Additional presenters have been announced for the upcoming CPIA Leadership Conference. Planned session topics, to date, include robotics and AI in construction, staffing solutions, commercial lead generation, paint failures, leadership development and more.
The slated sessions are noted to be split into tracks geared toward owners of commercial painting businesses and their key employees. While keynote speaker, three-time Olympian Connor Fields, alongside CPIA Co-Founders Aaron Moore and Steve Hester will kick things off on Oct. 11, attendees can expect the additional panels and session tracks to take place the following day.
Here is a list of the conference’s confirmed educational speakers and their presentation topics:
Confirmed Speakers & Session Topics
Having served as a mediator and presenter for the inaugural conference last year, CEO of McBrayer & Associates Jim McBrayer is back to discuss an EOS Case Study with CPIA member attendees and other professionals from the commercial painting sector.
Throughout his career and within his self-made company, McBrayer has helped owners and key executives of mid-sized companies in construction segments reach their vision of growth. McBrayer first started his career in outside sales for PPG Industries, and his claim to fame as a salesperson is selling the largest account in the company’s history.
After rising to sales director, responsible for 150 sales representatives and a dozen regional sales managers, he was appointed to PPG’s sales leadership team. Then, after 21 years (in 2009), he left PPG to pursue his passion for helping entrepreneurs reach their next level of revenue. Today, McBrayer & Associates provides consulting, coaching and sales training. (Fun fact: McBrayer’s first customer was his former employer, PPG.)
Another speaker coming to the 2022 Leadership Conference that you might have witnessed presenting webinars for the CPIA is Partner and Vice President of AltaVista, Aaron Hockel.
Reported to be a contractor marketing expert, Hockel and the AltaVista team have worked with commercial painting contractors to grow and scale their repaint business using targeted marketing and digital advertising campaigns. His speaking experience includes the International Roof Expo, International Sign Expo, and IFMA’s World Workplace Convention among others.
At the CPIA conference, Hockel plans to present a seminar on generating commercial repaint leads. During this educational session, attendees will learn how to diversify their business away from primarily bid work or grow their existing commercial repaint business. It will cover a wide range of digital and traditional marketing strategies; plus, how commercial painters can integrate their online and offline marketing efforts.
Duo Ric and Cory Tanner, CEO and President, Exit IQ and Moreton Business Solutions, will also be presenting “Keys To a High-Value Exit” at the Leadership Conference. During the presentation, they will discuss the keys to that success and what a business owner should do to prepare today regardless of where they are in their business journey.
To provide readers with a bit of background on both speakers, Richard H. Tanner is an entrepreneur and has founded four successful businesses in the health care, vocational education, restaurant and financial services industries. He is currently CEO of Exit IQ and Moreton Business Solutions, a Certified Financial Planner, Registered Securities Principal and Exit Planning Strategist. Previously, he was regional director of wealth and private client services for three national commercial banks serving privately held business owners.
He has assisted privately owned business owners implement wealth management, estate planning and executive compensation plans for more than 25 years and has specialized in exit planning for the last 15 years.
Cory B. Tanner is an entrepreneur and founded and sold a very successful solar energy company. He is President of Exit IQ and Moreton Business Solutions, a Registered Securities Representative, Life Insurance Specialist and Exit Planning Strategist. He is Co-Founder of The Optimum Exit Plan, which helps middle-market business owners design and execute successful transfers of ownership.
Traveling from Pittsburgh to speak this October is Ricky Houghton, a Robotics Executive at Finish Robotics. In his presentation, “Robotics and AI in Construction,” Hougton will provide an overview of Robotics and AI terminology and equip attendees with enough knowledge to be “dangerous at their next dinner party.” He also intends to provide some guidelines on what questions you should ask before considering adding robotic and/or AI systems into your workflows.
Houghton is a seasoned computer scientist with a focus on machine learning, computer vision and robotics. While a system scientist at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, he was research- and big idea-focused. It was there that he discovered the value of creative problem-solving and grit. His passion for robotics and respect for the discipline required to do things well was born at CMU while working on a lethal military robotics platform.
He has worked with and developed technologies for self-driving car companies, DARPA/DOD/Military projects and very large/complex machine learning systems deployed at U.S. intelligence agencies. He holds several patents in the wireless and robotics space. He was co-founder of IAM Robotics, a logistic robotics company and most recently, became Co-Founder of Finish Robotics, a construction robotics company.
Scheduled to speak on staffing approaches, Founder of ProfitWorks LLC Annie Newton will also be presenting at the CPIA conference this year.
Described as a virtual and fractional service provider, Newton started her career working as a controller of a multi-location commercial and residential painting company. After 20 years, Newton reports that it was there where she developed her passion for operations and profit. In creating her business, she shared with the CPIA that ProfitWorks primarily serves commercial painting contractors with modern staffing solutions.
In her session, Newton will teach attendees how to evaluate their staff positions, tasks, workflows, retain controls and accountability best practices to avoid the common pitfalls of traditional offshore solutions.
New to the CPIA, Kevin Brown, Technical Director for the Commercial Services Group, KTA-Tator Inc., has also been invited to speak on his expertise regarding common commercial building paint failures.
KTA provides facility owners, architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators and manufacturers peace of mind that the integrity of steel and concrete structures, and other assets are properly assessed and protected. The company achieves this through professional consultation and support during any phase of a project’s design, construction, post-construction, or maintenance.
At KTA, Brown regularly develops and implements maintenance programs for commercial clients with architectural/commercial problems related to paint failures. He holds a Certified XL Tribometrist (CXLT), NACE Level 2 coating inspector certification and Registered Roof Observer (RRO) certification. Brown has a BS degree and MBA from Gardner-Webb University.
He also has attended several seminars at World of Concrete, SSPC and PACE on floor restoration and coating systems. Brown has more than 20 years of experience in the field of retail facility management, overseeing building maintenance and preventative maintenance programs for more than 1,700 stores including facility repaints, floor coating replacement and long-range budget planning.
In his presentation, Brown plans to discuss solutions for preventing paint failures related to workmanship and review common building issues that can be the root cause of paint failures.
Lastly, returning for his second CPIA Conference, entrepreneur, author, biker and speaker, Dwain DeVille will be heading a session on leadership development.
After 30 years in the boardroom, DeVille has crafted a career coaching top CEOs and organizations. His experience covers the spectrum of business, from small enterprises to major corporations, including the Fortune 100. Recently, he joined the CPIA as a Leadership Peer Group facilitator.
When not leading CEO Rides or CPIA meetings, DeVille continues to share his business insights and personal story as a celebrated speaker. From intimate mastermind sessions to keynotes at top conferences, DeVille brings his creative approach to topics all those in business can relate to, from powering performance and empowering the second tier to truly discovering work-life balance.
