Overcoming Professional Workforce Shortages through Technology

As Director of Virtual Design and Construction at the PENTA Building Group, Cliff leads all implementation and management of construction technology and Building Information Modeling. Cliff has been in the construction industry for almost two decades and has been recognized as an industry leader in innovative technology.

Cliff is responsible for monitoring all projects that incorporate VDC processes. In addition to his role as Director of VDC, he is responsible for strategic technology initiatives for the operations and preconstruction groups.

Cliff also leads PENTA's corporate lean group and diversity committee. Cliff's primary focus is to leverage innovative solutions that improve efficiency, productivity and enhance client focus within an enriching team environment. These solutions include Building Information Modeling, Advanced Visualization, Reality Capture, and Virtual Reality.

Jen Hawkins is the Director of Industry Digital Transformation at VIATechnik, a VDC strategy and implementation consulting firm. Jen focuses on digitalization of the supply chain; seamlessly connecting building product distributors, fabricators, and manufactures to their Customers through content, turning data into digital assets to power the digital supply chain.

With a background in architecture, engineering, and construction, Jen has worked on world-class projects leading design integration, design for manufacturing, project execution, research, and product development. She previously worked at DPR Construction and Digital Building Components.

Jen has a Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and was a research assistant at the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE). Jen also holds a Masters of Architecture from University of Pennsylvania.

A design technology leader and innovator, Cameron comes from a background of over 10 years of highway/roadway, drainage and transit design; delivering projects from design to construction. As the Data Acquisition & Digital Delivery Director for the Transportation Business Group, he is responsible for the development & use of innovative and forward thinking implementation of project delivery technologies to increase project efficiencies.

Cameron uses his background in BIM to integrate digital delivery across the entire project lifecycle for connected BIM while incorporating Reality capture for Digital twins and integration for Asset management. Cameron leads a variety of training and implementation of these products & workflows throughout some of HDR's largest Mega Projects, creating new ways to better serve HDR’s clients.