SPEAKERS

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer- Sage Policy Group, Inc.

Anirban Basu is the Chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, an economic and policy consulting firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland with an office in Orlando, Florida. 

In 2014, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan appointed him Chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission (2014-2021).  He serves as Chairman of the Baltimore County Economic Advisory Committee.  He also serves the chief economist function for Associated Builders and Contractors, the Construction Financial Management Association, the Modular Building Institute, the Maryland Bankers Association, the International Food Distributors Association, and several others.

In 2007, 2016, and 2022, the Daily Record newspaper selected Dr. Basu as one of Maryland’s 50 most influential people. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.

Dr. Basu is currently on the boards of the University of Maryland School of Law, St. Mary’s College, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the University System of Maryland Foundation, the Lyric Opera House, the B&O Railroad Museum, and the Center Club. He is also on Truist Bank’s advisory board.

Dr. Basu earned his B.S. in Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  He earned his Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and his Master’s in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.  He acquired his Juris Doctor at the University of Maryland School of Law.  He completed his doctoral work at UMBC with a concentration in health economics.

He has lectured at several universities, including Johns Hopkins University and Goucher College.

Managing Principal of Office- CLA

Amber Baker is a principal in CLA's real estate and retail industry groups and the Managing Principal for the Las Vegas Office. She has been in public accounting more than 18 years and specializes in tax planning for privately held businesses involved in retail, real estate development, investment, and construction. A niche area she services is Retail Oil & Gas – C-Stores, Gas Stations, and Car Washes. She also specializes in high net-worth individuals. She is responsible for all aspects of client service and engagement management including income tax compliance, income tax planning, strategic planning, and management consulting.

Senior Manager, Tax- Forvis

Janeen Butler, CCIFP, is a Senior Tax Manager at Forvis in Tempe, AZ. With over 15 years of experience with taxes, most of those in construction, Janeen enjoys helping clients navigate the complex and ever-changing tax code. She serves on local and national CFMA committees and teaches a tax policy course at Arizona State University in the School of Public Affairs to help non-accounting students understand the world of tax policy.

CISO- Hoop5 Networks

As Chief Information Security Office (CISO), Russ provides strategic guidance and security consulting to Hoop5 customers by working to align business objectives with technology solutions. Russ works to meet the unique needs of each client by developing IT Security strategies with a focus on DFARS, CMMC, ITAR, & NIST compliance.

Russ has over 18 years of IT and industry experience including procurement developer with a focus in security for SDG&E, and as a government contractor. Russ’ technical training and background include: Microsoft, VMware, Duo, Webroot, InTune, Meraki, Barracuda, Perception Point, SentinelOne, and Arctic Wolf. Russ has earned his CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP) and Certified CMMC Professional (CCP) certifications.

Co-Managing Director- Gensler

Kelly serves as Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Los Angeles office and leads the firm’s Global Lifestyle Sector. With an unshakable belief in the power of design to shape a better world, she inspires teams to reimagine how we live, connect, and thrive in our cities.

Kelly recently led interdisciplinary teams to create dignified housing solutions for unhoused veterans in West Los Angeles and to build a temporary high school for the displaced Palisades High community—in just under 30 days. These efforts reflect her unwavering commitment to using design as a force for good.

Kelly believes the future of our cities depends on our collective imagination and willingness to act. Her leadership is rooted in radical optimism—the conviction that even the most complex challenges can be met with creativity, collaboration, and compassion

Director of Engineering- Hoop5 Networks

Chris Flores is the Director of Engineering at Hoop5 Networks, where he leads the design and delivery of scalable, secure, and reliable technology solutions. With over 15 years of hands-on experience, Chris supports organizations ranging from small businesses to enterprise environments, helping improve efficiency, availability, and security across complex, multi-site systems.

In addition to leading engineering operations, Chris plays a key role in driving innovation at Hoop5, including the evaluation and responsible integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. His focus is on translating new capabilities into practical, real-world solutions that streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and reduce operational complexity without increasing risk.

Chris brings deep expertise across network infrastructure, cloud services, virtualization, storage, and disaster recovery. His technical background includes enterprise AI platforms, cloud and endpoint management, network infrastructure, and security technologies including Cisco, Dell, Meraki, Fortinet, VMware, Hyper-V, Azure, Copilot, and Intune.

