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In an industry where innovation, safety, and human capital drive success, the Construction Owners Summit (CO Summit) has emerged as a premier platform for recognizing exceptional achievement across the construction sector. Throughout 2025, CO Summit hosted transformative events in Atlanta, Santa Clara, and Illinois, bringing together industry leaders, students, faculty, and innovators to address critical challenges facing construction today—from artificial intelligence integration and workforce development to mental health awareness and technological advancement.
These summits weren't merely conferences; they were celebrations of the people and organizations shaping the future of construction. At each location, CO Summit honored outstanding contributions through five prestigious award categories: Safe & Sound Jobsite, Tech Trailblazer, Workforce Champion, Faculty Excellence, and NextGen Builder. The recipients represent the very best of an industry undergoing rapid transformation, proving that construction excellence extends far beyond building structures—it's about building safer workplaces, smarter systems, stronger talent pipelines, and more sustainable careers.
The awards presented at CO Summit 2025 tell compelling stories of dedication, innovation, and impact that deserve recognition and emulation throughout the construction industry.
The Atlanta CO Summit, held on September 22, 2025, at Kennesaw State University, brought the construction community together for a day focused on artificial intelligence, career development, and mental health in construction. The awards ceremony highlighted exceptional contributions from organizations and individuals advancing the industry in the greater Atlanta area and beyond.
Jerry Kirkman, COO at Penco Electrical Contractors, accepted the Safe & Sound Jobsite award on behalf of a company that has made safety its defining characteristic. Since 1983, Penco has built a safety culture that goes beyond compliance, achieving an impressive Experience Modification Rate of 0.8 through rigorous standards and proactive professional development.
What distinguishes Penco is their innovative approach to safety reporting, including a creative QR code system that empowers every employee to report and learn from near-misses. This technology-enabled accountability fosters trust and collaboration, ensuring that safety becomes a shared value rather than just a metric. Penco's commitment demonstrates that exceptional safety performance creates not just protected workers, but proud, engaged teams.
Cory Patton, CFO at Cornerstone Forming, earned recognition as Atlanta's Tech Trailblazer for his visionary leadership in advancing construction finance through technology. An active member of CFMA Georgia, Patton has championed the integration of cutting-edge solutions such as Acumatica and Ramp, setting standards for modern financial operations. His approach extends beyond simply adopting new tools—he empowers his team to embrace innovation and drive results, fostering an environment where ownership and creative problem-solving flourish. Whether presenting at industry events or engaging in forward-looking conversations about construction finance's future, Patton's relentless pursuit of innovation inspires peers and establishes benchmarks for technology-driven leadership.
In less than a year, ABCGAKSU transformed from 13 members in January 2025 to over 300 members, with more than 70 actively engaged dues-paying students each semester. This explosive growth reflects their mission-driven focus on educational experiences, professional development, and industry connections rather than social activities.
The chapter has organized over 20 hands-on events including jobsite tours, panels, and workshops, resulting in more than 30 students securing internships or full-time positions with leading contractors and suppliers. Batson-Cook alone currently hosts 10 chapter interns, three preparing to launch full-time careers. ABCGAKSU serves as a vital bridge between academia and the construction industry, partnering with ABC of Georgia's 350+ member companies and top sponsors to create robust talent pipelines. Their deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, through collaborations with Kennesaw Women in Construction and the ABC National Women's Network, ensures that women and underrepresented groups have visible opportunities and meaningful mentorship.
Adjunct Professor Dylan John received the Faculty Excellence award for his exceptional commitment to construction management students' success. John consistently goes beyond traditional teaching, equipping students with both critical academic knowledge and the confidence to tackle real-world industry challenges.
Known for creating engaged, active learning experiences, he constantly revises coursework to align with new industry trends, ensuring every assignment reflects modern construction practice realities. His dedication transcends the classroom—he supports students through personal challenges, connecting them with key resources and mentors. John's belief in hard work and rewarding effort through opportunity has left lasting impressions on all who learn from him, with his impact evident every time a student enters the workforce ready to thrive.
