Kenneth D. Simonson
Chief Economist
Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
Ken Simonson has been chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, the leading trade association for the construction industry, since 2001. He provides insight into the economy and what it implies for construction and related industries through frequent media interviews, presentations and the Data DIGest, his weekly one-page e-newsletter that goes to over 50,000 subscribers. Ken has more than 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating and communicating about economic and tax issues. He currently serves on the Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee. He is a Fellow and past president of the National Association for Business Economics, and he is co-director of the Tax Economists Forum, a professional meeting group he co-founded in 1982. Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago, and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.
Leo Sveikauskas
Research Economist
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Leo Sveikauskas is a research economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He leads the Bureau team which is working to improve measures of productivity growth in construction.
Leo is a graduate of Harvard College and has a Ph. D. in Economics from Yale University. He has taught at Michigan State University and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Leo has published articles on productivity and technology in leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Review of Economics and Statistics, Economic Journal, and International Economic Review.
He is pleased that the Bureau is able to provide useful information to the community engaged in construction.
Wayne Crew
President/CEO
National Academy of Construction
PE, NAC
General Secretary
National Academy of Construction
Wayne A. Crew, PE, NAC is the General Secretary of the National Academy of Construction. Prior to the Academy, Crew was the Director of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) at The University of Texas at Austin. Crew holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University, an MBA from the University of Houston.
Crew’s 35 years of industry experience includes executive positions at Technip USA and KBR. Prior to KBR he worked for Amoco Chemical Corporation and Michigan Chemical Corporation in project management and engineering positions.
Crew is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan. He serves on the National Board of Directors and the Austin Board of Directors for the ACE Mentor Program. Crew is committed to development and implementation of best practices. Working with Virginia Tech faculty in the aftermath of the 2007 tragic campus Crew created a graduate best practices class, taught by industry and now offered to the industry at large through the Construction Industry Institute.
Crew has been married to Rivanna for over 40 years. They have two children and two grandchildren. He is a bicycle rider and he and Rivanna enjoy an occasional round of golf.
Alisa Zevin (Moderator)
Economics Editor
Engineering News-Record