| The Oregon Chapter of DBIA presented an Owner’s Roundtable at a virtual meeting on April 12th. This continues the chapter’s annual practice of organizing a diverse group of owners to discuss general topics related to Design-Build and other procurement methods. This year’s presentation featured Paul Odenthal (Senior Associate VP for Finance & Administration, Oregon State University), Jo Wells (Facilities Architect & Principal PM, City of Bend, Oregon), and Evan Schaye (Associate Design & Construction Manager, Providence Health Services).
The program started with a brief introduction and sponsor recognition and included a special “DEI Moment” from Amy James Neel (Workforce and Contracting Equity Manager for the Office of Planning and Capital Construction at Portland Community College). Amy discussed workplace safety focusing on diversity and inclusion related to how minorities and women are impacted in the construction industry. A lively roundtable discussion followed, moderated by current DBIA Oregon President, Josh Richards. The panel focused on topics such as “Why Design-Build?” and “What do you look for in a team and proposal?”. The panel shared stories and experiences with project delivery methods. Upcoming opportunities for each speakers’ respective organization were provided and the program concluded with responses to questions from the audience. Overall, the virtual presentation was well attended with representatives from all over the northwest region. |