Jake Okland's recognition as NextGen Builder stemmed from his outstanding achievements as a summer intern at Rycon Construction. In just months, Jake exceeded standard internship expectations, successfully leading technology deployment initiatives and mastering new tools so thoroughly that he became a go-to resource for both using advanced systems and teaching teammates to apply them efficiently. His reputation for initiative and follow-through was clear from the start—asking insightful questions, diving deep into complex challenges, and always seeking to understand broader project goals.
Jake's contributions, including generating detailed estimates, collaborating with subcontractors, and leading BIM process rollouts, consistently matched the quality of full-time professionals. What truly sets Jake apart is his commitment to lasting impact through diligent process documentation and knowledge sharing, ensuring his work continued benefiting Rycon even after his internship ended.
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The Santa Clara CO Summit on September 27, 2025, at Santa Clara University, showcased the Bay Area's technological leadership in construction, with awards celebrating groundbreaking innovation and comprehensive workforce development.
South Bay Grading earned the Safe & Sound Jobsite Award through unwavering dedication to creating work environments where every team member returns home safely. The company demonstrates leadership commitment by integrating rigorous pre-job planning, hazard identification, and continuous training into every operation while empowering workers to speak up about risks without fear.
This people-first approach fosters physical safety on jobsites handling excavation, grading, and site preparation while also prioritizing mental wellbeing through supportive growth programs and collaborative partnerships that reduce stress and build confidence among contractors and tradespeople. Their comprehensive strategy permeates all aspects of operations, creating a supportive workplace where physical and mental health drive excellence and long-term success.
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Garin Anderson's recognition as Tech Trailblazer stemmed from revolutionizing construction technology deployment on high-profile projects, most notably at San Francisco International Airport. As a superintendent at Hensel Phelps, Anderson transformed raw site data into actionable insights by integrating site capture, AI-driven progress verification, and transparent reporting platforms directly into daily workflows. His innovations converted time-intensive manual tracking into streamlined, real-time AI-assisted processes, reducing manual verification from 20 hours per week to approximately one hour.
These innovations delivered measurable results including over $200,000 in project cost savings, early identification of critical installation errors, and dramatic improvements in accuracy, speed, and collaboration. Anderson's ability to transform pilot technologies into indispensable tools for everyone on site—through mentoring trade partners, simplifying adoption, and adjusting workflows mid-project—created a culture where digital solutions became the norm, building digital confidence even on one of the nation's most complex airport builds.
Truebeck Construction received the Workforce Champion award for its deep, sustained commitment to developing the next generation of skilled trades professionals. The firm creates clear pathways into construction careers, combining hands-on project experience with robust mentorship, training, and a strong culture of safety and wellbeing. Truebeck's mission-driven approach emphasizes how and why it builds, not just what it builds, ensuring emerging talent can grow into long-term, meaningful roles.
The company actively invests in workforce training initiatives reaching underrepresented and under-resourced communities, partnering with programs that introduce new entrants to the trades and support their advancement. This inclusive, community-focused strategy strengthens the skilled trades pipeline while aligning with Truebeck's broader commitment to positively impacting its industry and the communities it serves.
Dr. Hisham Said of Santa Clara University received the Faculty Excellence Award for his exceptional ability to inspire and guide the next generation of construction professionals through innovative teaching and mentorship. As Associate Professor and Construction Management Program Coordinator, Said bridges academic theory with industry practice by teaching critical courses in construction project delivery, planning, operations, building information modeling, and heavy construction. His rigorous yet supportive approach, combined with hands-on coaching for student competitions, fosters career-ready graduates who innovate in areas like prefabrication, modular construction, and digital design.
Dr. Said's impact extends beyond the classroom through prolific research—over 40 publications in top journals—and active engagement with industry via professional societies, editorial boards, and as an Associate DBIA professional, ensuring curricula evolve with emerging technologies and methodologies.
Karthik Reddy Nagam earned the NextGen Builder award for outstanding achievements as a Project Management Intern at Tesla. In Tesla's demanding, innovation-driven environment, Nagam proved himself through initiative, technical acumen, and collaboration, leading cross-functional projects that improved component delivery by 22% and streamlined production scheduling, resulting in 15% improvement in on-time task completion.
By introducing a real-time tracking dashboard and agile solutions for workflow bottlenecks, he increased operational efficiency while fostering transparency and collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams. Nagam consistently exceeded expectations, proactively addressing project challenges, coordinating contingency plans with multiple departments, and stepping into leadership roles usually reserved for more senior employees. His ability to unite stakeholders, mentor new interns, and deliver measurable results demonstrated a rare capacity to lead without authority.
The Illinois CO Summit on November 6, 2025, at the Westin Chicago Northwest, brought together the Midwest construction community to address critical challenges while celebrating innovation and dedication.
Michelle Stedman, COO of SkillSignal, accepted the Safe & Sound Jobsite Award for transforming construction safety by making mental health a core priority alongside physical safety. In partnership with Princeton University, SkillSignal co-developed the Construction Wellbeing Initiative and the industry's first public Worker Wellbeing database—a pioneering, evidence-based resource providing practical, field-tested strategies for supporting mental health on jobsites. SkillSignal has united industry leaders and behavioral scientists at events like Beyond the Blueprint to drive culture change and equip companies with tools that reduce stigma, foster open conversations, and create supportive, resilient workplaces.
Through the Construction Wellbeing Initiative, SkillSignal has published critical data highlighting that over 83% of construction workers report experiencing mental health challenges and provided companies with resources for early intervention, peer support, and stress management. Their advocacy and technology empower managers to create psychologically safe environments where crews feel valued and supported every day.
Darshit Jasani, Innovation Development Manager at ARCO/Murray, has redefined innovation through a unique "Buy, Build, Optimize, Invest" strategy. Under Jasani's technical leadership, the innovation team has launched over eight enterprise-grade applications, transforming workflows for 2,000+ associates and driving measurable impact like 30% efficiency gains in preconstruction.
Unlike traditional construction firms, ARCO/Murray has embedded innovation into its operational DNA, with the innovation team proactively developing internal tools that directly address pain points in real time. Their ability to tailor enterprise platforms like Procore to specific workflows has driven company-wide adoption and placed ARCO/Murray at the forefront of digital transformation in design-build construction.
Dr. Pedram Ghannad, Assistant Professor of Construction Management at Bradley University, received recognition for integrating emerging technologies into construction education and fostering collaborative partnerships that bridge academia and industry. Through teaching, research, and grant-supported initiatives, Ghannad has focused on preparing the next generation of construction professionals to lead in a rapidly evolving technological environment. His classroom activities emphasize hands-on engagement with Building Information Modeling, Virtual Design and Construction, drones, robotics, and augmented/virtual reality. These technologies are embedded within project-based modules that simulate real-world construction challenges and workflows.
Recently awarded as co-principal investigator on the NSF EPIIC "BRIDGE-TECH" project, a multi-institutional collaboration, Ghannad's role centers on developing educational frameworks that translate digital innovation into practical applications. His continuous engagement with leading industry partners brings industry experts into the classroom, creates joint experiential projects, and provides students with exposure to real-world workflows and expectations.
The CO Summit 2025 awards across Atlanta, Santa Clara, and Illinois illuminate the multifaceted nature of excellence in modern construction. From Penco Electrical Contractors' safety innovations and Garin Anderson's AI-driven project management to ABCGAKSU's explosive growth and SkillSignal's mental health advocacy, these recipients demonstrate that construction's future depends on holistic advancement across safety, technology, education, and human wellbeing.
These awards also underscore critical industry trends: the integration of artificial intelligence and digital tools is no longer optional but essential; mental health and physical safety are inseparable components of jobsite excellence; workforce development requires intentional partnerships between academia and industry; and the next generation of construction professionals brings fresh perspectives and technical capabilities that will reshape the industry.
As construction faces persistent challenges including labor shortages, technological disruption, and the need for greater diversity and inclusion, the stories of these award recipients provide blueprints for progress. They prove that investing in people—whether through safety culture, educational excellence, technological empowerment, or mental health support—generates measurable returns in productivity, quality, and workforce satisfaction.
The Construction Owners Summit's commitment to recognizing excellence serves a vital purpose: it elevates best practices, inspires emulation, and reminds the entire industry that construction's greatest achievements aren't measured solely in completed structures, but in the safer workplaces, smarter systems, stronger talent pipelines, and more fulfilled professionals that make those structures possible. As the construction industry continues evolving, the 2025 CO Summit award recipients stand as beacons, lighting the path toward a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future for all who build America.
