AGENDA
Earn up to 10 CPE Credits!
The agenda was created to combine flexibility and maximum impact while also providing unique networking environments.
Wednesday, October 21
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CCIFP Testing
8:00am - 12:00pm
Testing space is at capacity.
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CFMA Golf
12:00pm
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Welcome Reception & Early Registration
6:30pm - 9:00 pm
Thursday, October 22
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Registration
8:00am - 8:45am
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Introductory Remarks
9:00am - 9:15am
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KEYNOTE SESSION: Attracting Tomorrows Talent with Today's Leaders
9:15am - 10:05am
Steve Bench - Generational Consulting LLC
Session Overview:
Today's workplace is at a generational crossroads unlike any other time in our nation's history. As the Baby Boomers ride off into the retirement sunset, Gen X is left to manage an empowered Millennial generation raised with a new set of attitudes and expectations about their work-life balance. And just as we were beginning to understand Millennials, Gen Z is entering the workforce en masse! This breakout session focuses on talent attraction and workforce retention by building understanding of who we are, how we were raised, and how each generation views “work” as a part of their identity. Learn talent attraction and retention strategies to overcome generational differences and attract Millennial and Gen Z employees, and keep them from leaving! Adulthood has changed, and depending on my life stage, I might prioritize my lifestyle over my career… So how do you manage and motivate someone who may not be as committed to their job as previous generations? This session will give you the answers, energize your group and get people talking!
Learning Objectives:
Describe generational differences that influence workplace expectations, motivation, and retention.
Identify opportunities to leverage generational strengths to improve team culture and employee engagement.
Apply leadership strategies that help attract, mentor, and retain Millennial and Gen Z employees.
1.5 CPE - Personnel/Human Resources
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Break with Exhibitors
10:05am - 10:25am
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The Modern CFO Tech-Stack: What You Actually Need - and the Dashboards That Matter
10:25am - 11:15am
Jason Keen - CFO/COO, Iceberg Mechanical & Refrigeration
Session Overview:
Most construction companies are drowning in data—but still lacking visibility. This session breaks down the modern CFO tech stack into practical layers that actually drive decisions, then highlights the key dashboards every contractor needs to improve cash flow, project performance, forecasting, and operational accountability.
Learning Objectives:
Classify the core layers of a modern CFO technology stack, including ERP, data integration, automation, and predictive analytics.
Identify key dashboards and metrics that support cash flow, project health, backlog, and operational performance decisions.
Apply dashboard design principles that turn financial and operational data into accountability, ownership, and action.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - IT
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The CFMA WIP Panel
11:15am - 12:05pm
Jay Snyder (Moderator) - President, Big Blue Innovations
Yvette Aubin - CFO, Ebsary Foundation Company
Eric Helitzer - Founder & CEO, SubBase
Stephanie Pompeo - CFO, Wharton Smith, Inc.
Session Overview:
In the construction industry, success hinges on strong alignment between the field and financial teams—and Work-In-Progress (WIP) reporting sits at the center of that connection. This panel will explore how WIP serves as a critical bridge between operations and finance, enabling construction professionals to monitor project performance, profitability, and risk in real time. Designed for financial leaders and construction company owners, this discussion will demonstrate how mastering WIP reporting can enhance strategic decision-making, foster internal collaboration, and amplify your influence at the leadership table.
Learning Objectives:
Describe how Work-in-Progress (WIP) reporting connects field operations with financial management in construction.
Apply WIP insights to monitor project performance, profitability, and risk in support of strategic decision-making.
Identify ways WIP reporting can strengthen collaboration between operations and finance teams and elevate financial leadership influence.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Accounting
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LUNCH with Exhibitors
12:05pm - 1:25pm
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Building Strong Financial Leadership: Best Practices for Construction Financial Managers Roundtable
1:25pm - 2:55pm
Tom Borgia -CFO, J. Raymond Construction
Session Overview:
Success in construction finance requires much more than technical accounting expertise. Today’s financial managers must serve as strategic business partners, foster trusted relationships across the organization, navigate complex and challenging situations, and implement processes that drive both financial performance and operational success. In this roundtable session, participants will discuss best practices used by leaders in the industry to strengthen collaboration with operations, project management, executive leadership, and external business partners. Attendees will gain practical strategies for cultivating productive relationships, addressing difficult conversations, and challenging business situations with confidence. We’ll also discuss implementing financial management practices, accountability, and project outcomes. This interactive presentation will provide actionable insights that participants can implement within their own organizations to elevate their leadership skills and contribute to long-term organizational success. The session will include moderated table and group discussions, with Q&A throughout
Learning Objectives:
Identify industry best practices that improve financial management and operational performance within construction organizations.
Develop strategies for building trusted partnerships with project managers, operational leaders, executives, owners, trade partners, and other key stakeholders.
Apply practical approaches for navigating difficult conversations, resolving challenging situations, and maintaining productive business relationships.
Level:
CPE Credit: 1.5 CPE in Business Management & Organization
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Break with Exhibitors
2:55pm - 3:15pm
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Financial Project Management
3:15pm - 4:05pm
James Digamon - Controller, Superior Construction
Session Overview:
Effective project financial management is critical to maintaining profitability, reducing risk, and improving collaboration between finance and operations. This session will provide practical, field-tested approaches for strengthening project controls, improving communication across teams, and creating greater confidence in project financial reporting throughout the construction lifecycle.
