Engineering News-Record Announces Keynote Speakers for 4th Annual "Groundbreaking Women in Construction" Conference, May 14-15 in NYC

NEW YORK, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Construction's Engineering News-Record (ENR, http://enr.construction.com), in partnership with Peckar & Abramson, P.C., today announced the keynote speakers for the fourth annual "Groundbreaking Women in Construction" leadership conference, to be held May 14-15 at The McGraw-Hill Companies' headquarters, 1221 Avenue of the Americas in New York City.

Gail Grimmett, senior vice president, New York, Delta Air Lines, will keynote on May 14.  As the highest ranking executive based in New York, Gail is charged with developing and achieving Delta's key strategic objectives for New York State.  Within this role, she is responsible for the financial performance of all of Delta's New York routes and oversees all commercial functions, including marketing, commercial sales, sponsorships, community relations and the customer experience at the airports.

Joanne Podell, executive vice president, retail services, Cushman & Wakefield, will keynote on May 15.  Joanne has more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience, specializing in both tenant and landlord representation, and lease negotiations throughout Manhattan.  Retail assignments include the roll-out of Ann Taylor's "Loft" concept (five locations to date) and the opening of its latest prototype store.  Ms. Podell also handles site acquisition and strategic disposition for Nine West and Ethan Allen in Manhattan.

Themed "Building Relationships that Build Careers," the event supports the advancement of women in the global design and construction industry.  Attendees including CEOs, decision makers, business leaders and entrepreneurs in the construction, architecture, engineering, and real estate sectors will learn success strategies from women who have advanced through the ranks, explore the shifting dynamics in male-dominated firms, and foster important connections to further their careers.

Additional speakers will include representatives from AECOM, AISC, AKF Group, LLC, Architectural Record, Audrey Matlock Architect, BASF Corporation, Bridges to Prosperity, Catalyst, Chubb & Son, Inc., Clark Construction Group, Cragnolin Engineering & Design Associates, ECFG, E-J Electric Installation Co., Forest City Ratner Companies, FXFOWLE Architects, Gilbane Building Company, Kleinberg Electric, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Lee Lewis Construction, M&W Group, McCarthy Building Companies,  Nova Group, Inc., Pars Environmental, Inc., Parsons Brinckerhoff, Parsons Corporation, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. (also the event partner), The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Sciame, Structure Tone, STV, Thornton Tomasetti, Turner Construction Company, and Weiss/Manfredi.

The event's Silver Sponsors are AKF Group, BASF B4 Consulting, Chubb & Son, Inc., Delta Air Lines, Gilbane, STV, and Tishman.  The event's bronze sponsor is Structure Tone. Supporting Sponsors include Association of Real Estate Women, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, Nontraditional Employment for Women, Society for Marketing Professional Services, and Advancing Women in Transportation – Greater New York Chapter.

For more information or to register, visit www.ENRgroundbreakingwomen.com or call 1-800-371-3238.

To learn more about all McGraw-Hill Construction events, visit http://www.construction.com/events.

About McGraw-Hill Construction: McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, GreenSource, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

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Media Contact: Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, [email protected]

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Construction