AGENDA

Join the CFMA San Diego Chapter for a special afternoon at Petco Park! We’ve reserved group space for conference attendees & guests to enjoy as the Padres host the Miami Marlins. The stadium is a short walk from the hotel- no transportation needed!

Gates open: 11:40 AM
First pitch: 1:10 PM
Cost: $75 per person
Includes: Suite access, food, drinks, and fun!
Limited to: 50 guests

FLYER

REGISTRATION

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm (Sapphire West Foyer)

SPONSORED BY:

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Sapphire Terrace)

SPONSORED BY:

7:30 am - 8:15 am (Sapphire CD)

SPONSORED BY:

8:15 am - 8:30 am (Sapphire GH)

8:30 am - 9:45 am (Sapphire GH)

Presentation by:
Jamie Macartney, C.W. Driver
Kelly Farrell, Gensler

In the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, communities faced an urgent challenge: how to restore safe, functional learning environments for displaced students in a matter of weeks. This session recounts the real-world, high-pressure experience of designing and constructing a temporary campus under extreme time constraints and emotional stakes.

Attendees will explore how rapid collaboration between construction, design, and community stakeholders enabled swift decision-making, adaptive problem-solving, and thoughtful execution. The presenters will share lessons learned from balancing speed with safety, functionality, and student well-being, demonstrating how crisis response can become an opportunity to strengthen community resilience through intentional design and teamwork.

Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:

- Identify key strategies for rapid project mobilization and execution in post-disaster environments.

- Explain how cross-disciplinary collaboration between construction teams, designers, and community partners accelerates outcomes under compressed timelines.

- Evaluate design considerations unique to temporary educational facilities, including safety, functionality, and student experience.

- Apply lessons learned from emergency response projects to future capital planning, risk management, and contingency preparedness.

- Recognize the role of shared purpose and community commitment in delivering successful outcomes during crisis-driven projects.

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Business Management & Organization

SPONSORED BY:

9:45 am - 10:00 am (Sapphire CD)

SPONSORED BY:

10:00 am - 11:15 am (Sapphire GH)

Presentation by:
Amber Baker, CLA
Janine Butler, Forvis

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Taxes

SPONSORED BY:

11:15 am - 12:30 pm (Sapphire GH)

Presentation by:
Heather Waldenmayer, Elevated Advisors

A slow or disorganized close process holds back reporting, forecasting, and decision-making. This session dives into common month-end bottlenecks in construction accounting and offers a structured approach to improve timing, clarity, and team accountability. Learn how to benchmark your current process, uncover hidden delays, and walk away with practical solutions to streamline your close cycle. We’ll also explore how to align operating and accounting to create a close process that works under pressure, not just on paper.

Learning Objectives:

- Identify key phases of a month-end close cycle specific to construction, and understand which financial and operational activities most commonly contribute to delays, inaccuracies, or rework.

- Learn how to diagnose process breakdowns by reviewing dependencies across accounting, operations, and project management teams, and how to establish clear expectations around close deliverables.

- Explore a practical framework for redesigning the close process using checklists, sequencing strategies, and team alignment to reduce last-minute stress while improving accuracy and visibility.

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Accounting

SPONSORED BY:

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm (Sapphire Terrace)

SPONSORED BY:

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm (Sapphire GH)

Presentation By:
Russell Emig, Hoop5 Networks
Chris Flores, Hoop5 Networks

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a technology trend. It is quickly becoming part of how work actually gets done. In this session, we explore what it really means to become an AI-powered organization and how to adopt AI in a practical, secure, and responsible way. Attendees will learn how AI can reduce manual work, improve decision-making, and increase efficiency, while still protecting data, maintaining compliance, and supporting employees through change.

This presentation is designed for business leaders, finance professionals, and operations teams who want to understand AI in practical terms and leave with a clear, realistic roadmap for adoption.

Learning Objectives:

- Understand what an AI-powered organization looks like- Learn how AI changes day-to-day work, decision-making, and productivity and why it should be treated like a new team member, not just new software.

- Identify how roles and responsibilities evolve with AI- Understand how people work alongside AI, what new skills matter most, and why training and change management are critical to success.

- Recognize which processes benefit most from AI first- Learn how to spot high-impact, repeatable workflows where AI can save time, reduce errors, and improve outcomes without disrupting the business.

- Understand the importance of data, security, and governance- Gain clarity on why good data matters, how to keep sensitive information protected, and how governance enables safe and confident AI use rather than slowing it down.

- Leave with a practical roadmap for responsible AI adoption- Walk away with a phased, realistic approach to implementing AI that aligns with business goals, compliance requirements, and long-term sustainability.

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Information Technology

SPONSORED BY:

3:00 pm - 3:15 pm (Sapphire CD)

SPONSORED BY:

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm (Sapphire GH)

3:30 pm - 4:45 pm (Sapphire GH)

Presentation by:

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Business Management & Organization

SPONSORED BY:

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Sapphire Terrace)

SPONSORED BY:

7:15 am - 8:15 am (Sapphire CD)

7:15 am - 8:15 am (Sapphire CD)

SPONSORED BY:

8:15 am - 8:30 am (Sapphire GH)

8:30 am - 9:45 am (Sapphire GH)

Presentation by:
Dr. Anirban Basu, Sage Policy Group, Inc.

Everyone is speculating about what 2026 will bring.  After an incredibly active 2025, can the U.S. economy maintain its momentum, or will lingering economic uncertainty translate into the next recession?  In this fast-paced, data-driven presentation, we will monitor the latest trends in employment, housing, commercial real estate, financial markets, and output.  You can expect some surprises, perhaps an insight or two, and maybe even a few laughs as we characterize the present and predict the future.

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.

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Economics

SPONSORED BY:

9:45 am - 10:00 am (Sapphire CD)

SPONSORED BY:

10:00 am - 11:15 am (Sapphire GH)

Presentation by:
Dean Willingham, REDW
TBD, Baker Tilly

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Accounting

SPONSORED BY:

11:15 am - 12:30 pm (Sapphire GH)

Moderated by:
Kari Juvera, Enterprise Builders Corporation
Panelist:
Harry Schirer, Brady West, Inc.
Jay Baiel, DP Electric
Steve Ruelas, Griffith company

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Business Management & Organization

SPONSORED BY:

12:30 pm - 12:45 pm (Sapphire GH)

SPONSORD BY: