Click each for speaker bios.
David Pogue
Tech Summit Emcee
Chris Peters, P.E., S.E.
Chief Executive Officer
Rod Malehmir, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer
Joanna Robinson
President, GovTech Business Vertical
John Locke
Senior Principal Research Scientist
John Robinson
Office Executive, Pittsburgh
Joe Brenner, P.E.
Technical Director, Bridge Technologies
Allen Melley, P.E.
Digital Delivery Chief
Joseph W. Sutor, P.E.
Planning & Design Services Manager
Pankaj Duggal, AICP, AIA-IA
Executive Vice President, Advanced Industries & Federal
Marin Pastar, AIA, NCARB
Vice President, Digital Practice Executive
Shara Castillo, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Director, CSA & Permitting
Sourojit Dhar, AICP
Senior Vice President, Land Acquisition
Chris Grollnek
Vice President, LiveTwin
Chris Garrison
Director of Alliances
Zack Loder
Vice President of Engineering
Dr. Arun Seraphin
Executive Director
Stefano Esposito
Founder & CTO
Matt Treadgold
Vice President of National Security and Emergency Management
Rachel Fifi-Culp
Technology Implementation Department Head
Diana Kennedy, PMP, CSPO, ITIL
Product Manager
Willie Nixon Jr.
Product Manager
Jason Hierholzer
Director, AI Platforms
Introducing David Pogue, Tech Summit 26 Emcee
Michael Baker International is proud to welcome David Pogue as emcee of the Tech Summit. An Emmy Award-winning correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, host of NOVA on PBS, New York Times bestselling author, and one of the nation’s most trusted voices on technology and innovation, David brings a unique ability to make complex topics engaging, accessible, and entertaining. With decades of experience covering emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, science, and the future of work, he will guide attendees through an inspiring and thought-provoking summit experience.
Chris Peters, P.E., S.E.
CEO – Michael Baker International
Chris Peters, P.E., S.E., is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Michael Baker International. In this role, Mr. Peters advances Michael Baker’s strategy to meet evolving client priorities across the horizontal and vertical markets with public, private and government clients, while deepening the firm’s focus on Technology, Differentiation and Innovation (TDI).
Mr. Peters has more than 30 years of architecture and engineering industry experience and most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Michael Baker. Earlier in his career, he was WSP USA’s COO, leading more than 17,000 multi-discipline team members across six business lines as well as program management, health, safety, environment and quality (HSEQ) and IT. Mr. Peters holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Science degree in structural engineering from Iowa State University.
Rod Malehmir, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer- Michael Baker International
Rod Malehmir, Ph.D., is Chief Technology Officer at Michael Baker International. In this role, Dr. Malehmir leads the firm’s technology vision and initiative, advancing the deployment of AI-powered digital solutions and software platforms to enhance client outcomes and operational efficiency.
Dr. Malehmir channels a One Michael Baker approach to advance the firm’s Vision 2030 goal of transforming the company into a full-service engineering, consulting and technology firm. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics with a focus on AI from the University of Alberta, as well as Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
John Locke
Senior Principal Research Scientist – Autodesk
John H. Locke is an architect and Senior Manager in AEC Research Science at Autodesk. He is creating a future where all buildings are carbon positive, increase equity, and decrease costs through the development of innovative, AI-driven workflows. As a licensed architect, Mr. Locke has more than 15 years of experience in bridging professional practice and advanced software research, while leading project teams from zero to one.
John Robinson
Office Executive, Pittsburgh – Michael Baker International
John Robinson leads Michael Baker International’s largest office, home to more than 400 professionals. With 28 years of experience in engineering, construction, and real estate development, he champions the integration of emerging technologies to improve project delivery and client outcomes.
Before joining Michael Baker, Mr. Robinson served as Vice President of Development and Innovation at PJTC Holdings and Director of Development at PNC Bank, where he led development of The Tower at PNC Plaza. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Kansas.
Joe Brenner, P.E.
Technical Director, Bridge Technologies – Michael Baker International
Joe Brenner is the Director of Bridge Technologies at Michael Baker International, where he leads national initiatives in bridge engineering technology, digital delivery, BIM, open data standards, AI, and digital twins. With more than 19 years of experience, Mr. Brenner helps transportation agencies modernize project delivery through innovative approaches to bridge design, construction, and asset management. He has led pioneering efforts at both the national and state levels, including the nation’s first contractual IFC bridge model pilot project for PennDOT. A recognized industry leader, he actively advances openBIM® workflows, automation, and digital transformation initiatives that improve infrastructure delivery and life-cycle management.
Allen Melley, P.E.
Digital Delivery Chief – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Allen Melley is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Pennsylvania and has been with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for over 26 years. He currently holds the title of Chief of the Digital Delivery Section, which is responsible for the development and implementation of PennDOT’s Digital Delivery Directive initiative.
As a leader in digital delivery within one of the nation’s most advanced states, Mr. Melley has spoken at conferences around the country and has had the opportunity to serve on many national and international committees. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.
Pankaj Duggal, AICP, AIA-IA
Executive Vice President, Advanced Industries & Federal – Michael Baker International
Pankaj Duggal, AICP, AIA-IA serves as Executive Vice President, Advanced Industries & Federal at Michael Baker International. An accomplished AEC industry leader, he brings more than 30 years of experience across architecture, engineering, consulting, construction, and business leadership, with projects spanning 47 U.S. states and 32 countries. Prior to Michael Baker, he was President and COO of Jensen Hughes and previously spent 20 years with Jacobs, where he advanced to Senior Vice President and General Manager. Pankaj serves on several professional boards, including the University of Michigan Taubman College Dean’s Advisory Board and the National Defense Industry Association.
Mr. Duggal earned a Master of Urban Planning and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (India). Pankaj also serves as a director on the Board of the National Defense Industry Organization (NDIA), Washington, DC Chapter.
Marin Pastar, AIA, NCARB
Vice President, Digital Practice Executive – Michael Baker International
Marin Pastar, AIA, NCARB, is a Digital Practice Executive at Michael Baker International, leading digital transformation and project digital delivery across multiple sectors. With 20+ years in the built environment, he focuses on digital twins, smart infrastructure, and Building Information Modeling (BIM)/Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), advancing scalable, data-driven delivery frameworks. Marin leads enterprise initiatives that align teams and systems and is a recognized speaker known for turning complex strategies into practical, high-impact solutions.
Shara Castillo, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Director, CSA & Permitting – SB Energy
Shara Castillo has more than 20 years of industry experience leading complex, large-scale and innovative architecture projects in the technology, data center, healthcare, industrial, manufacturing and institutional sectors. With her proven expertise in strategic planning, risk management and the critical integration of robust engineering systems, she delivers high-impact solutions that achieve operational excellence, optimized budgets and her client’s business objectives. Notable projects include the Tesla Cortex 1.0 Data Center and the Tesla Cortex 2.0 Data Center.
Chris Grollnek
Vice President, LiveTwin – Michael Baker International
Prior to joining Michael Baker, Mr. Grollnek was Founder and CEO of the Active Shooter Prevention Project (ASPP™), transitioning to Chairman of the Board in 2024. Internationally regarded as a leading authority on domestic terrorism and active shooter prevention, he is the creator of the P.R.O. Model™, a nationally recognized prevention framework in use at the Department of Justice and in the Department of Defense installations and commands. Mr. Grollnek holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
Chris Garrison
Director of Alliances – Everbridge
Chris Garrison is the Director of Strategic Alliances at Everbridge, where he develops partnerships that connect technology, communications, and public safety. With expertise in partner strategy and enterprise technology ecosystems, Chris works across organizations to turn complex capabilities into practical solutions that improve emergency response and organizational resilience.
Throughout his career, Chris has focused on bringing companies together around shared opportunities—aligning technology, people, and go-to-market strategy to create meaningful customer outcomes. He brings a partnership-driven perspective to the Tech Summit, exploring how collaboration and emerging technology can help organizations innovate, scale, and address critical real-world challenges.
Zack Loder
Vice President of Engineering – Audio Enhancement
Zack Loder is Vice President of Engineering at Audio Enhancement, where he has spent 15 years building technology for K-12. His work has followed a simple promise: students deserve fair and safe learning opportunities. That started with classroom audio supporting academic outcomes and grew into today: Audio Enhancement’s K-12 communication and safety products support over one million classrooms nationwide.
In an emergency, the difference between a floor plan taped to a wall and a live, accurate map of the building is the difference between guessing and knowing. Mr. Loder is focused on giving responders that map — every classroom, person, and alert with a known location — so real-time audio, video, and location reach the people making decisions while the situation is still unfolding.
Dr. Arun Seraphin
Executive Director – National Defense Industrial Association, Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI)
Dr. Arun Seraphin is the Executive Director of ETI. Before joining the ETI team, he served on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. His areas of responsibility include acquisition policy, Pentagon management issues, Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) science and technology programs, information technology systems, technology transition issues, defense laboratories, Small Business Innovation Research program, manufacturing programs, and test and evaluation programs.
As such he assists senators in their oversight of DoD policies and programs, including in the authorization of budgets, civilian nominations, legislative initiatives, and hearings. He rejoined the committee staff in 2014, after previously serving there between 2001 and 2010. In 2009, he was named one of 10 Defense “Staffers to Know” by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.
Joanna Robinson
President, GovTech Business Vertical – Michael Baker International
Joanna Robinson leads the firm’s GovTech vertical, driving disciplined growth through scalable, market‑ready technology solutions. She oversees a team of more than 400 technology professionals and focuses on expanding the firm’s client portfolio across the public and private sectors by translating advanced AI and digital capabilities into scalable, operationally embedded solutions that help clients modernize legacy environments, improve decision‑making and achieve measurable, mission‑critical outcomes in cost-efficient manners.
Ms. Robinson is a highly accomplished IT executive and business leader with more than 20 years of experience in advancing technology‑driven business transformation, building high‑performing teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences and innovation across diverse industries and mentoring the next generation of technologists. Ms. Robinson earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from Azusa Pacific University.
Stefano Esposito
Founder & CTO – AstreaX, A Michael Baker International Company
Mr. Esposito brings more than 35 years of leadership, entrepreneurship, and information technology experience, with a proven track record of delivering enterprise software solutions across transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, mortgage, and finance sectors. As founder of Aura Solutions (2012) and AstreaX (2019), he built successful software and services businesses serving clients nationwide through product development, outsourced support, and technical consulting.
Previously, Mr. Esposito led 3M’s global Motor Vehicle Software & Systems business, which originated from 3M’s acquisition of Archon Technologies, a company he co-founded. Earlier in his career, Mr. Esposito served as Director of Information Systems for a managed care organization, developing innovative, secure web-based solutions and strategic partnerships, including with Microsoft. He has also consulted for organizations such as General Electric, IBM, First Interstate, and numerous U.S. government agencies. Stefano holds degrees in business, mathematics and science, and computer science.
Rachel Fifi-Culp
Technology Implementation Department Head – Michael Baker International
Rachel Fifi-Culp is the Technology Implementation Department Head for Michael Baker’s TB Technologies team, leading the development and deployment of software solutions that support disaster response, recovery, and resilience. Her team manages four platforms serving disaster-impacted communities: IQ Basin, P1C, ADMS, and a Contact Center solution. Ms. Fifi-Culp brings more than a decade of experience in disaster recovery, housing, infrastructure, and public-sector program implementation. She has led major recovery initiatives following Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19, Hurricanes Ian, Idalia, Helene, and Milton, and has provided policy and program oversight for statewide recovery and temporary housing programs in Florida, Hawaii, West Virginia, and Alaska.
