VOICEThe The official magazine of The Construction Users Roundtable Register for the National Conference! www.curtnc.com Issue 4, 2025 New Construction Connections Podcast Sparks ConversationsThe Construction Users Roundtable 3 VOICE The The official magazine of The Construction Users Roundtable :M OQ[\MZNWZ\PM6I\QWVIT +WVNMZMVKM ___ K]Z \VK KWU Issue 4, 2025 6M_ +WV[\Z]K\QWV +WVVMK\QWV[ 8WLKI[\;XIZS[ +WV^MZ[I\QWV[ LEADERSHIP 5 This Issue’s Experts 7 A Message from the CURT Chairman of the Board THE COVER 8 On the Air: CURT's New Construction Connections Podcast Sparks Conversations 11 Adapting and Rebuilding: How the Construction Industry Strengthens Communities After Natural Disasters 13 AI, Web 3, and the Future of Work: Solving Knowledge Loss and Empowering CURT Members 15 Strong Minds, Safe Workplaces: Ensuring Mentally Safe Cultures in the Construction Workplace LEADERSHIP Your Subscription Your Way! Scan this QR code or email distribution@matrixgroupinc.net to subscribe or update your existing subscription information. Note, The VOICE is free for representatives of CURT member companies. FEATURES Have a listen to CURT's Construction Connections podcasts! It's an easy way to stay informed about all the latest topics that are important to construction leaders, including safety, artificial intelligence, mental health, building women leaders, solving construction’s pre-project slowdowns, and more. Join Greg Sizemore for an episode today at www.youtube.com/ @constructionusersroundtabl7017. 17 Field to Boardroom: Lessons on Why Skilled Labor Wins Projects 18 Index to AdvertisersThe Construction Users Roundtable 5 As Director of Marketing for the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT), Austin Fowler develops and executes strategic marketing initiatives to enhance brand visibility, drive engagement, and support business growth. His role includes overseeing digital and traditional marketing efforts, optimizing campaigns through data-driven insights, and ensuring consistent messaging across all channels. Angela Skow is Vice President and Leader for Large and Complex Construction with CNA Insurance Company in Dallas, Texas. Angela joined CNA in 2021, and, in her role, she supports construction industry clients by providing solutions to manage risk and financial impacts. Before joining CNA, she served as a Senior Account Executive with Aon in the Dallas office and also served as a Vice President, Controlled Insurance Programs with Zurich for more than 13 years. Prior to assuming her role at Zurich, Angela was with Argonaut Insurance Group for over 20 years, where she served in underwriting and management roles. Thank You to the Contributors who Shared Their Expertise This Issue. THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS Cal Beyer , CWP, NAC is Sr. Director for SAFE Workplaces for the national nonprofit SAFE Project. SAFE stands for Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic. Beyer serves on the Executive Committee for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the Lived Experience Advisory Committee of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. He helped launch the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention in 2016. Beyer has regularly contributed to The VOICE since 2020. He is a member of the class of 2025 of the National Academy of Construction. Contact Beyer at cal@safeproject.us or cell via 651-307-7883. Learn more at www.safeproject.us. William W. Brown is the Executive Director of Ideal Contracting, Detroit, MI, which is also a minority business enterprise specializing in industrial construction. He spent the majority of his career from June 1967 to January 2020 at Ben Hur Construction Company in various positions, ending as Chairman and serving currently as Chairman Emeritus. He is a member of Ironworkers Local Union No. 396 in St. Louis, MO. Jim Ellis is the current Chair of CURT. He is retired from Microsoft Corporation, and he has over 40 years of experience in business, operations, project management, and more. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Ellisian, a global consulting and technology company dedicated to helping organizations develop safe, sustainable, and efficient capital projects. Trey Fleming founded iSPAI in 2024 and is the architect behind the company’s vision. He has nearly 30 years of experience working in technogy consulting, systems integration, outsourcing, research, and advisory services. He has worked with a variety of companies throughout his career with an industry focus on oil and gas, energy, and utilities. Trey is a certified expert in Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) (via the Blockchain Council) and began his career in politics and government. The VOICE Write for If you’re interested, please send a short abstract and your contact information to: editor@matrixgroupinc.net Please note: Articles must be educational in nature. Submissions that promote a specific product or service will not be considered. All content is subject to editorial review and final approval by CURT. Share your expertise and help shape the future of construction through The VOICE. Do you have insights or ideas that would benefit construction owners across the United States? The VOICE, CURT’s official publication, is looking for industry experts to contribute articles for upcoming issues. • Sustainability • Technology & Productivity • Procurement & Contracting • Lean Project Delivery • Talent Solutions • Offsite Construction/ Modularization • Construction Research • Safety We welcome original content that explores topics important to CURT members, including:EVENTHIGHLIGHTS SPONSORS RenaissanceOrlandoat SeaWorld Feb02,–Feb05,2026 Orlando,Florida SPEAKERS RegisterToday! WWW.CURTNC.COM 2026CURT NATIONAL CONFERENCE Don’tjustwatchthefutureunfold-buildit. Registertoday! JohnMoehnke GregSizemore AnirbanBasu KevinSell AngelaSkowPeteDumont MattGierkle KarenKeniff KennSullivanBrianLines InnovativeConstructionStrategies OwnerPerspectives IndustryLeadershipExpertise EconomicMarketTrends Women’sLeadershipInitiative Prepareforaseismicshiftatthe2026 CURTNationalConference.Thisisn't justanotherindustryevent;it'sa launchpadforgroundbreaking