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Planning & Design Conference

Choosing the Fast Lane

Thursday, July 16, 2026
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM (CDT)
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Overview


Attend this year’s highly anticipated IRTBA Planning & Design Conference! The event will feature IDOT Assistant Secretary Tom Carney as the Keynote Speaker!

Choosing the Fast Lane is what members can expect in the session line-up; Design Build Excellence, AI Spectrum, Generational Shift in the Workforce, and Explaining NITA. This highly informative day will conclude with the type of top notch networking reception that this conference is known for. Make sure you register early because this event usually sells out!

Tom Carney was appointed assistant secretary in 2025. In this role, he works closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop policy and implement strategic goals and initiatives for the department. Carney previously worked for 23 years at the Chicago Department of Transportation, serving in several leadership positions, including commissioner. In his time with the city, he worked extensively on the development and deployment of large-scale projects and initiatives, as well as efforts to improve and streamline the delivery of core city services. 

Agenda

July 16
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Registration Desk Open
12:00 PM - 12:15 PM Keynote Address
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch Service
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Design-Build Excellence
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM The AI Spectrum: Innovation, Ethics and Impact
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM Afternoon Break
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM The Generational Shift
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM NITA Explained
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Networking Reception

Session Descriptions 

 

Design-Build Excellence: Lessons from Real Projects

The IDOT presentation will provide an understanding of the governing legislation and revisions, procedural memorandum, organizational structure, roles, industry outreach activities, contractual arrangements and forms of contract, risk management, delivery method comparison, candidate project identification, procurement process, training opportunities, review of active project status, and an overview of the State-wide Off-System Structure Bundling Program. Time will be allotted for questions and answers.

Speaker: Mike Stirk, Illinois Department of Transportation

The AI Spectrum: Innovation, Ethics and Impact

Did you miss out on convention? We can’t bring the beach, but we are bringing the most talked-about convention panel to the P&D Conference. It’s no secret that AI is rapidly changing the way we do business.  Industry leader Andrew Keaschall will lead the panel discussions.  It will show as an example how drone technology is improving predictions, how AI applications has the power to both positively and negatively impact the industry, and what you need to know regarding insurance and legal liability.  

Panelists: Brad Noack, DB Sterlin Consultants; James Chivilo, Holland & Knight LLP; Matt Fazio, USI

The Generational Shift

Who better to address the ongoing generational shift in the workforce than our very own alumni from the IRTBA Emerging Leaders Program. Leading the panel, Eileen Chin, a graduate from the inaugural class, will discuss what makes a workplace desirable; balance, salary, environment, leadership and mentorships. Also, how is AI impacting your job, what drives retention and future concerns.

Panelists: Justin Mickens, Parsons; Colleen Miller, SINGH & Associates, Inc.; Anastasia Kotsakis, Collins Engineers, Inc.; and Dan Faerber, Dunnet Bay

NITA Explained

The Northern Illinois Transit Authority is here! Leading the panel, Beth McCluskey will discuss with agency leaders and key NITA advocates how and why this newly established agency came to be, what the future looks like, how funding will be split and spent, policy, staffing, funding, leadership and what challenges and improvement can be expected.

Panelists: Bill Mooney, Chicago Transit Authority; Scott Schiemann, Metra; Eva-Dina Delgado, Illinois State Representative; Elaine Nekritz, Attorney and former Illinois State Representative

 

  

Speakers

Tom Carney
Assistant Secretary
Illinois Department of Transportation 

bill mooney, cta

Bill Mooney
Chief Operating Officer
Chicago Transit Authority

Scott Schiemann
Chief Engineering Officer
Metra

Eva-Dina Delgado
Illinois State Representative

Elaine Nekritz
Attorney and former Illinois State Representative

Mike Stirk
Bureau Chief of Innovation Project Delivery
Illinois Department of Transportation 

Brad Noack
Structural Engineering Department Head
DB Sterlin Consultants

James Chivilo
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP

Matt Fazio
 Partner | Senior Vice President
USI Insurance Services

Justin Mickens
Principal Bridge Engineer 
Parsons

Colleen Miller
Chief Business Development Officer 
SINGH & Associates, Inc. 

Anastasia Kotsakis
Group Manager 
Collins Engineers, Inc. 


