AGENDA

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE! See flyer below for details.

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: 65 guests

FLYER

SOLD OUT!

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

SPONSORED BY:

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

SPONSORED BY:

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

On January 7, 2025, devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles County, displacing thousands, including 2,500 students from Palisades Charter High School (Pali High). Just five years after pandemic shutdowns forced students into remote learning, returning to online education was not an option. In response, C.W. Driver and Gensler mobilized immediately to transform a vacant former Sears building in Santa Monica into a fully operational temporary high school, Pali High South, in just 25 days.

This session explores how rapid collaboration, municipal partnership, and mission-driven leadership made the impossible possible. From navigating adaptive reuse challenges and fast-tracked permitting to solving acoustics and circulation for 2,500 students, attendees will learn how urgency, trust, and community alignment can turn crisis into opportunity. More than a construction story, this is a case study in preserving normalcy, protecting student experience, and delivering under extraordinary pressure.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify strategies for accelerating design and construction in emergency response situations, including concurrent permitting, pre-qualified trade partners, and design-build coordination.

• Apply adaptive reuse principles to rapidly convert non-educational facilities into safe, functional learning environments.

• Implement creative contracting and procurement strategies by leveraging industry partnerships, donations, and off-the-shelf materials, to manage budget and schedule constraints.

• Build and mobilize high-trust teams under crisis conditions, including coordination with municipalities, inspectors, and large subcontractor workforces.

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Business
Management & Organization

Presentation Slides

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
Janeen Butler, Forvis

The One Big Beautiful Bill introduces significant tax changes that affect construction companies. This session breaks down the key provisions impacting contractors, highlights emerging guidance, and explores important tax issues from the 2026 filing season. Attendees will gain practical insights to help plan for upcoming changes and navigate the evolving tax landscape.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill affecting construction companies.

• Identify anticipated guidance and emerging income tax policy changes.

• Review significant tax issues and trends from the 2026 filing season.

Level: Overview
1.5 CPE Credits in Taxes

Presentation Slides

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

Presentation Slides

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 quickly becoming part of how work gets done, but its rapid adoption also introduces new risks. This session explores how AI tools work, what happens to the information employees share with them, and how cybercriminals are using AI to become more effective. Attendees will learn how to identify practical opportunities for AI while protecting sensitive data, establishing appropriate guardrails, and avoiding common security mistakes.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how AI tools work and how the data, prompts, and information provided to them can influence results and create potential security risks.

• Recognize how cybercriminals are using AI to improve phishing, social engineering, impersonation, and other attacks.

• Identify what information should and should not be shared with AI tools, including sensitive company, employee, client, and project data.

• Establish practical AI security and governance guidelines that allow employees to use AI productively without unnecessarily increasing organizational risk.

• Develop a responsible approach to AI adoption that balances productivity, security, compliance, and business objectives.

Level: Overview
1.5 CPE Credits in Information Technology

Presentation Slides

SPONSORED BY:

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

SPONSORED BY:

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

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

Presentation by:

Jase Hamilton, Cavignac
Jennifer Salling, IAT Insurance Group
Ted Lee, Merchants Bonding Company

This panel discussion brings together surety experts to share their perspective on the current condition of the marketplace. The panelist will give valuable insight into the current challenges that contractors face when obtaining credit, in internal look on how surety’s underwriter and provide some of the best practice to achieve maximum capacity in today’s marketplace.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn surety underwriting common practices and better understand how they extend bond credit   

• Understand how to improve your financial presentation to maximum your bonding program

• Understand how to navigate credit challenges in today’s market from a surety perspective

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Business
Management & Organization

Presentation Slides

SPONSORED BY:

5:00 pm - 7:00 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

Presentation Slides

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
Tim Lu, Baker Tilly

This presentation provides a comprehensive update on critical accounting and reporting topics relevant to construction finance professionals. We will explore recent developments in the presentation of contract assets and liabilities, including netting on a contract-by-contract basis, and discuss important considerations related to work-in-progress (WIP) and contract schedules. Attendees will gain insight into emerging ESG reporting requirements applicable to large construction firms, as well as a brief overview of relevant tax updates. The session will also cover recent guidance on accounting for joint ventures, including the impact of ASU 2023-05 and various reporting methods. Additionally, we will review the implications of common control arrangements under ASU 2018-17 and provide practical updates on cybersecurity and technology trends affecting construction finance. This update is designed to equip finance professionals with the knowledge needed to navigate evolving accounting standards and regulatory requirements effectively.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the latest guidance on the presentation and netting of contract assets and liabilities on a contract-by-contract basis.

• Identify key considerations related to work-in-progress (WIP) and contract schedule accounting in construction projects.

• Recognize the emerging ESG reporting requirements for large construction firms, particularly those operating in California.

• Summarize recent tax updates relevant to the construction industry and their potential impact on financial reporting.

• Explain the new accounting guidance for joint ventures under ASU 2023-05 and differentiate among the various JV reporting options.

• Describe the accounting implications of common control arrangements as outlined in ASU 2018-17, including the relief from VIE assessments.

• Appreciate the importance of cybersecurity and technology developments in safeguarding financial data and enhancing construction finance operations.

Level: Overview
1.5 CPE Credits in Accounting

Presentation Slides

SPONSORED BY:

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

Moderated by:
Kari Juvera, Enterprise Builders Corporation

Panelist:
Harry Schirer, Brady West, Inc.
Cindy Lee, Haydon Companies
Steve Ruelas, Griffith Company

This panel discussion brings together Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Controllers from leading construction companies to explore the unique challenges and opportunities they face in the rapidly evolving construction sector. With increased pressure on project profitability, cost management, and financial forecasting, the panel will share insights on best practices for ensuring financial stability, driving efficiency, and supporting long-term business growth. Key topics will include managing cash flow, mitigating risks in project financing, leveraging technology for financial reporting, and navigating economic uncertainty. The discussion will provide a platform to discuss strategies for aligning financial objectives with operational goals and how financial leadership is evolving in an industry with ever-changing demands.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding Financial Risks: Learn how to identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks specific to the construction industry, from fluctuating material costs to project delays.

2. Effective Cash Flow Management: Gain insights into best practices for maintaining positive cash flow across projects, including managing billing cycles, collections, and vendor relationships.

3. Leveraging Technology: Explore how technology and financial software can improve financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting, helping controllers & CFOs make data-driven decisions.

4. Cost Control Strategies: Discover strategies for controlling costs without compromising quality or project timelines, and how to work closely with project managers to ensure profitability.

5. Building Strategic Partnerships: Learn how to build stronger partnerships with contractors, investors, and clients to ensure long-term success and stability for the organization.

This session will equip controllers and CFOs with actionable strategies and a deeper understanding of the financial landscape in construction, enabling them to drive organizational success in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.

Level: Overview

1.5 CPE Credits in Business Management & Organization

SPONSORED BY:

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

SPONSORD BY: