General Session: Design-Build Done Right is Key

He is an accomplished Senior Executive, versatile and strategy-driven with comprehensive leadership experience in the Engineering & Construction industry. He has been recognized by Associated General Contractors of America and American Society of Civil Engineers for his industry level contributions. He obtained success on highly complex, and high profile National and International multibillion-dollar projects/programs; successfully led large, dispersed teams comprised of Architect/Engineering Firms, Contractors, State and Federal Agencies, NGOs, and Foreign Governments in a cost-effective manner and outcome.Currently, Principle of Rizzieri Consulting LLC. His wide spectrum of expertise allows him to provide Infrastructure Advisory Services for Federal & State Agencies, Owners, Contractors & Architect/Engineering Firms. Advisory services cover Design-Build and DBIA training, Infrastructure (including Water) & Facilities Acquisition Strategies; Project Delivery Strategies, P3 & Mega Programs planning & oversight framework; Partnering & Dispute Resolution Strategies; Sustainability and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure and Facilities to mitigate effects of Climate Change, and Renewable Energy. He is the Vice Chair of DBIA’s Federal Markets Committee.He retired from HQ US Army Corps of Engineers, as the Deputy Chief Engineering & Construction Division, who shared responsibility with the Chief of E&C for planning, programing, policy, and execution of USACE's worldwide E&C missions (over 17,000 professionals). E&C activities cover Civil Works & Military Programs for Army, Air Force, DOD agencies, Federal Agencies and Foreign Governments that exceeded $25B. He was the Executive Chair of USD(AT&L)'s Facility Engineering’s Functional Integrated Product Team for all of DOD. He has both responded to and gone before numerous Congressional Committee’s Professional Staff on inquires, as well as performed Congressional “drafting services” to assist them in creating new laws. Two of the “services” became new laws. He led the establishment of the technical acceptance policy and system to accept over $6B VA Medical Capital Program for USACE and the VA. He led the revision and re-issuance of USACE’s Partnering policy and worked with Associated General Contractors of America to help implement. While in USACE he held DAWIA Level III Certification in Contracting and Facilities Engineering Career Fields and Level II in Program Management. He was an Administrative Contracting Officer for 15 years on Firm Fixed Price, Cost Reimbursement and Time & Material construction & remediation contracts.He has received numerous awards, including the Army's Meritorious Civilian Service award from 2 Lieutenant Generals, Chief of Engineers.Education: Clarkson University, BS in Civil & Environmental Engineering; Florida Institute of Technology, MS in Management.

Richard J. Formella is the President of Design-Build Strategic Solutions, LLC, a design & construction contracting process consulting firm. He recently retired from federal service as Chief of the Bio-Containment Procurement Branch for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He has over 32 years of federal acquisition/contracting experience and joined DHS in 2006 serving as a Head of the Contracting Activity through 2014. Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Formella was employed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for over 20 years and concluded his service at BOP as the Chief of Construction Contracting where he led and administered the $3.0 billion dollar new federal prison construction contracting program. At the DHS he led the team providing design and construction contracting support for the DHS Science and Technology Directorate for major laboratory renovations and new construction an overall $1.5 billion program, including the $1.3 billion National Bio & Agro Defense Facility.

 Mr. Formella is a 1986 graduate of the FLETC, and holds a BS in Forest Management from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point; a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Regis University, and a MS in Management – Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness from Troy University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a designated Design-Build Professional (DBIA) and a Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO).

Ross Davidson is the Associate Executive Director for the Office of Facilities Planning (OFP) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A retired U.S. Army Colonel, he has extensive experience in planning, design, construction, and logistics of medical and research facilities. He received several awards for his service, including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. Ross holds multiple advanced degrees, including a Master of Urban Design and is a Fellow with the Health Facility Institute.