Principal, Surety Department- Cavignac

Jase Hamilton is a surety broker and partner at Cavignac. With over 15 years of experience as a surety underwriter and broker, Jase specializes in structuring successful bond programs for both contract & commercial clients throughout North America. Jase is an active member of the surety and construction community including involvement in Surety Association of San Diego, Construction Financial Management Association of San Diego, the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, the Association of General Contractors, American Subcontractors Association and Associated Builders and Contractors.  

President- Enterprise Builders Corporation

Kari M. Juvera, CCIFP, CPA, CGMA, CRIS is President of Enterprise Builders Corporation, a large commercial general contractor based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this role, Kari leads daily operations, executes strategic initiatives, and supports business development efforts across the organization. Prior to entering the construction industry, she spent 11 years in public accounting and banking, building a strong financial foundation that continues to inform her leadership today.

Kari has been an active member of CFMA since 2004 and is currently a member of the Albuquerque Chapter. She has served in numerous chapter leadership roles, including President (2014–2015 and 2009–2010), Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. At the national level, Kari is an alumna of CFMA’s National Mentoring Program and CFMA at Spring Creek, and she has served on the CFMA Executive Committee (2016–2018) and as Chair of the CFMA Membership Committee (2016–2017).

In addition, Kari has held multiple leadership and advisory roles supporting CFMA certification efforts, including service on the Certification Board (formerly the ICCIFP Board of Trustees) from 2019–2022 and the ICCIFP Job Practice Analysis Task Force. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the CFMA Certification Division and as a CFMA Mentor, and she is an active member of the Leadership Development Committee (LDC), LDC Task Force, and the CCIFP Exam Development Committee.

Kari is a member of the AICPA, IMA, New Mexico Society of CPAs, and NAIOP. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Boise State University. She is the Past Chair of the Board for both the New Mexico Society of CPAs and the AICPA Governing Council, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors for NAIOP New Mexico.

Kari and her husband, Jose, live in Albuquerque with their son, Matthew, and are devoted caretakers to two Siamese cats..

CFO- Haydon Companies

Growing up in Phoenix, Cindy spent several summers working for her father’s business, learning about public accounting, and what it really means to be a business owner. An alumna of Xavier College Prep, Cindy played varsity golf the first year the team took first place at the state tournament. She went on to graduate from Claremont McKenna College with a degree in Economics/Accounting in 1985, returning to begin her accounting career on the audit staff of Price Waterhouse in Phoenix. Cindy continued to work in public accounting, achieving the rank of Audit Manager with Virchow, Krause & Co. In 1994, she left public accounting to accept the position of CFO and Treasurer of a client, H.E.R.C., Inc., who was making a public offering. Cindy later worked for Schuff Steel as their controller and as CFO for Pulice Construction.

With a wealth of experience in public accounting and construction, she arrived at Haydon with a broad network of peers across accounting departments in construction companies and has worked to further build that community of supportive professionals. Believing that in order to be truly effective, she must continually travel outside of the organization to broaden her idea of what is possible, she vows to, “always stay in motion and to always be growing.” Cindy’s thirst for knowledge and idea-sharing has spread to the rest of Haydon, making the workplace even more collaborative.

Cindy is a proud member of the Valley of the Sun chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), having served as the chapter president from 2006-2007.

When Cindy is not managing the financial accounting department at Haydon, you can find her traveling abroad with her family, swimming laps in her pool, working on home improvement and DIY projects, or trying a new recipe in the kitchen while drinking wine and bingeing on Netflix. She is an avid reader of all things non-fiction, believing that the truth is always more interesting than anything fictional.

Contract Underwriting Manager- Merchants Bonding company

Ted Lee is the Southern California Territory Manager at Merchants Bonding Company, where he leads a team of local underwriters in managing middle market accounts. He brings over a decade of experience in the surety industry, having begun his career with Tokio Marine HCC Surety Group, where he underwrote specialty, standard, and subdivision contract business. In 2020, he joined Liberty Mutual Surety’s Surety Plus division, focusing on standard and subdivision middle-market accounts. He transitioned to Merchants Bonding Company in 2024, continuing to build strong relationships and deliver underwriting expertise across his territory.

Originally from Korea and raised in Southern California, Ted earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis, where he met his wife. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton. He and his wife currently reside in Southern California with their dog.