strategies,unparalleledconnections, andarevolutioninperformance. AlanPyleGretchenGagleMarkBridgersHerbStrongShaneHanson JonHayes EdLuckenbach BrianLanghorst JenniferWilkerson Disclaimer:Theinformationprovidedwasaccurateatthetimeofprintingandissubjecttochangewithoutnotice. NicholasJohnsonThe Construction Users Roundtable 7 WORDS OF WISDOM A Message from the CURT Chairman of the Board. Meeting the Moment: CURT’s Vision for the Future A s we close out 2025 and reflect on more than two decades of advancing meaningful change in the capital project and construction industries, the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) continues to embrace a renewed sense of purpose. With the stakes rising across public and private infrastructure investment, CURT is launching two new Sprint Teams to help the industry confront urgent realities – and position our capital project industry and stakeholders for long-term, sustainable success. The first team, Challenges Associated with Pre-Construction, focuses on one of the most overlooked but mission-critical phases of project delivery. Partnering with the Simplar Foundation, a global leader in organizational research, the team is conducting foundational studies to identify systemic bottlenecks, cost inefficiencies, and missed value opportunities that arise before the shovels even hit the ground. The findings will be presented during the CURT National Conference, February 2-5, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. The groundwork will be laid with broad industry insights and best practices for owners and stakeholders to build a stronger, more data-driven business case for early-stage alignment and investment. The second team, Breaking Barriers to Delivering Capital Project Excellence, was born out of necessity. With $2 to $3 trillion or more in capital infrastructure expected globally over the next decade – including upwards of $1 to $2 trillion in the United States alone – the capacity to deliver projects safely, efficiently, predictably, sustainably, and productively is in jeopardy. This team’s mission is to raise broader stakeholder awareness – including national – of the mounting challenges that threaten capital execution; from delays in permitting, and labor shortages, to power constraints, supply volatility, and declining craft availability and field productivity. Through this effort, CURT aims to elevate construction on the policy agenda, not merely as a cost center, but as a national strategic capability imperative that is vital to all market verticals, including energy, manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and beyond. Our goal is not simply to diagnose the problems. These Sprint Teams represent a broader call for unity, alignment, and shared accountability across industry, governments, academia, and all capital project stakeholders. We need coordinated action from Chief Officer (C-suite) leaders, policymakers, labor organizations, and field-level champions to reframe the capital project construction ecosystem – from fragmented and reactive to strategic and integrated. Together, we can ensure that growth is not just aspirational, but actionable. Aspiration without taking definitive action to break real barriers facing our industry is a recipe for failure! We need and seek out each member’s support in these critical initiatives. This work is also deeply human. Behind every capital project and investment line item are people: planners, engineers, craft professionals, designers, and suppliers who wake up every day with the intent of making progress possible. At CURT, we believe that recognizing and celebrating their achievements is more than merely symbolic, it’s essential. That’s why our Awards of Excellence remain a centerpiece of our annual gathering and gala. Whether honoring world- class safety, capital efficiency, or outstanding workforce development, these awards remind us of what excellence looks like, and why it matters. So, as we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we invite you to join us at our National Conference in Orlando, Florida, and our quarterly events, as we raise a glass to what’s working, confront what’s not, and recommit to a future where capital projects are delivered with safety and employee well-being, integrity, purpose, and pride. This is a defining moment for our industry, being led by CURT and its members. Let’s meet the moment together! Together, we can ensure that growth is not just aspirational, but actionable. Aspiration without taking definitive action to break real barriers facing our industry is a recipe for failure! ‘ ‘8 Helping owners achieve the most productive use of every capital dollar. FEATURE On the Air CURT's New Construction Connections Podcast Sparks Conversations. S ome of the best lessons in construction don’t come from a classroom or a training manual. Many of them come from conversations – the kind you have while walking a job site, waiting on a flight, or swapping stories over coffee. These are the moments when ideas spark, problems get solved, and better ways of working emerge. That’s the spirit behind the Construction Connections podcast, which is powered by the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT). Hosted by CURT’s President, Greg Sizemore, the show is focused on talking with the people who know the industry inside and out – and sharing those conversations for the benefit of others. At its core, construction has always been about people. You can have the best technology, the strongest materials, and the sharpest blueprints, but projects move forward because of the relationships behind them. It’s the handshake that kicks things off, the tough conversation that clears a roadblock, and the brainstorming session that sparks a breakthrough. The right conversation at the right time can change everything. It can save a project from delays, help a team find a solution to a problem differently, or even launch someone’s career in a new direction. That’s what Construction Connections is designed to capture and share. The podcast makes sense because it mirrors the way our industry works. It’s not about long reports gathering dust on By Austin Fowler, Director of Marketing, Construction Users Roundtable a shelf or scripted presentations that feel disconnected from the challenges in the