Please note: participation in this workshop is by invitation only. If you are interested in attending please contact Erika Haldi.
Tuesday, June 24
8:30 a.m.
Registration & Networking
9:00 a.m.
Welcome & Introductions
Speakers
- Bilal Ayyub, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, Professor & Director of the Center for Technology and Systems Management, University of Maryland (UMD)
- Tom Smith, CAE, ENV SP, F.ASCE, Executive Director, ASCE
9:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks & Facilitated Discussion
Speakers
- Feniosky Pena-Mora, Sc.D, P.E., NAS, CCM, F.CIOB, NAC, Dist.M.ASCE, 2025 ASCE President
10:00 a.m.
Overview of Workshop Goals Building on ASCE-NOAA Task Force Efforts
Speakers
- Amanda McCarty, ASCE-NOAA Task Force Co-chair
- Dan Walker, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE, ASCE-NOAA Task Force Co-chair
10:30 a.m.
Networking Break
11:00 a.m.
Session 1a: Importance of Infrastructure Investment for Local, State, and National Economies
Speakers
- Darren Olson, P.E., BC.WRE, M.ASCE, Chair, ASCE Committee on America's Infrastructure
Moderator
- Maria Lehman, P.E., ENV SP, NAC, NAE, 2023 ASCE President
Description
Investment in the built environment, including private and commercial real estate and civil infrastructure development, is a fundamental driver of economic development at the local, state, and national levels. Each year, the United States sees roughly $2.1 trillion dollars in construction value put in place, representing hundreds of thousands of jobs and income for American workers. America’s infrastructure is the foundation on which our national economy, global competitiveness, and quality of life depend. This session will explore how recent investments in infrastructure have not only raised America’s overall GPA to a C in the 2025 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card, but how long-term investments in infrastructure and the built environment can have long lasting economic impacts.
11:45 a.m.
Session 1b: Losses from Natural Hazard Related Disasters
Speakers
- TBD
Moderator
- TBD
Description
12:30 p.m.
Networking Lunch & Group Photo
1:30 p.m.
Session 2a: Financial Risks and Economic Drivers
Speakers
- Willy Accame, Hamilton Development
- Jeff Bray, Prologis
- Mary Clare Maxwell, Northern Trust Bank
Moderator
- Holly Neber, AEI Consultants
Description
In order to effectively drive progress on hazard resilience, real estate decisions must incorporate risk and resilience throughout the design, development, financing, and operation of an asset. The cost of construction is increasing, so costlier buildings and infrastructure are being damaged by floods, storms, and fires. The research community produces a wealth of historical simulations, projections, and models of weather extremes, but more is needed for the real estate community to fully integrate resiliency. This panel will explore how developers, lenders, and owners of commercial real estate balance hazard resilience with the economics that drive their business.
2:15 p.m.
Session 2b: Products and Services for Risk Preparedness
Speakers
- Allison Crimmins, NOAA
- Maria Coates, Guy Carpenter
- Jim Waller, Guy Carpenter
Moderator
- Ellen Mecray
Description
Emerging products and services for risk preparedness at appropriate time horizons.
3:00 p.m.
Networking Break
3:15 p.m.
Session 3a: Dollars and Cents (Sense) of Natural Disaster Reduction
Speakers
- Chuck Chaitovitz, Chamber of Commerce
Daniel Kaniewski, Managing Director, Public Sector - Marsh McLennan
Ron Eguchi, President and CEO, ImageCat, Inc.
Moderator
- David Butry, NIST
Description
Improved infrastructure investment strategies and prioritization to reduce damage and losses from disasters can realize resilience and economic growth. Such strategies can improve current and long-term returns on investments (ROIs) and create co-benefits for state and local governments. Investment strategies that include the role of insurance, finance opportunities, and improved infrastructure performance are needed. This panel will explore how engineers, developers, lenders, and insurance policies can work within a framework that considers multiple perspectives for improved resilience and economic growth.