Outside of work, Ted enjoys gardening, exploring new foods, and spending time with friends and family. An avid traveler, he has visited 49 states and looks forward to completing his goal of visiting all 50 with a trip to Alaska.

Senior Manager Assurance and Consulting- Baker Tilly

Tim has practiced public accounting since 2012, with a focus on serving middle-market clients in the construction and real estate industries. He has experience in all aspects of performing financial statement audits, reviews, and compilations, including financial statement preparation and the evaluation of internal controls. He also has been involved in performing agreed-upon procedures, engagements and consulting projects. Tim is committed to staying current   on the latest standards and regulations and prides himself in building long-lasting relationships with his clients.

Project Executive- C.W. Driver

Jamie Macartney is a project executive at C.W. Driver Companies. With 20+ years of experience, he provides direct oversight of projects from inception to close-out. Early in Jamie’s career he was on the front end of the design and construction process with a background in urban design, city planning and project development with extensive experience across the U.S. and New Zealand.

Currently Jamie manages the financial health, contracts, and most importantly relationships, on a mix of education and private projects within C.W. Driver’s portfolio. Most recently, he worked on the fast-tracked development of the temporary Palisades Charter High School, a state of the art Green House facility and California State University Fullerton’s new Visual Arts campus.

Developing collaborative community spaces is Jamie’s biggest passion.

Vice President, CFO - Griffith Company

In 2014 Steve joined Griffith Company as a Job Cost Controller. Within a few years of joining he became the Corporate Controller and ultimately Chief Financial Officer. In his current role Steve is responsible for overseeing the operational accounting, financial management, and treasury functions of the organization.

Prior to joining Griffith Company Steve spent nearly 15 years serving in the role of financial manager for both Mechanical and Electrical construction firms. During that time he sharpened his skills in job cost accounting, joint venture accounting, ERP conversions, process improvements and internal control development. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles and an MBA from California State University at Fullerton. Steve has been a member of the Orange County Chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) since 2010 and also served as chapter President in 2014/2015.

Regional Contract Manager- IAT Insurance Group

Jennifer Salling serves as the Regional Contract Manager for Southern California at IAT Insurance Group, bringing 15 years of experience in surety underwriting and contract program support. She works closely with agents and contractors across the region to deliver strategic bonding solutions and foster strong, long‑term partnerships.

Jennifer remains engaged in the broader surety community through her involvement with the Surety Association of San Diego, the Surety Association of Southern California, and Women in Surety.

Outside the office, she enjoys time with her husband, two sons, and their dog.

CFO- Brady West, Inc.

Harry Schirer has three decades of experience in Accounting and Finance, with a notable emphasis in the construction industry spanning 20 years.

For the past dozen years, Harry has served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Brady West Inc., a specialty subcontractor with offices in La Mesa, CA, Anaheim, CA, and Castroville, CA. Prior to his tenure at Brady West, Harry held the CFO position for eight years at Neal Electric Corporation, an electrical subcontractor based in Vista, CA.

Harry’s career began with roles outside the construction domain. He initially served as the Financial Accounting Manager at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, where he spent seven years. Preceding this tenure, Harry amassed five years of experience in the computer hardware and software industries.

Harry holds an undergraduate degree from the University of San Diego, Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Redlands. Additionally, he has a Certificate in Contract Management from San Diego State University.

Harry achieved the Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) designation in January 2016.

Founder- Elevated Advisors

Heather Waldenmayer is the founder of Elevated Advisors, a consulting firm providing outsourced accounting and CFO services specifically for construction contractors. With over 20 years of experience in construction finance, Heather specializes in helping contractors gain visibility into their financial performance and maintain clean, accurate statements that banks and sureties recognize and trust. She is a former National Chair of the Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals (ICCIFP) and a regular CFMA presenter. Known for her engaging and practical teaching style, Heather delivers real-world sessions that provide attendees with actional templates and frameworks they can implement immediately within their own organizations.

Principal, Audit & Assurance- REDW

Dean is a leader in REDW's Audit & Assurance practice with deep expertise in construction, real estate development, government contracting, technology, and start-ups. He specializes in performing and supervising audits for privately held and middle -market companies, with a proven track record of helping clients balance risk, strengthen controls, and optimize performance. Dean has been recognized as a "Best-in-State CPA" by Forbes and has received multiple industry awards, including Outstanding Associate Member of the Year from the Construction Financial Management Association.