Kermit Baker
Ph.D., Hon. AIA
Chief Economist
The American Institute of Architects

Kermit Baker, Ph.D. is Chief Economist for The American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Washington, DC. In this capacity, he analyzes business and construction trends for the U.S. economy, and examines their impact on AIA members and the architectural profession.

Baker originated the AIA's "Work on the Boards" survey, a monthly assessment of business conditions at architecture firms, as well as the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel, and writes a regular economics column for the AIA member newspaper, AIArchitect.

Baker is also the Project Director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. This research effort is aimed at developing an improved understanding of the dynamics of the U.S. repair and renovation industry.

Prior to joining the AIA, Baker was Vice President and Director of the Economics Department at Reed Business Information, where he was responsible for industry forecasting. During his ten years at Reed, he developed the Top U.S. Construction Markets report, and served as editor of Reed Business Information's Building and Construction Market Forecast newsletter.

Baker received his Masters degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University, and holds a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the same field. In 2002, Kermit was made an honorary member of the AIA.

Herbert W. Brownett CCIFP

Mr. Brownett is a highly accomplished professional widely recognized within the construction industry.  Currently he is Executive Vice President of Textura LLC, a construction industry internet SaaS.  Prior to joining Textura he was Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration at The Norwood Company, an ENR 400 Construction Manager and Design Builder based in West Chester, PA.  Before that Mr. Brownett worked as Vice President of Finance for The George Hyman Construction Company (Clark Construction) in Bethesda, MD.  

Mr. Brownett is a past National Chairman of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).  He is also a past President of CFMA’s Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter.  Mr. Brownett is currently active with the Philadelphia Chapter.  A CFMA member since 1988, he has served in numerous committee roles nationally and in local chapters.  

In his roles at the CFMA Mr. Brownett was a driving force behind the establishment of the Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals (ICCIFP).  He is the Past Chairman of the ICCIFP and serves on the Board of Trustees.  Mr. Brownett proudly holds CCIFP Certificate #1. 
Mr. Brownett is a frequent seminar presenter and author on subjects regarding construction financial management.  A construction financial professional for more than 30 years, he holds a BS and MBA in Finance/Accounting from Florida State University.  Mr. Brownett has completed the Wharton School of Finance Executive Strategic Planning Program. 

Tucker Carlson
Host, MSNBC's Tucker

Insightful commentary infused with passion: that’s what Tucker Carlson brings to any discussion of the issues, giving audiences his singular witty treatment of today’s current events and political headlines.

Provoking Commentary: As host of his own program on MSNBC, Tucker, Tucker Carlson deconstructs the day's news with wry skepticism, a unique perspective and provocative interviews. As longtime co-host of CNN's Crossfire, he provided insight and commentary "from the right," as he squared-off against the likes of James Carville and Paul Begala.

Wit and Insight: One of the media's wittiest and most entertaining commentators, Carlson is a frequent guest on NBC's The Chris Matthews Show. From the White House to the Middle East, he delivers concise, informed views on current events, drawing on interviews with top newsmakers, from President George W. Bush to Senator Hillary Clinton.

Media Mogul: Author of Politicians, Partisans and Parasites and a regular contributor to The Weekly Standard and Esquire, Carlson's work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Reader's Digest, Forbes and GQ. He was a finalist for a 2004 National Magazine Award for an Esquire article chronicling his trip to Africa with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

S. Richard (Rick) Fedrizzi
President, CEO & Founding Chairman
U.S. Green Building Council

Rick Fedrizzi, founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), was appointed President & CEO of USGBC in April 2004. Prior to USGBC, Rick was president of Green-Think, Inc., a consulting firm he founded after a 25-year career at United Technologies Corporation. Under his leadership, USGBC has embarked on a number of critical initiatives, such as the development of LEED Version 3.0 and the sustainable reconstruction of the Gulf Coast region. Rick is also driving the Council's comprehensive agenda on global climate change, which includes a major partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative to implement green building programs in the worlds' 40 largest cities; commitments via the Clinton Global Initiative to green school and residential construction; and internal imperatives to reduce carbon emissions. Rick also spearheaded a major refinement of the LEED Rating System in 2005; integration and capacity building for the Council’s 60+ local chapters; and an internal reorganization to align the Council’s resources with its strategic goals. Since Rick joined the Council, USGBC has launched three new rating systems (LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Commercial Interiors, and LEED for Core and Shell Development); upgraded and increased its educational offerings; nearly tripled in staff size; and welcomed more than 3,000 new members, including a new category for professional and trade associations, to the USGBC community.

