning. Mike is a huge proponent of strong communication, team member buy-in, and mutual respect and accountability, to make any project or initiative a success.

Keith graduated from NAIT with a Business Marketing Diploma. He spent 20 years in business development as manufacturer’s representative to the construction industry. In 2013 he was transferred from Edmonton to Kelowna with Victaulic Company to focus on servicing the Plumbing and Heating sector for the BC Interior. In 2018, when the opportunity to purchase Kal-West Mechanical arose, Keith and a small group Kal-West Employees approached John Davina for detail. After several months of negotiations, they put together a successful proposal and took controlling interest in Kal-West Nov 1, 2018. Currently, he holds the title of President and General Manager.

Michael joined RJC in 2001 and was named Associate in 2014. Since joining RJC he has developed a diverse background of experience working on new and existing buildings. The range of projects under Michael’s direction runs from individual building evaluations through to multi-discipline seismic upgrades, new project designs structural restoration and construction projects. Michael’s clients include public sector and private organizations and diverse buildings ranging from schools, hospitals, retail facilities and airports through commercial and residential mid and high rise facilities.

When Murphy’s Law strikes and your project experiences unexpected problems, you may wonder how you can protect your project from cost overruns and schedule delays. One way is to take a proactive approach to managing project risk. From supply chain issues and escalating costs to the correct project delivery method, this panel will take participants through an interactive experience, prompting them to explore which issues they have seen coming up in their own projects, addressing these with real examples, and guiding them to the goal of a deeper understanding of collaborative delivery options. Participants will come away with insight into which method might best suit the needs of their organization and their projects, therefore allowing them to consider participating in the transformative world of collaborative delivery.

Charles’ career with TEAM Construction began in the late 1980’s. During his early years with TEAM he worked on his Carpenter’s Apprenticeship, achieving his Journeyman certification in 1993 and currently holds a Gold Seal Certification. Since that time, Chuck has participated in many levels of leadership within the company, from Carpenter Foreman to his current position as a Senior Project Manager. Charles is an advocate for the local community and holds numerous volunteer committee positions with numerous local non-profit and charity organizations.

Chris is the President of the BC Construction Association (BCCA). He has an extensive background working in the association space with a passion to innovate and drive member value. In addition, Chris has developed an expertise for working collaboratively to ensure optimal results for employers, members, communities, and funders.

We will discuss the importance of maintaining respectful workplaces and the potential consequences if an employer fails to do so with a focus on discrimination, bullying, and harassment. We will also look at how employers can navigate line between performance management and bullying.

Kara is an associate at Pihl Law Corporation with a practice focused on employment law and civil litigation. She was born and raised in the BC interior. Before becoming a lawyer, Kara worked in the Human Resources department for a large open pit copper mine and spent a summer working as a Review Officer Intern at the WorkSafeBC head office. Kara first joined Pihl Law Corporation as a summer student in 2019. She completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Victoria in the Spring of 2020 and was called to the bar in the Spring of 2021.

This presentation will focus on construction law issues that are important to be mindful of during economic downturns. In particular, we will look at how developers, contractors, and trades can strategically manage risk through bonding, insurance, and contract oversite.

Alex is an associate practicing primarily in construction and commercial litigation. He has a particular interest in insurance coverage claims and surety disputes and has represented sureties and bond holders in a variety of complex construction projects across British Columbia and Alberta. Alex graduated from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, has been called to bars of Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan has represented clients in all levels of court in British Columbia, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and the Cour supérieure du Québec.