Dan Faerber
Estimating / PM
Dunnet Bay 

Speaker Bio's

Tom Carney
Assistant Secretary
Illinois Department of Transportation 

Tom Carney was appointed assistant secretary in 2025. In this role, he works closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop policy and implement strategic goals and initiatives for the department. Carney previously worked for 23 years at the Chicago Department of Transportation, serving in several leadership positions, including commissioner. In his time with the city, he worked extensively on the development and deployment of large-scale projects and initiatives, as well as efforts to improve and streamline the delivery of core city services.

Carney holds a master’s degree in public service administration from DePaul University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Marquette University.  

bill mooney, cta

Bill Mooney
Chief Operating Officer
Chicago Transit Authority

William Mooney, Chicago Transit Authority, Chief Infrastructure Officer is a graduate of the DePaul University where he received his degree in Business Administration.  Bill has been with the CTA for close to 30 years and worked in various roles throughout the organization.  In 2019 Bill became CTA’s Chief Infrastructure Officer and is responsible for CTA’s Engineering, Construction, Maintenance, Red Purple Modernization Project Red Line Extension Project Forest Park Branch Rebuild Program and Real Estate Departments.

Scott Schiemann
Chief Engineering Officer
Metra

Mr. Schiemann, P.E., was appointed Metra’s Chief Engineering Officer in March 2024. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the work of Metra’s Engineering Department. The department oversees maintenance and construction of Metra track, signal, bridges, electrical, telecommunications, stations, and facilities infrastructure. r. Schiemann brings years of railroad experience to Metra, having also served as the Chief Engineer at the Belt Railway Company of Chicago.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science degree in Infrastructure Management from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was recognized by Progressive Railroading magazine in 2019 as one of the rail industry’s rising stars. Mr. Schiemann also served in the U.S. Air Force. He currently resides in Riverside with his wife and two children.

Eva-Dina Delgado
Illinois State Representative

Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (IL) has represented Illinois’ 3rd District since November 2019. As State Representative, she is a strong advocate for her community, focusing on legislation that promotes fiscal responsibility, provides relief from rising property taxes, ensures affordable housing, and advances environmental sustainability. She is also dedicated to expanding access to healthcare and protecting women’s rights to make their own healthcare decisions. With a background in transportation, infrastructure, and sustainable energy, Eva-Dina is committed to improving public services for all residents. Prior to serving in the legislature, she built a career in government affairs and community relations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She served as Vice President of Government and Community Relations at the Chicago Transit Authority — becoming the first Latina to hold that role — where she worked with community leaders and government partners to advance transportation investments and infrastructure improvements. She also served as a Manager of Government and Community Relations at People’s Gas, focusing on stakeholder and community engagement across Chicagoland communities, eventually being promoted to Chief of Staff to the President and supporting company operations. Earlier in her career, she represented the people of Chicago as a part of the city of Chicago's Intergovernmental Affairs office, leading public policy initiatives that supported residents and their communities. In the Illinois House, Eva-Dina serves in leadership as Assistant Majority Leader and is a member of the Public Utilities Committee, where she works on policies related to energy reliability, sustainability, and consumer protection. Raised by public school teachers, she developed a passion for public service early on. She earned her degree in International Relations from Wellesley College and moved to Chicago two decades ago to attend DePaul University College of Law, where her love for the city deepened her commitment to serving its diverse communities. Eva-Dina has also been active in civic leadership, working with community organizations such as Lawyers Lend-a-Hand to Youth and Saint Anthony Hospital.

Elaine Nekritz
Attorney and former Illinois State Representative

Elaine Nekritz is a very happy retiree as of January 2026.  Prior to her retirement, she was a principal member of Nekritz Amdor Andersson Group LLC.  The firm provides personalized and professional lobbying and consulting services for clients whose mission includes a public benefit.  Clients include United Way of Illinois, Metropolitan Planning Council, Illinois Housing Council, and the Illinois Justice Project.

Elaine served in the Illinois House of Representatives from January 2003 through October 2017, representing a district in north and northwest suburban Cook County.  During her tenure, she chaired numerous committees, including Judiciary Civil Law, Personnel and Pensions, and Elections and Campaign Reform.  She served as Assistant Majority Leader for over six years.

In addition to committee work, Elaine focused on a variety of issues from criminal justice reform to eliminating environmental hazards from toxic chemicals in consumer products to promoting fiscal stability in the state budget.

