2023 Minnesota Construction Summit

Tuesday, January 17

8:00 a.m.

Jake Thompson

Compete Every Day: How to Unlock Your Competitive Advantage in Life

Today’s ultra-competitive landscape requires a special mindset and skillset in order to create – and maintain – a leading edge. Fortunately, these are two areas that are not determined at birth, but instead can be effectively built with the right focus and choices. Discover how embracing a competitive, growth-oriented mindset will foster professional and personal development at an unparalleled level and position you with an advantage in your customers’ eyes. 

But in order to rise to this elite level, one must first understand how to make elite choices. In this session, Jake will show you how to do exactly that and create a daily plan of attack to ensure you stay consistent with it.

Wednesday, January 18

8:00 a.m.

Facilitator: Tina Nazier

Recruiting & Training the Next Generation | Panel Discussion

In this general session, Tina Nazier, Wipfli LLP, will lead a panelist of four individuals who recently decided what construction firm to work with full-time. It is well known that young professionals in the industry are highly sought after and bring a different perspective to the recruiting and hiring process. The panelists will share their decision-making process and what they currently think about the future of the construction industry.

How to Attract & Retain Top Talent with Compelling Online Presence

Did you know some of the same strategies you use to attract potential clients can also be used to attract top talent to your organization? Find out how to create a compelling online presence that showcases your unique company culture and helps you attract the right team members for your organization.

Paul Burke

Hiring & Retaining the Ideal Team Player in Your Organization

This workshop will give participants a framework along with easy-to-use tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players. Based on The Ideal Team Player, a Patrick Lencioni bestseller, three critical traits a person must have to be an ideal team player will be discussed. Attendees will leave the session with information and tools that can be immediately leveraged within their organization. The session will conclude with a discussion about employee engagement and provide tools for leaders to quickly impact their teams to help take on the universal problem of job dissatisfaction with a practical, new approach for engaging employees to maximize their potential.

The Human Expression of Self, Brand and Leadership

Are you benefiting from the Presence Effect? All communication and sales studies conclude that less than 50% of your overall impression is what you say. The rest is your presence. 20 year AEC presentation/interview trainer and former Filmmaker Dean Lincoln Hyers makes soft-skills tangible so you can round all your communication up and win over prospects, clients, teams and individuals with winning presence, powerful storytelling, and instant connection that gives you an edge.

Cover Your Assets! Construction Insurance Tips, Tricks & Traps

The construction industry is rapidly evolving, and contractors who fail to update their insurance practices may wind up with uncovered or under-covered claims. In this presentation, construction and insurance coverage attorneys will discuss how to manage risk and ensure proper insurance coverage on construction projects. Topics will include: (1) common policies and the basic anatomy of each, (2) additional insured and indemnity considerations, (3) tips for drafting insurance requirements in subcontracts, and (4) responding to disputes with insurers.

Hot Topics in Labor: PLAs, Jurisdictional Disputes, Prevailing Wages & Davis Bacon, Federal Vaccine Ruling

This session will discuss current hot topics in labor law relevant to the construction industry, including project labor agreements, prevailing wages, and the Davis Bacon Act.

We developed a DEI plan. Now what?

Explore effective ways to take real action around your DEI strategy. Don't have a solid strategy yet? We'll discuss best practices, pitfalls to avoid and success stories from within the industry.

Public Owners - What Keeps Them Up at Night?

Back by popular demand! 2022 has been a tumultuous year for contractors and owners alike. Hear from the Department of Administration, MnDOT, Hennepin County, Met Council, and other invited public facility owners on their future plans, goals, and project delivery.

The True Dirt on Geotechnical Evaluations

Geotechnical Evaluations may seem like a "boring" waste of paper, however given the potential risk and uncertainties involved in soils, they should not be ignored. We will discuss what are the key items you should look for in the report, how to interpret boring logs, and how you can mitigate soils risk on your project.

Work Zone Safety and Automated Enforcement: I-94 Field Operations Test

Session Description coming soon.

Utility Infrastructure

Session Description coming soon.

High Exposure from High Tech: Preparing for Legal Risks Posed by High Tech Advancements in the Construction Industry

This presentation will discuss some of the latest technological developments in the construction industry and the legal risks they pose for contractors. Then we will discuss ways for contractors to prepare their contracts, insurance, practices, and procedures so they can focus on the benefits these technologies can have on cost and efficiency, as opposed to being snagged by the new risks these technologies pose. Specifical technologies discussed will be artificial intelligence, drones, and other autonomous and semi-autonomous machines.

More information coming soon!

KEYNOTE: Jake Thompson

Chief Encouragement Officer, Compete Every Day

Jake Thompson is an author, keynote speaker, and the Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, a brand he started in 2011 by first selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car. Jake works with organizations all over the world as a performance coach, teaching how they can develop the focus, habits, and culture in order to grow their businesses and their individual lives. He currently lives in Dallas (TX) with his wife Elena, and their three rescue dogs, Sugar, Biscuit, & Donut.

KEYNOTE: Tina Nazier, MBA, CPC, CCM

Director, Strategic Alignment, Wipfli

As the national leader of Wipfli’s Construction and Real Estate Strategy team, Tina works with construction and real estate clients across the country to assist them in getting all they want out of their business. From creating the ideal future vision of the company, to attracting and engaging the right workforce, and ensuring an efficient operation, Tina helps owners and top executives achieve their individual and company ideal future state.

Tim Worke

CEO AGC of Minnesota  

Tim Worke is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, the state’s oldest and largest commercial contracting trade association with over 400 members statewide representing both building and transportation infrastructure market sectors.  Prior to being named CEO, Tim served as AGC’s Director of Highways & Transportation from 2003-2017. 

The first half of Tim’s career was spent with the Minnesota Department of Transportation working in the areas of legislative relations and policy development.  Tim served as the DOT’s Director of Federal Government Relations throughout most of the 1990s and managed the DOT’s Office of Government Relations from 1999-2003 overseeing both state and federal legislative matters for the agency.  Tim is a 1985 graduate of the University of Minnesota with B.A Degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice. Tim and his wife Karen live in Eagan, MN.  They have 2 children and 2 grandchildren.    

Laura Ziegler

Director of Highway/Heavy & Government Affairs, AGC of Minnesota

Laura Ziegler joined Associated General Contractors of MN in 2018 and serves as the Director of Highway/Heavy & Government Affairs.  Laura's role includes being the principal staff resource for managing and directing AGC's legislative policy and regulatory agenda.  She represents the construction industry at the Minnesota Legislature and with state agencies, as well as the federal government and Congress. She has a passion for the three P’s: policy, politics, and not the Packers.