Theme: Protecting North Carolina's Resources

Dates: Thursday, June 1 through Saturday, June 3

Location: Hilton Charlotte Uptown (222 East Third Street, Charlotte NC)

Hotel Rooms: Book Your Room - PENC rate of $179/night **Must reserve by May 10

Parking: Please plan ahead. Parking at the hotel is $24 for self and $34 for valet.

PDHs: Up to 14

Pricing: $400 (members), $425 (non-members), $175 (guest/meals only), $75 (awards dinner only)

Meals Included: Thursday lunch and welcome reception. Friday breakfast, lunch and dinner. Saturday breakfast.

NEW MEMBER PROMO: If you join PENC as a new member between March 27-May 1 you will receive a promo code for half off your registration! Email Catie Cox to receive the new member promo code. 

BRING A FRIEND PROMO: Are you an existing PENC member? Do you have a friend or colleague that is not a member, but you would like to invite them to come? Bring a non-member to the conference and you will both get free tickets to the Thursday night baseball game!

Sponsors: Sponsorship of the Summer Conference ($500) to include your logo on marketing materials and recognition at the event. If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact Catie Cox. 

Optional Add-Ons:

You will have the option of registering for some optional events.

• Thursday Baseball Game Social - Thursday June 1 at 7pm. After the welcome reception we will walk to the Charlotte Knights Stadium for a game.
• Romare Bearden Tour - Thursday June 1 from 2:00-3:00pm. (1 PDH). This is a .3 mile walk from the hotel and will be led by the team at LandDesign. Free, but limited to the first 15 registrants.
• Rail Trail Tour - Friday, June 2 from 10:00am-Noon (1 PDH). Plan to walk about 1 mile. This tour will include a ride on the Light Rail to the South End and a walk back on the Rail Trail. Led by the team at LandDesign. $5 fee covers your fare. Limited to 15 participants.

Agenda at a Glance

Abstracts/Bios

(Agenda is subject to change)

Thursday, June 1

*Educational Foundation Board Meeting 8:30am-10:00am - by invite only

*PENC Board Meeting 10:00am-12:30pm - by invite only

12:00pm - Registration Table Opens

12:30pm - Lunch Begins

12:45-1:45pm - Lunch and General Session

• E. Randolph Collins, Jr., PhD, PE, Dean and Professor, Western Carolina University

2:00-3:00pm - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Year of the Trail - Vivian Coleman, Vivid Earth Designs
• Breakout 2: Collaborating to Improve Flood Response and Resiliency in North Carolina, Amit Sachan, PE, CFM and Dean Goodison, PE, Atkins Global
• 2:00-3:00pm - Optional Walking Tour to Romare Bearden Park (pre-registration required, max 15 people)

3:15-4:15pm - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: From Sidewalk to Sidepath, Challenging Assumptions and Thinking Creatively to Achieve Your Vision - Iona Thomas, AICP, McAdams
• Breakout 2: When Rivers and Infrastructure Collide - Lydia Ward, PE and Emily Brown, PE, Freese & Nichols

4:30-6:00pm - Welcome Reception

7:00pm - Optional Social at the Charlotte Knights Baseball Game (additional ticket purchase required when registering)

Friday, June 2

7:00am - Breakfast Opens

7:30-8:30am - General Session 

• Advocacy Update - Laurie Onorio, The Advocacy Shop

8:45-9:45am - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: River District - Master Planning in a Critical Watershed - LandDesign
• Breakout 2: Pearl Street Park Renovation - Revitalizing Downtown CLT Park to be Resilient to Flooding - Rebecca Stubbs and Dave Malcom, McAdams & Bert Lynn, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation

10:00-11:00am - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Growth Modeling for WSACC Water and Sewer Master Plan - Jake Petrosky, Stewart Inc
• Breakout 2: CLT Airport Updates

10:00-Noon - Optional Light Rail to South End Tour (pre-registration required, max 15 people)

11:15am-12:15pm - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Riparian Greenway Trails: Field Truthing Techniques for Trail Stabilization - Brian Bennett, Ground Control, Matt Blackmon, PE, Benesch, and Katie Lloyd, PLA, ASLA, Mecklenburg County
• Breakout 2: Title Coming - Rob Cork, Anchor QEA

12:15-1:30pm - Lunch General Session

• DEI in the Engineering Field - Britt Smith, PE, FNSPE, City of Jefferson, MO

1:30-2:30pm - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Silver Line Innovative Placemaking - LandDesign
• Breakout 2: Empathy & EQ - Jeff Roman, PE, Progressive AE

2:45-3:45pm - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Modern Bridge Inspection - Patrick Gallagher, Vaughn & Melton
• Breakout 2: Leaders Leading Leaders - Susan Habina Woolard, PE, Town of Matthews & Scarlett Kitts, PE, Black & Veatch

4:00-5:00pm - Libation Conversation

• Interactive Leadership Discussion with Beverages

5:00-6:30pm - Break

6:00pm - Leadership Institute Reception (invite only)

6:30-8:30pm - Awards Banquet

• Speaker: Representative Dean Arp, PE

Saturday, June 3

7:00am - Breakfast Opens

7:30-8:30am - PENC Membership Meeting

8:45-9:45am - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Electric Grid Energy Demand Stresses Due to Crypto Mining - Srijib Mukherjee, PE, Oak Ridge National Laboratories
• Breakout 2: PENC Leadership Institute Presentations

10:00-11:00am - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: Cybersecurity of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles and Connected Transportation Infrastructures - Mashrur "Ronnie" Chowdhury, Ph.D., P.E., F. ASCE, Clemson University
• Breakout 2: PENC Leadership Institute Presentations

11:15am-12:15pm - Breakout Sessions

• Breakout 1: The Neuse River: A North Carolina Natural Resource Still Being Discovered - Steven Hunter, PE, PhD
• Breakout 2: Service Project with Charlotte Mecklenburg Chess Association Students (if interested in attending this service project, please email Catie Cox)

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