Mike Stirk
Bureau Chief of Innovation Project Delivery
Illinois Department of Transportation 

As a Bureau Chief of Innovative Project Delivery within the Office of Planning and Programming Mike works closely with IDOT’s various Offices and Bureaus administer to implement Illinois’ newly enacted alternative project delivery program. The Bureau operates under the Strategic Program Management Office. Mike loves a challenge and believes that working collaboratively with stakeholders is the key to successful projects.

Mike’s accomplishments include nearly 40 years in the civil engineering consulting and government; Crain's Chicago Business "40 under 40"; "Chicagoan of the Year" for Design and Architecture by the Chicago Tribune; past Board Member of the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association Design Build Committee; active contributor to Washington DC Fly-ins for legislative reauthorizations, past member ACEC - Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC); contributing author for ACEC‐IDOT Sustainability Committee for the I‐LAST (Illinois – Livable and Sustainable Transportation) Program.

Brad Noack
Structural Engineering Department Head
DB Sterlin Consultants

Brad Noack is DB Sterlin’s Structural Department Manager and has over 22 years of experience in project management and design of various engineering projects including highway bridges, elevated railroad structures, buildings, airport structures, and rehabilitation projects. He earned his BS and MS degrees from UIUC and UIC, respectively. Mr. Noack has managed and been responsible for many prominent transportation projects and has extensive experience leading complex bridge inspection programs throughout Illinois.

James Chivilo
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP

James P. Chivilo is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office and a member of the national Construction Industry Practice that received a top-tier ranking by The Legal 500 United States guide for 2025 and a high ranking in the 2025 edition of Chambers USA.
 
Mr. Chivilo advises clients in the areas of law involving construction, environmental construction, insurance, property and construction lien. Mr. Chivilo has served international clients on projects and matters in the European Union (EU) through Poland and has handled cases with projects for clients across the U.S., including in New York, New Jersey, Texas, California, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois, among other jurisdictions.
 
Mr. Chivilo's legal experience focuses on the representation of construction industry members in construction contract procurements, project disputes, litigation, claims and project failures in state and federal trial courts, as well as proceedings before governmental agencies and arbitration and mediation tribunals. He has represented private and public owners, property developers, industrial road contractors, general contractors, environmental remediation contractors, construction managers, specialty contractors and subcontractors, underground contractors, municipalities, governmental entities, banks and private equity lenders in situations involving corporate representation, claim administration, project management, multijurisdictional complex litigation and dispute resolution.

Matt Fazio
 Partner | Senior Vice President
USI Insurance Services

Matt Fazio is a Vice President of USI that specializes in the company’s Construction practices. Matt’s primary function is to build relationships with and advise on client businesses to help lower operating expenses and hedge for business volatility. Matt’s technical areas of expertise include complex property and casualty solutions, Financial Risk Management and Claims Analytics. He specializes in Alternative Risk Transfer solutions, and M & A Risk Advisory products.
 
Prior to joining USI, Matt was a producer at Corkill Insurance Agency based out of the suburbs of Chicago. During his time there, he built a successful practice mainly focusing on construction and manufacturing clients in the middle-market. He has been able to leverage that experience and apply it to his current clients at USI. Matt earned his B.S. in Finance at the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH. He was a Division I scholarship athlete on the Men’s Golf Team. He currently holds licenses for his Series 7 & 66, as well as Life & Health / Property & Casualty licenses.

Justin Mickens
Principal Bridge Engineer 
Parsons

Justin Mickens is a Principal Bridge Engineer at Parsons, a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Illinois, a Licensed Structural Engineer (SE) in Illinois, and a 2025 Road Builders Emerging Leaders Alumni. Justin earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Valparaiso University and his master's degree in structural engineering from Texas A&M University. He has over 10 years of experience in bridge design including complex and long span river crossings, freight rail bridges, and transit structures. Justin is currently leading the superstructure design for the new cable stayed bridge carrying I-55 over the Mississippi River in Memphis, TN.

Colleen Miller
Chief Business Development Officer 
SINGH & Associates, Inc. 

Colleen Miller is responsible for leading the firm's business growth and diversity initiatives, as well as strategic growth plans, and ensuring the successful completion of both short—term and long-term financial goals. She sets and oversees all aspects of our business development, marketing, and communication efforts. Colleen joined SINGH + Associates in 2024 after leading the Midwest business development team at a global infrastructure firm. Over the course of her career, she has worked in the AEC industry, focusing on public infrastructure projects within roadway, construction services, transit & rail, and facilities. Ms. Miller earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University of Illinois before joining the engineering industry in 2015. Focused on growth, Colleen specializes in the business development lifecycle, implementing external customer-focused strategies to increase market share and build the company’s brand within the region. 