Joseph W. Sutor, P.E.
Planning & Design Services Manager – Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Mr. Sutor has been with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission since June of 2004 in various engineering positions and currently is the Planning and Design Services Manager in the Engineering Department. His 38+ years of engineering experience includes time with Lower Paxton Township, Ephrata Borough, and Grinnell Corporation. Mr. Sutor is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and has a Master of Public Administration degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He is a registered Professional Engineer and an ASHE member since 2016. Mr. Sutor served as ASHE Director from 2021-2024.
Matt Treadgold
Vice President of National Security and Emergency Management – MetaPhase
Matt Treadgold is Vice President of National Security and Emergency Management at MetaPhase, an IT and mission consulting firm based in Washington, DC. In his role, Mr. Treadgold leads a team of emergency management, homeland security, digital modernization, and data analytics professionals supporting the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, and Department of State. Prior to joining MetaPhase, Mr. Treadgold served in various emergency management consulting roles at FEMA Headquarters, and as a civil servant supporting joint civil-military operations at the Department of State.
Sourojit Dhar, AICP
Senior Vice President, Land Acquisition – Damac Digital
Sourojit Dhar is Senior Vice President of Land Acquisition at Damac Digital, a global data center company with 6 gigawatts of capacity across the U.S., EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
With nearly 30 years of experience, he has led major infrastructure and data center development programs for organizations including Google, Microsoft, ACS Infrastructure, BlackRock/GIP, Jacobs and Toyota. He directed land acquisition and development initiatives across the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Chile, and Ireland, supporting the delivery of large-scale digital infrastructure projects.
At Google, he played a key role in strategic land acquisitions and development efforts worldwide, and at Microsoft, he helped secure and develop more than 10 gigawatts of powered land across nine countries. More recently, he supported the acquisition of 1.8 gigawatts of capacity in U.S. Tier 1 data center markets.
Dhar holds graduate degrees from Cornell University and the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, India.
Jason Hierholzer
Director, AI Platforms – Michael Baker International
Jason Hierholzer is Director, AI Platforms at Michael Baker International, where he leads the firm’s enterprise AI platform and enablement strategy. He oversees the integration and governance of Microsoft Copilot, Titan, and emerging AI technologies, establishing the standards and operating models that allow teams to adopt AI securely and at scale. Mr. Hierholzer brings more than 25 years of IT experience across the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, with a career focused on enterprise platforms, digital transformation, and technology-enabled productivity. Before joining Michael Baker, he held senior technology and portfolio leadership roles at Black & Veatch, Kiewit, and GE-affiliated organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Kansas State University.
Willie Nixon Jr.
Product Manager – Michael Baker International
Willie Nixon Jr., is a technology and product leader with more than 15 years of experience spanning business analytics, statistics, digital transformation, and government technology. At Michael Baker International, he helps advance Phoenix OneCase, translating complex operational challenges into scalable, data-driven technology solutions. His work spans product strategy, solution design, workflow optimization, analytics, and rapid implementation across disaster recovery and human services programs. Mr. Nixon is passionate about transforming how organizations use technology, automation, and data to make better decisions, modernize operations, and improve outcomes. He brings an innovation-focused perspective that connects business strategy, user needs, and technology to solve real-world challenges.
Diana Kennedy, PMP, CSPO, ITIL
Product Manager – Michael Baker International
Diana Kennedy is the Product Manager of Phoenix OneCase, a proprietary grants, case management, and Automatic Debris Monitoring System platform, where she leads product strategy, roadmap, and delivery across cross-functional teams. With over 23 years of IT and business applications expertise spanning application development, data architecture, infrastructure, and project delivery, Ms. Kennedy has led global teams and enterprise initiatives at organizations including Keller Foundations, PANDORA Jewelry, and Cambridge International. She holds a degree in International Relations from Tulane University and a Master of Information Technology from American Intercontinental University.