Meet the Officers & Board of Directors for Professional Women in Construction, Capital Region Chapter

JoAnn Coleman, PE, President – Ms. Coleman is a Vice President and partner in the firm of Construction Dispute Resolution & Support Services, Inc. based in the District of Columbia. At CDRSS she is engaged in assisting parties involved in construction projects resolve disputes. She regularly lectures at seminars on construction dispute topics and makes presentations at mediations. She has provided expert testimony in major disputes involving scheduling, damages and entitlement issues. Prior to joining CDRSS, Ms. Coleman served as a consultant on scores of national and international construction projects; worked full time on site for a construction company on a major project in Washington, DC; and worked five years in engineering design. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware where she now is involved in a mentoring program for women in engineering.

Lynn M. Schubert, Treasurer – Lynn Schubert is president of The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA), a trade association of insurance companies that write fidelity and surety insurance. The SFAA serves as a statistical organization for the states and represents its member companies in matters of common interest before various federal, state and local government agencies. Ms. Schubert also is on the Board of The Surety Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, created to foster and promote surety as a viable career choice and to provide financial and other assistance to exceptional students, with an emphasis on minority and women students, and Executive Director of the International Surety Association (ISA). Ms. Schubert is active in a number of construction related organizations, and on the Boards of the Washington Sculpture Center and the National Capital YMCA. She received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude in Business Administration from East Carolina University in 1977 and her law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1980. She is admitted to the bar in Georgia and the District of Columbia.

Lisa H. Ambrose, Director – Lisa Ambrose is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tithe Corp. which she founded in 1990. Tithe Corp. is an internationally recognized, 100% woman owned and operated HVAC manufacturer best known for innovative solutions, quality focus and humanitarian motivation. Tithe Corp. designs and manufactures sophisticated, high performance, precision environmental control equipment for use in computer rooms, telecom markets, retail spaces and for military applications. Tithe Corp. is located in a HUB Zone in Baltimore and is eligible for WBE and minority/women’s set asides. Ms. Ambrose received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Business from NYU. Her career in the HVAC and A/E/C industry spans over twenty years and includes mergers and acquisitions, financial modeling, project management, estimating, marketing and business development. Lisa lives in Naples, Florida and Annapolis, Maryland.

Adrian L. Bastianelli III, Esq., Director – Adrian Bastianelli is a construction lawyer with the Washington, DC firm of Peckar, Abramson, Bastianelli & Kelley, LLP. Mr. Bastianelli has taken a leadership role in many construction organizations. He is on the Board of Governors of the American College of Construction Lawyers; on the Governing Committee of the ABA’s Forum on the Construction Industry; a past President of the Washington Building Congress; editor of the Journal of the American College of Construction Lawyers; former editor of The Construction Lawyer; on the Construction Advisory Council for Thompson/West; and has held many other positions. He is highly ranked in construction law by Chambers USA and Who’s Who Legal. Mr. Bastianelli has an active alternative dispute resolution practice serving often as an arbitrator, mediator, and dispute review board member. Before becoming a lawyer Mr. Bastianelli worked as a civil engineer and obtained his professional engineers license. Mr. Bastianelli received a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and a JD from the University of Louisville.

Stephen H. Dalton, AIA, Director – Steve Dalton is the Executive Vice President of Tishman Construction Corporation of DC. Throughout his 30-year career as a construction manager, contractor, developer and architect, he has been involved in more than $2 billion dollars and 5 million square feet of construction. Experience ranges from all aspects including site acquisition, feasibility studies, master plan development, management of the design process, development of financial models for real estate projects and every stage of construction from preconstruction to move-ins. An active member in many prestigious organizations throughout the area, Mr. Dalton maintains and develops longstanding client relationships. Mr. Dalton holds a degree in Psychology from Hobart College and a Masters Degree in Architecture from Columbia University. Mr. Dalton is a licensed architect in the State of New York, NCARB Certified nationally, and an active member in the American Institute of Architects.

L. Catherine Hader, Director – Catherine Hader is a Vice President of DMJM H&N, Inc., an architecture, engineering, and construction management firm whose 1,300 professionals have served clients throughout the US and worldwide since 1946. She has over 21 years of experience in the A/E/C industry, the last 15 with DMJM H&N where she oversees marketing, business development, and public relations activities for the firm’s DC design practice. She holds additional responsibilities in the firm, managing its client survey program; administering its Professional Development Program for future leaders; and performing quality audits. She is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, the Society of American Military Engineers, and the Construction Writers Association. She is a regular contributor to ARCHITECTUREDC magazine, a quarterly publication of the American Institute of Architects’ DC Chapter.

Marianne C. Ramey, Director – Marianne Ramey is the President of Project Advisors International, an international disputes resolution consulting firm. For over 25 years, Ms. Ramey has been engaged as an expert on matters of programme delay related to large infrastructure projects. She is a registered professional civil engineer in the USA and Australia, a certified PMP, and holds an MBA. She is a fellow of ASCE, a member of the British Academy of Experts, and a director of the Dispute Review Board Foundation. She has provided testimony for numerous disputes in litigation in a variety of international forums, and as the tribunal’s expert. She has also advised contractors and owners during project execution on managing schedule and cost risk.

Lori Ann Lange, Esq., General Counsel – Lori Ann Lange is an attorney with the law firm of Peckar, Abramson, Bastianelli, & Kelley, LLP in Washington, DC. Her practice specializes in government contracts and construction counseling. She received her law degree from the George Washington University. Ms. Lange has written on various aspects of government contracts and construction law. She is a contributing author to Construction Claims Deskbook, State-by-State Guide to Construction Contracts and Claims, State-by-State Guide to Architect, Engineer, and Contractor Licensing, and Federal Government Construction Contracts. She also co-authored several construction briefing papers. Ms. Lange is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia and Maryland.