Anastasia Kotsakis
Group Manager 
Collins Engineers, Inc. 

Anastasia Kotsakis, PE, SE is a Group Manager at Collins Engineers. She attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for undergraduate and Imperial College London for her masters. Through her 14 years working at Collins, she has been involved as a structural engineer in bridge design, construction engineering, and bridge inspections. Some of her past projects include construction engineering support for the Red-Purple Line Modernization, Merchants Bridge and Wells St Bascule rehabilitation, and design of multiple bridges including the Bloomingdale Trail and Canal St rehabilitation.


Dan Faerber
Estimating / PM
Dunnet Bay 

Daniel Faerber is an Estimator with Dunnet Bay Construction with 13 years of experience in the heavy civil construction industry. Having also worked as a Superintendent managing daily field operations, Daniel brings a unique perspective that bridges preconstruction planning with project execution. He is passionate about collaboration, leadership development, and strengthening the future of the construction industry through mentorship and innovation. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his family.

Registration Options

Credits Price
P&D Conference - Member Access
2026 Planning & Design Conference Registration Ended 7/10/26 at 10:00 AM CDT
$215.00
P&D Conference - Late Registration
Late Registration for P&D Conference 2026 Registration Ended 7/14/26 at 12:00 AM CDT
$265.00
P&D Conference - Silver Sponsor
Registration Ended 7/12/26 at 6:00 PM CDT
$1,000.00
P&D Conference - Gold Sponsor
Registration Ended 7/10/26 at 6:00 PM CDT
$1,750.00
P&D Conference - Platinum Sponsor
Registration Ended 7/3/26 at 12:00 AM CDT
$3,000.00
P&D Conference - Reception Sponsor
Registration Ended 7/13/26 at 6:00 PM CDT
$1,300.00

Sponsorship Opportunities 


Platinum Sponsorship Package - $3,000
Limited Availability 

  • Company logo on all event emails to industry leaders and agency reps
  • Company logo appearing on the P&D Conference webpage
  • Company name listed in the Friday Facts, received by over 3,000 industry & agency professionals
  • Company logo featured on the scrolling screen during registration, lunch and the networking reception
  • Platinum Sponsor recognition ribbon on all company attendee name badges
  • Company Name in Lights during sessions for all attendees and agency members to see
  • Three Complimentary tickets to the conference 

 

Gold Sponsorship Package - $1,750

  • Company logo on all event emails to industry leaders and agency reps 
  • Company logo appearing on the P&D Conference webpage 
  • Company name listed in the Friday Facts, received by over 3,000 industry & agency professionals
  • Company logo featured on the scrolling screen during registration, lunch and the networking reception
  • Gold Sponsor recognition ribbon on all company attendee name badges
  • Two Complimentary tickets to the conference

 

Silver Sponsorship Package - $1,000

  • Company logo on all event emails to industry leaders and agency reps
  • Company logo appearing on the P&D Conference webpage
  • Company logo listed in the Friday Facts, received by over 3,000 industry & agency professionals
  • Company logo featured on the scrolling screen during registration, lunch and the networking reception
  • Silver Sponsor recognition ribbon on all company attendee name badges 
  • One Complimentary ticket to the conference

 

Reception Sponsor - $1,300
Limited Availability 

  • Recognition as the Networking Reception Sponsor with custom branded napkins
  • Company logo on all event emails to industry leaders and agency reps
  • Company logo appearing on the P&D Conference webpage
  • Company logo listed in the Friday Facts, received by over 3,000 industry & agency professionals
  • Company logo featured on the scrolling screen during registration, lunch and the networking reception
  • Reception Sponsor recognition ribbon on all company attendee name badges
  • One Complimentary ticket to the conference
PLATINUM SPONSORS

 

GOLD SPONSORS

                               

                             

                         

                                      

                             



SILVER SPONSORS
                    
                               

RECEPTION SPONSORS

                                  

     

For More Information:

Molly Stratman
Molly Stratman
Programs Manager Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association
View Profile
PLATINUM SPONSORS

 

GOLD SPONSORS

   

  

  

  



SILVER SPONSORS


RECEPTION SPONSORS