Facility Executive Live! Conference Speakers
At Facility Executive Live!, industry experts will present a variety of topics that are of critical importance to facility management professionals.
Speaker Line-up
Speaker Bio
Ellen Bell, Manager, Midwest Clean Energy, Environmental Defense Fund
Ellen Bell manages the EDF’s Redefining Energy Efficiency Project which works with commercial office buildings and other vendor and non-profit partners in Chicago to develop new approaches that value efficiency, advanced energy management and existing and emerging technologies as a source of revenue and helps to build new markets where efficiency measures will be readily adopted.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Kevin Borg, Director, Facilities and Project Management, UCLA Athletics
Kevin Borg is director of facilities and project management for the UCLA Athletics Department. He has worked for the university since 1982.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Brett Bridgeland, CEM, LEED AP, Energy Engineer, Seventhwave
Bridgeland is a licensed architect and an energy engineer with Seventhwave, a nonprofit firm providing energy efficiency engineering, education, research, and program delivery.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Jerry DiCola, CFM, SFP, FMP, Director, Facilities Operations, Horizon Pharma, Inc.
DiCola is the director, facilities operations for Horizon Pharma, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company with U.S. headquarters in Lake Forest, IL.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
John S. Friedlander, Senior Director, Security Risk Management, North America, Kroll
John Friedlander is a Senior Director at Kroll, based in the New York office. He has a varied security operational and administrative background, and has directed security management operations for leading financial firms, property management organizations, and high net worth individuals for nearly 20 years.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Tom Grimard, Associate Partner, Syska Hennessy Group
Grimard leads Syska Hennessy’s global Building Management System (BMS) and Smart Building practice area across the entire firm.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Nicholas P. Lawrence, Vice President, Intelligent Building Practice, Environmental Systems Design, Inc.
Having led the Technology Group at Environmental Systems Design (ESD) for many years, Lawrence is now vice president of the firm’s Intelligent Building Practice. Managing multiple projects with high levels of complexity to meet quality, schedule and budget commitments, he has expertise in budget management, resource planning, marketing, and international business.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Ralph Linne, MBA, CPM, BOC, Director of Facilities, Hamilton County, Ohio
Ralph Linne, the 2016 Facility Executive of the Year, is Director of Facilities for Hamilton County, Ohio, a position he has held since January, 2001. Prior to this position, Linne served as Facilities Services Manager for BOCC of Cuyahoga County Ohio. He has more than 25 years of facilities management experience, as well as over 35 years of construction management experience.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Jim Lord, Managing Director, Helbling & Associates, Inc.
Lord is a retained executive search consultant who specializes in securing executives for roles related to facilities management, construction, and real estate development.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
James (J.B.) Messer, Chief Facilities Officer, Community College of Allegheny County
James (J.B.) Messer, the 2013 Facility Executive of the Year, is chief facilities officer at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to joining CCAC, he was the director of Facilities Management at Oklahoma City Community College for 15 years and spent six years at the University of Oklahoma in utilities systems and power production management.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Travis Nelson, Senior Energy Efficiency Program Manager, ComEd
Travis Nelson has 13 years of energy industry experience. As a Senior Energy Efficiency Program Manager at ComEd, he is responsible The ComEd® Energy Efficiency Program standard/custom and data center offers.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Randall Niznick, Facility Manager, Retired US Navy Seabee
Niznick currently works for a Fortune 500 construction and building services company. He earned his B.Sc, Environmental Management from the University of Maryland University College.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Brad Shokes, Senior Vice President, Integrated Facilities Management, JLL
Brad Shokes is a Senior Vice President within the Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) service line at JLL and is the Business Lead for Facilities Flex.
Contributing Sessions
Speaker Bio
Robert P. Wengel, Vice President of Facilities, John G. Shedd Aquarium
Bob Wengel, the 2012 Facility Executive of the Year, has been with Shedd Aquarium in Chicago since 1995 and is currently the Vice President of Facilities. Wengel’s responsibilities include managing the Maintenance, Operations, Environmental Services, and Safety and Security departments and the administration of 20 maintenance service contracts that include elevator, chiller and fire system testing and maintenance, roofing and tuck pointing, and landscaping services.