4:00 p.m.
Session 3b: Evolution of Building Codes and Standards (Putting Knowledge into Practice)
Speakers
- Kevin Aswegan, Principal, Magnusson Klemencic
Moderator
- Jennifer Goupil, ASCE
Description
Design standards and Codes are critical documents for design professionals and jurisdictions to regulate infrastructure and ensure minimum performance and life safety. Long development and adoption times can hamstring innovative practices or new methodologies from being used in a timely manner. However, forward-thinking design professionals, owners, and jurisdictions can be empowered to use, require, or adopt novel consensus documents for specific projects or on time frames earlier than traditional national code cycles. This session will explore when designers, owners, and jurisdictions may want to look for innovative approaches and how they do this on a project-by-project approach or via early adoptions. The speakers have designed and approved many projects through the use of innovative design approaches and accelerated adoptions process.
4:45 p.m.
Day 1 Closing & Adjourn
Wednesday, June 25
8:30 a.m.
Registration & Networking
9:00 a.m.
Welcome to Day 2
9:30 a.m.
Session 4a: Resilience Case Studies: Real World Implementations and Proof of Concept
Speakers
- D. Frost, GEER/GATech
Will Veatch, USACE
N. Elhami-Khorasani, University at Buffalo
R. Kourkoulis, Grid Engineers
Moderator
- TBD
Description
The proof of a resilience strategy or solution is through the actual performance when an extreme event happens. The panelists will present such examples from observations or simulations from major events, including 3 decades of reconnaissance by GEER association, the levees design in Louisiana and their performance in Hurricane Ida, and simulations of different strategies for the Marshall wildfire. Actual country-wide cases from investments in transportation resilience in emerging markets by the World Bank will be analyzed. The panelists will be asked for their opinion on how these cases can be used to move the needle towards engineering design and innovative thinking for resilience, considering life quality parameters such as the time to functionally recover from an extreme event while ensuring life safety.
10:30 a.m.
Session 4b: Case Studies - Exploring Real World Implementation of Resilient Infrastructure -Wildfire
Speakers
- Maria Lehman, Director for US Infrastructure, GHD
Mabel Chedid, Ph.D., P.E., Geotechnical Engineer, WSP
J. Chen, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Sissy Nikolaou, NIST
T. Smith, Smith's Research & Gradings
Moderator
- Chris Clavin, NIST
Description
Panelists will discuss advances in engineering methods and tools available that can support financial decisions for resilience as an investment enhancement, and not as an add-on project cost. Applications will demonstrate how yearly returns can be generated and redirected to investments and cost cuts, independent to if the extreme event occurs. The role of innovation in enhancing private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships and resilience-linked bonds will be discussed as essential ingredients for strengthening America's Infrastructure with broader economic benefits.
11:30 a.m.
Networking Luncheon
12:30 p.m.
Session 4c: Products and Services for Architecture and Engineering
Speakers
- Tom Delworth
- Kelly Mahoney, Research Meteorologist, NOAA
Abbie Liel
Moderator
- Maria Honeycutt
- TBD
- TBD
- Bilal Ayyub, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, Professor & Director of the Center for Technology and Systems Management, University of Maryland (UMD)
Description
Together” is the key word in interdisciplinary relationships like the one between NOAA and ASCE. Without effective translation of our agency’s science into practical use, the best data is meaningless. This session will explore the beginning, middle, and end of this process, showing the state of the art at NOAA for forward-looking modeling, a report from the translation trenches, and perspectives on being at the recipient end of the value chain.
1:30 p.m.
Session 5: Synthesis - Working Together for Resilient Infrastructure Development
Speakers
Moderator
Description
Technical and business perspectives on working together, exploring opportunities to understand financial incentives to work collaboratively with builders, lenders, owners, insurers, and risk managers and making the case for sensible action to increase safety and reduce property loss.
2:30 p.m.
Key takeaways and summary
Speaker
3:00 p.m.
Workshop Adjourns