Brad Haeberle
Vice President, Marketing
Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Brad Haeberle is the vice president of marketing for Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of energy and environmental solutions, building controls, fire safety and security solutions. He is responsible for the development of solutions that leverage each of these offerings to positively impact customer business operations and meet their ever-changing needs. 

Haeberle has spent nearly 14 years in the building technologies industry, with experience spanning sales and marketing for the Building Automation and Facility Management Services divisions, plus the development of customer satisfaction tools and the implementation of SBT e-business strategy and applications. Prior to joining Siemens, he worked for Mobil/Exxon running operations, sales, marketing and developing new customer technology solutions.    

Haeberle chairs the Siemens Building Technologies Sustainability Committee, is on the Board of Directors for the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA), and participates in the United States Green Buildings Council, American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), International Facility Management Association (IFMA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and various other industry associations and councils.

Haeberle is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s of business administration in finance, and the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management with a master of business administration.

Mark Johnson, FAIA, CKD, AIBD
Senior Manager, Architecture & Design Contract Marketing
Whirlpool Corporation

Mark Johnson is Senior Manager of Architecture & Design Marketing for Whirlpool Corporation.  He is a FAIA architect, NKBA Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD), and AIBD Professional Building Designer.  Mark was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2002 for his pioneering work in continuing education.  He holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as a Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA.

Mark practiced architecture on the West Coast for many years and worked for several award-winning firms, most notably AIA Gold Medallist, Charles Moore's office, Moore Ruble Yudell, recipient of the 2006 AIA National Firm Award.  He describes his career as one of bridge-builder between architects, designers, and the building product industry.  Mark now works for Whirlpool Corporation, where he leads their efforts to partner with the design and building industry by creating educational, informational, and experiential resources for design professionals.  He writes and speaks on behalf of the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Maytag, and Gladiator GarageWorks brands about design trends that impact residential architecture. 

Susan Kennedy, Director, Marketing, Sloan Valve Co.

M. Susan Kennedy is Director of Marketing for Sloan Valve Company, the world’s leading manufacturer of water-efficient plumbing systems. Ms. Kennedy has more than 25 years experience in marketing, sales and sales training and is a member of the American Marketing Association and the National Association of Female Executives. She is a member of the McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group’s Building Products Manufacturers Council and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers’ Advisory Council and has conducted roundtable discussions for the Economic Development Council of Chicago, the Philadelphia Area Labor-Management Committee and numerous other organizations.

Prior to joining Sloan Valve, Ms. Kennedy was Managing Director of Marketing for the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning. She also served as Director of Marketing for Valuation Counselors, Inc., and as Director of Business Development for Arthur Young accounting firm (Ernst & Young), Entrepreneurial Services Group. Ms. Kennedy managed and directed national marketing, strategic planning, sales training and business development efforts for these firms and designed and implemented several communication programs.

Dr Chris H. Luebkeman
Director for Global Foresight & Innovation
Arup Group, London

Chris Luebkeman refuses to be categorized. He has constantly, and consistently, occupied the ‘spaces between’ professions. He utilizes his enthusiastic belief in our Zeitgeist in his current position as Director for Global Foresight and Innovation at the Arup headquarters in London.

His experiences have enabled him to specialize in being a generalist with a view to being "in league with the future." He was listed as one of the ten futurist speculators and shapers “who will change the way we live”, in Wallpaper Magazine, July/August 2002. As an educator, he taught in the Departments of Architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology [ETH] in Zurich, the University of Oregon, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT].

Since 2003, Chris and his team (Arup Foresight, Innovation + Incubation) have conceptualized and facilitated over 60 workshops worldwide, including Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Russia, USA, Holland, and the UK, that explore the potential impact of leading drivers of change on the future of business. Over the years, the workshops have involved over 4000 participants, who have contributed to challenging the official futures and how they relate to different areas of business, including the retail and hospitality sectors. As well as assessing emerging trends and technologies, a series of workshops specializing in the future of the hotel explores how foresight by design can lead to enhanced business results. Research results have been visualized in creative outputs, including drivers of change cards and other innovative publications. Building upon insights gained from these events, Chris and his team have created a holistic body of knowledge that aims to inspire the future of business and advance the development of a sustainable built environment.

Sample of invited lectures and presentations in 2005/2006: American Institute of Architects [AIA] Executive Board, AIA Denver, Australian Property Council, British Telekom, Design Futures Council Executive Board, Deutsche Telekon, Green Building Council, European Union Research Directorates, US Gypsum, Warsaw School of Economics. 2007: National Retailers Association Annual Congress – New York

John Mothersole
Principal, Industry Practices

John Mothersole is a senior member of the Global Insight Industry Practice. He helps supervise the group's price and wage forecasts, is directly responsible for its nonferrous metal industry forecasts, and is an editor of the Supply Manager, the chief publication of the Pricing and Purchasing service. Other duties have included providing inflation analysis for the Global Insight U.S. Economic Forecasting Service and, with the Industry Practice, project manager for a wide range of cost escalation studies, including projects analyzing hazardous waste disposal, regional highway construction, rapid transit system construction, and international building costs.