Learning Objectives:
Apply procedures for auditing a construction cost report to identify errors, omissions, and project financial risks.
Identify communication practices that build trust between finance teams, project managers, and engineers.
Reconcile underbillings and overbillings to improve the accuracy of project financial reporting.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Accounting
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KEYNOTE SESSION: Economic Outlook & Banking in the Time of Uncertainty
4:05pm - 4:55pm
Michael Gregory - CFA Deputy Chief Economist & Head of U.S. Economics, BMO
Session Overview:
This session provides the Construction Financial Management Professionals with information to help them successfully manage the financial condition and processes of their companies, with consideration of the current economic conditions.
Learning Objectives:
Describe current economic conditions affecting construction financial management.
Identify current and forecasted market trends related to labor, interest rates, and inflation.
Evaluate how the current economic cycle may affect construction companies’ financial planning, banking relationships, and operations.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Economics
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Cocktail Hour with Exhibitors
5:15pm - 6:15pm
Chapter Dinners
Miami-Dade Dinner
South Flordia Dinner
Friday, October 23
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Breakfast with Exhibitors
8:00am - 9:00am
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Approaching an ESOP Transaction with Care
9:00am - 9:50am
Jason Miller - Principal, Berman Hopkins
Shawn Pyatt - CFO, Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinkler
Margie Morris - Partner, Guignard
Session Overview:
For many construction business owners, an ESOP can provide a powerful path for succession, continuity, and employee ownership—but the process requires careful planning and coordination. This session explores key considerations contractors should evaluate before pursuing an ESOP transaction, including stakeholder alignment, long-term strategic planning, and the operational and financial implications that can shape a successful transition.
Learning Objectives:
Identify contractor-specific factors to evaluate when considering an ESOP transition.
Determine how to coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, including sureties, lenders, accountants, and advisors, before key transaction decisions are made.
Explain why early succession planning is important even when a full or partial ownership transition is several years away.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Accounting
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Control the Cost of Workers' Compensation
9:50am - 10:40am
Tom Finwall - Brown & Brown
Session Objectives:
Workers’ compensation costs can have a major impact on a contractor’s bottom line, but they are also one of the most manageable areas of risk. This session examines practical strategies for reducing claims costs, improving safety and claims outcomes, and evaluating alternative insurance structures that can help contractors gain greater control over long-term workers’ compensation expenses.
Learning Objectives:
Explain why workers’ compensation is one of the most controllable commercial insurance cost areas for contractors.
Identify tools and practices for reducing workers’ compensation fraud exposure and improving experience modification outcomes.
Compare loss-sensitive products and group captives as strategies for controlling long-term workers’ compensation costs.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Specialized Knowledge
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Break with Exhibitors
10:40am - 10:55am
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KEYNOTE SESSION: Generation Z: Managers’ Survival Guide
10:55am - 11:45am
Steve Bench - Generational Consulting LLC
Session Overview:
Talent attraction and retention are the #1 issue facing employers in 2026, but at the same time, millions of young employees are already disenchanted about the workforce and wondering how their professional lives will take shape in the coming years. An understanding of how to manage each generation at work is fundamentally important, especially with Gen Z entering the workforce in droves. Managers need to provide employees with the resources they need to be successful, and those resources might look different depending on their generation and life stage. This presentation improves understanding, provides actionable strategies and techniques, and leaves the audience refreshed and motivated to tackle the staffing challenges we face in 2026 and beyond. This session will inspire your audience with a refreshing perspective on how to mentor the next generation of workforce talent by showing Gen Z how they can get a piece of their adult identity through their career. Learn specific techniques to be an authentic leader, find common ground, build trust and loyalty, and improve accountability and commitment.
Learning Objectives:
Identify strategies for capturing Gen Z employees’ attention and increasing workplace engagement.
Apply methods for hiring, training, and retaining Gen Z employees in construction organizations.
Leverage Gen Z strengths to improve team impact, accountability, and commitment.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Personnel/Human Resources
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The 1,000-Transaction Month: Scaling Job Costing with AI and a Single Virtual Assistant
11:45am - 12:35pm
Matt Calvano - Co-Founder & CEO, Adaptive
Session Overview:
As a construction company grows, the "Accounting Headcount Trap" usually snaps shut. More projects mean more invoices, more credit card receipts, and more manual data entry, forcing companies to choose between hiring more clerks or suffering from reporting lag. This session features a deep-dive case study of a mid-market contractor who broke the trap. By leveraging AI-native job costing, they now process thousands of complex transactions every month with a team of just one internal lead and one part-time virtual assistant. We will pull back the curtain on the "Job Costing Brain"—the rules, automations, and AI logic that allow a machine to handle 90% of the "vanilla" entries so the accounting team can focus on the 10% that actually require expertise.
Learning Objectives:
Analyze the Touchless Rate framework to measure and improve the percentage of transactions handled by AI.
Describe how institutional knowledge, including use tax rules, vendor routing, and freight allocations, can be built into an AI-enabled job costing system.
Evaluate how automation can shift accounting staff responsibilities from data entry to financial review and exception management.
Level: Intermediate
CPE Credit 1 - Specialized Knowledgee
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Closing Remarks
12:35pm - 12:40pm
The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website.
Website:https://www.nasbaregistry.org/