field. Instead, it’s a living conversation – direct, practical, and personal. You can listen while commuting, walking a site, or even in the office between meetings. Greg Sizemore brings in voices from across the industry – owners, contractors, safety leaders, innovators – so listeners can get the full spectrum of perspectives. By recording these discussions and making them widely available, CURT is creating a space in which everyone can benefit from the types of dialogue that usually happen behind closed doors. In other words, the podcast is a digital extension of what CURT has always stood for: connecting people, ideas, and solutions in ways that move construction forward. In one particularly impactful episode with Kevin Sell, Senior Manager of Corporate Development at Kwest Group, Greg and Kevin explored preconstruction delays – a common frustration that many complain about, but few address directly. Kevin shared real stories from the field: a multimillion-dollar project held up for months because of permitting issues. Another, a project held back because of delayed input from a subcontractor. These were not abstract examples; they were projects that affected real people, real schedules, and real consequences were at stake. Together, Greg and Kevin explored how early collaboration, and better communication could prevent similar delays to future projects. During this podcast, they also highlighted research that CURT is conducting with the Simplar Foundation to identify actionable solutions, showing how practical ideas can emerge from careful analysis of real-world projects. In another episode, Dr. Gretchen Gagel shared her journey as a woman in a male-dominated industry. She recounted some of the challenges of being the only woman in the room during critical design meetings early in her career, detailing how she had to quickly learn ways to assert her voice without alienating her colleagues. The Construction Users Roundtable 9 During this episode, Gagel also celebrated the success of CURT’s Women’s Leadership Cohorts, explaining how these programs are geared to help participants gain confidence, navigate complex workplace dynamics, and take on leadership roles they might not have pursued otherwise. (Issue 3, 2025 of The VOICE featured an article on this topic. You can read it for free on CURT’s website). Her stories weren’t only inspirational – they offered tangible lessons for anyone navigating challenging environments. Safety was front and center in the episode with Herb Strong, a seasoned safety professional with HazTek. Herb shared anecdotes about job sites where issues such as mental health and communication gaps created hazards that could have been avoided. He spoke about how Sprint Teams, which are small, focused groups tackling specific safety challenges, can quickly implement improvements and prevent accidents. He also discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to influence safety protocols, offering insights on technology that listeners could consider for their own teams. His insights gave real-world examples that revealed ways in which thoughtful safety practices can directly impact lives, schedules, and project costs. These episodes illustrate some of the reasons that Construction Connections seems more like a conversation with a trusted colleague than an impersonal formal interview. Every story is grounded in the realities of the industry, every lesson is applicable, and every guest offers a perspective shaped by personal experience. The podcast works largely because it feels authentic. Guests don’t sugarcoat the challenges they are discussing, and Greg doesn’t let the conversation drift into mere buzzwords. There’s a level of honesty in every episode that brings much value to the topic under discussion. Construction is currently faced with several unprecedented challenges, which include workforce shortages, rising costs, tighter regulations, and ongoing technological change. Leaders need access to insights that can move the needle of useable change. Construction Connections delivers those insights by combining experience, stories, and practical advice – all in one place. For CURT, the podcast is an extension of its mission of connecting people while sharing knowledge. For over 25 years, CURT has been the place where owners, contractors, and partners come together to set higher standards for the industry. The podcast takes that same energy and makes it available anytime, anywhere. Every new episode adds to a growing library of insights. From tackling preconstruction bottlenecks and workforce challenges to advancing leadership and safety practices, the podcast is documenting the way industry leaders think and act today. Years from now, it will serve as a record of how the construction industry faced challenges, adapted, and innovated. Construction Connections is not simply about the projects we build; it’s about the people, relationships, and ideas that make those projects possible. By capturing these stories, CURT is preserving knowledge that will benefit the industry for years to come. At the end of the day, construction is about people – not just the structures we build, but the relationships we form along the way. • If you’ve got a story, a lesson, or a perspective worth sharing, Construction Connections is your platform. • Interested in being a guest? Email afowler@curt.org. The future of construction doesn’t just come from the plans we draw up. It comes from the conversations we have together. As Director of Marketing for the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT), Austin Fowler develops and executes strategic marketing initiatives to enhance brand visibility, drive engagement, and support business growth. His role includes overseeing digital and traditional marketing efforts, optimizing campaigns through data-driven insights, and ensuring consistent messaging across all channels. Scan this QR code for easy access to the Construction Connections podcast. It's a great way to listen or watch, no matter where you’re at during your day! Join Greg Sizemore for CURT’s Construction Connections podcast. Conversation topics include safety, artificial intelligence, mental health, building women leaders, solving construction’s pre-project slowdowns, and more!Next >