In addition to his work with Global Insight clients, Mr. Mothersole has provided inflation analysis to the New York Times, Fortune, Bloomberg, Purchasing, the American Metal Market, Platts Metals Week and the Engineering-News Record. He has also provided commentary on inflation for ABC News, the Nightly Business Report, the Dow Jones New Service's morning newscast and USA Today's First Business report.

Mr. Mothersole joined Global Insight (DRI) in 1980 as an associate economist and has served in a number of positions within the Industry Practice. He received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland. Mr. Mothersole is a member of the National Association of Business Economists.

Robert Murray
Vice President, Economic Affairs
McGraw-Hill Construction

Robert Murray is Vice President of Economic Affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction, the leading source of project news, product information, industry analysis and editorial coverage for design and construction professionals.

Murray joined McGraw-Hill Construction in 1980 as an economist, with a primary focus on analyzing construction industry trends. In the mid-1980s he directed a team of economists that developed the Construction Market Forecasting Service, providing five-year projections for 22 building types by nine regions of the U.S. This product has subsequently become the pre-eminent forecast of the nation's construction industry, and it serves as the foundation for other construction and real estate forecast products offered by the McGraw-Hill Construction Analytics Group.

Murray is the author of the Construction Outlook, and also coordinates the five-year industry forecast and the Construction Market Forecasting Service, which analyzes national and regional trends for building products.

Murray received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University, and holds both an M.B.A. and a Master 's degree in economics from Columbia University.

David A. Wyss
Chief Economist at Standard & Poor's

David A. Wyss is chief economist at Standard & Poor's, based in New York. In this position, he is responsible for S&P's economic forecasts and publications, and co-authors the monthly Equity Insightand the weekly Financial Notes. He also manages research projects, especially in financial risk.

David joined Data Resources, Inc. in 1979 as an economist in the European Economic Service in London, which was acquired by McGraw-Hill. He came back to the United States in 1983 as Chief Financial Economist for DRI/McGraw-Hill, became chief economist for Standard & Poor's DRI in 1992, and chief economist for Standard & Poor's in 1999. Before joining DRI, Dr. Wyss was a Senior Staff Economist with the President's Council of Economic Advisers, Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Board, and Economic Advisor to the Bank of England.

David holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. David testifies regularly before Congress, is quoted regularly in the press, and has appeared on many major television programs. He has written many articles for popular and professional publications.

Norbert W. Young, Jr., FAIA
President, McGraw-Hill Construction

Norbert W. Young, Jr. is president of McGraw-Hill Construction, the leading source of project news, product information, industry analysis and editorial coverage for design and construction professionals. McGraw- Hill Construction is comprised of such prestigious brands as Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, Regional Publications and construction.com. Together, these brands serve as the leading provider of print and electronic products and services to the industrial, commercial and residential construction and building industry.

Norbert joined The McGraw-Hill Companies in December 1997 as vice president, editorial, for Dodge. Previous to Dodge, Mr. Young spent eight years with the Bovis Construction Group, a global leader in the management of high profile construction projects. In 1994, he was appointed president for the newly created Bovis Management Systems (BMS), which was established to serve the construction and project management needs for both private and public sector clients on a national, as well as global basis. Notable clients and projects which benefited from Mr. Young's involvement include the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Bank of America, NYNEX and Sun Microsystems.

During the 1980's, Young was a partner at Toombs Development Company, New Canaan, CT. He managed all aspects of design and construction, including governmental permitting and approvals for the firm's real estate developments in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Jersey.

He started his career in Philadelphia as an architect, where he gained 12 years experience covering a wide range of building types and projects. He holds a Master's of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor's of Arts from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME.

A registered architect, his professional affiliations include membership in the Urban Land Institute, a Fellow of The American Institute of Architects and the International Alliance for Interoperability, where he serves as Chairman of the IAI-NA Board of Directors. In addition, he serves as a trustee of the National Building Museum, is a regent of the American Architectural Foundation and an Overseer for the Graduate School of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania. He has lectured nationally on such topics as the impact of technology on the construction industry, project delivery approaches, managing the risk of the design and construction process and outsourcing trends.

Norbert resides in Greenwich, Connecticut with his wife, Christine.