Andy is a federal employee with over 34 years of construction management experience.  He began his career with the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Staff Resident Engineer and has worked on projects in Milwaukee, WI; White River Junction, VT; Detroit, MI; West Haven, CT; and culminating in his role as Senior Resident Engineer in Pittsburgh, PA.  In 2001 he moved into a management role at VA Central Office in Washington, DC as a Project Manager and eventual Acting Director of the Western Project Team.  In 2006 Andy accepted a position as Construction Manager with the Department of Homeland Security at Fort Detrick, MD and was the sole on-site representative for a major laboratory construction project.  In 2009 VA selected him as the Director of Construction and Facilities Management’s (CFM) Eastern Regional Office.  The Regional Office manages all VA major project design and construction contracts within the eastern United States (VISNs 1-9).  In February 2020, Andy assumed responsibilities as Acting Associate Executive Director, Operations with responsibility for all VA major construction efforts across the United States and its territories.  Andy accepted the position of Associate Director, Design and Construction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in August 2020.  Andy is certified as a DBIA Associate, a Certified Construction Manager, a Facility Management Professional, and a member of the Construction Managers Association of America, Society of American Military Engineers, and The Design Build Institute of America.  He served 30 years in the U.S. Army Reserves culminating in brigade command and division level staff positions.   

Andy has three adult children and resides with his wife in Adamstown, MD.   

Cory serves as the Director of OPD’s new Center for Construction Excellence, which is focused on innovation, Construction Excellence Peer Reviews, project delivery tools and technology, project risk management, leading industry partnerships, streamlining and improving policy and processes. 

 Prior to his time at GSA, Cory worked as a general contractor in the commercial / industrial construction industry where he held a variety of positions from Project Coordinator to Vice President of Construction. He successfully led and delivered projects across the midwest and southeast. During his 11 years with GSA, he has worked multiple roles in Regions 4, 7, and Central Office including Project Manager, Construction Analyst, and Cost Management Program Manager. 

Gene is the Program Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District on the Next National Geospatial Intelligence Agency West (N2W) Facility in St. Louis MO.  Gene has been working on the NGA program since 2016. He joined USACE in 1998 as a student trainee and has worked in engineering and construction on a wide range of both Civil Works and Military Construction Projects for both the Mobile and Kansas City District Offices.  Gene has almost 20 years in contract administration and quality assurance experience, some in Architect-Engineer procurements, but primarily in construction. He has had opportunities to deliver both new construction and renovation projects using different implementations of design-build ranging from prescriptive bridging documents to fully performance-based requirements narratives.

Gene earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of South Alabama, an M.S. in Building Construction from Auburn University, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Alabama. He lives in Belleville, IL with his wife and 5 children.

Registration:  RA, Commonwealth of Virginia

Education:  Bachelor of Architecture, Virginia Tech

Experience Summary

-Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, 13 years

-Led various in-house and AE services efforts as design manager for design-build execution MILCON and special projects

-Utilized NAVFAC’s Design-Build Master RFP templates on a variety of facility types world-wide. Involvement included pre-award management, technical evaluation team lead during solicitation, and assisting post-award services

-Serve as Navy’s representative for DoD Tri-Service Architecture Discipline Working Group which includes involvement in Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS)

-Manage NAVFAC’s Design-Build Master RFP templates

-Private Practice, 10 years

-Various commercial and residential projects throughout the eastern United States.

Rich Shelton is the president of Royce Construction Services. Royce Construction Services provides design, construction, project management and consulting for the built environment with an expertise in the design-­‐build project delivery method. Royce Construction Services serves primarily the federal government at sites across the United States.

Rich served for 20 years in a variety of roles with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He led various engineer units within the U.S. and Europe; taught engineering at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point; served within an engineering district; worked as the senior HR engineer at Army Headquarters in the Pentagon; and deployed to the Middle East to provide design-­‐build facilities for the intelligence community.    

Following active duty, Rich was the director of DoD Programs for Dewberry, an architectural/engineering firm in Virginia. There, he supervised numerous engineers; managed a variety of federal government design contracts and design-­‐build projects; and served as the deputy PM for the design of the new Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital. Prior to joining Royce Construction Services, Rich was an operations manager for KBR’s Government and Infrastructure division providing design-­‐build services to the federal government around the world.

Rich is a frequently requested instructor with the Design-­‐Build Institute of America. He has taught many architects, engineers, construction contractors, contracting officers and lawyers in design-­‐build best practices. His students include design and construction firm employees as well as employees with USACE, NAVFAC, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VHA & NCA), the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of the Interior, NASA, the Department of Energy, GSA, USGS, as well as the Federal Highway Administration and many state departments of transportation.