Anirban Basu is the Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy consulting firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland with an office in Orlando, Florida. The firm provides strategic analytical services to energy suppliers, law firms, medical systems, government agencies, and real estate developers among others.

In 2014, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan appointed him Chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission (2014-2021). He serves as Chairman of the Baltimore County Economic Advisory Committee. He is also the Chief Economist to Associated Builders and Contractors, the Chief Economist of the Maryland Bankers Association, and Chief Economic Advisor to the Construction Financial Management Association. He serves or has served similar functions for Visit Baltimore, Maryland Realtors, and Marcum, LLP.

He has lectured at Johns Hopkins University, most recently in Global Strategy, and has also taught international economics, urban economics, micro- and macroeconomics at Hopkins. His radio show can be heard weekdays on 88.1FM, WYPR, Baltimore.

In both 2007 and 2016, the Daily Record newspaper selected Mr. Basu as one of Maryland’s 50 most influential people. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.

Dr. Basu has been on many boards over time, including First Mariner Bank, the Baltimore City Public School System, Port Discovery, the Baltimore School for the Arts, and Union Memorial Hospital. He is currently on the boards of the University of Maryland School of Law, St. Mary’s College, the University of Maryland Medical Center, the University System of Maryland Foundation, the Center for Emerging Media, the Lyric Opera House and the Archdiocese of Baltimore School System.

Dr. Basu earned his B.S. in Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He earned his Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and his Master’s in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. His Juris Doctor was earned at the University of Maryland School of Law. His doctoral work was completed at UMBC with a concentration in health economics.

Michael Balter serves as regional managing partner for the Southeast. Additionally, he is Assurance Services leader for the Southeast region and is a member of Marcum’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Balter joined Marcum in 2014 with more than 25 years of client service experience in the construction, manufacturing, distribution, and service industries.

Mr. Balter holds an MBA from Florida Atlantic University and a BS in Accounting from the University of Florida, where he serves on the Accounting Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), and the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) – South Florida. He is also a Board member and past president of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and is chairman of the FICPA Construction Conference.

Mr. Balter authored the Financial Management section of the Contractors Manual for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and recently completed his term as financial counsel for the South Florida chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. He also is a regular contributor to industry journals including Construction Focus, Construction Ink, and Building Florida.

Jeff has more than 25 years of experience creating revenue growth and reducing costs within various industries, including construction, technical, and industrial services. He has established, owned, operated, and directed small to large public and privately held companies.

His career includes project and program management in the utility industry for companies providing fuel additives and performance and emission monitoring throughout North America. He served as President and Director of six subsidiary companies for Handex Environmental Resources, a publicly traded national environmental consulting and contracting company servicing major oil and chemical companies. Also, as the Chief Operating Officer of a national consolidated roofing company, he was responsible for 35 offices and more than 2600 employees. He managed daily operations of all field offices, project operations, risk management, service, asset management, and recruitment.

During the past nine years, Jeff has provided turnaround management and consulting services, including process improvement, cash management, and strategic planning to various organizations.

Jeff is married with three children, two sons and one daughter, and enjoys UF sports.

Rick Colandreo, has been integral to Current Builders’ success and growth since 1996. A licensed CPA, he holds degrees in accounting and finance. Rick is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. While overseeing all aspects of Current Builders’ corporate finances, Rick also manages a team of in-house account managers who utilize state-of-the-art accounting software to monitor and track project costs and revenues. Rick brings expertise in financial management that is founded on the highest ethical and moral standards.

In 2021 Rick announced that the firm would become an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) as part of the company’s strategy to retain and attract top construction employees. The shortage of qualified workers in the construction industry continues to be a persistent national issue, but Rick believes that initiatives, such as Current Builders recently launched ESOP, will place the firm in an advantageous recruiting and retainage position as the firm builds to meet the tremendous demand for multifamily and mixed-use housing in Florida.

In addition, Rick is an ardent supporter of Best Buddies, the world’s largest organization to his responsibilities at Current Builders dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2020, Rick assumed the lead role for Current Builders’ Charitable Foundation which supports community causes and non-profit fundraising for numerous regional charities including but not limited to Best Buddies, Toys for Tots, Dolphins Cancer Challenge, Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity and the Kappa Foundation.

Jeffrey Condello established RANDALL (formerly Randall Mechanical Inc.) in 1986 as a local plumbing company. His strategic vision led RANDALL to become a powerhouse in the construction industry. As Owner and CEO of RANDALL, he has more than 35 cumulative years in the construction business. Randall is a subcontractor company with a yearly work in place of $170M and a workforce approximately of 900 employees. Included in that tenure are extensive experience in project leadership, organizational management, and the fiscal responsibilities of company ownership. Condello understands what is required to successfully delegate, communicate and oversee large construction projects.

Condello is active in his community and currently serves on the UCF Board of Trustees, the board of Project Opioid, and The Faine House Board of Directors. He is also a UCF Athletics Legacy Circle donor.

Nicholas DiBitetto has 25 years of experience in the AEC industry. He is the General Manager of BuildingPoint Midwest & Gulf Coast and has been with the company since its founding as a Trimble building construction partner in 1998.

Nicholas got his start selling the very first laser-level solutions and has witnesses construction technology go beyond what anyone would have thought possible 20 years ago.

Today, he oversees a family-owned business with over 20 employees across 8 states in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. Nick has a wife and four children and makes his home in Plainfield, IL

Todd Ellsworth has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He is the Director of Professional Services at BuildingPoint Midwest & Gulf Coast.

 Todd studied Construction Management at Oklahoma State University and began his career with a large national contractor in the Preconstruction group. During his career, Todd has worked as a VDC lead for various companies, growing the knowledge that today has made him one of the industry’s leading virtual design and construction experts.

Prior to joining BuildingPoint shortly after it started, he spent a number of years as a partner in a company that directly consulted with various AEC companies all over the country. He’s spoken at a number of regional and national conferences around the subject of BIM/VDC and other emerging technologies.

 Today, Todd leads BuildingPoint Midwest & Gulf Coast’s Professional Services division, supporting hundreds of clients nationwide. Todd makes his home in New Orleans.

Alberto “Al” Fernandez is widely recognized as one of the South Florida construction industry’s top executives and business leaders. He began his construction career 40 years ago as the General Contractor, Qualifying Agent, and Vice President of Construction for the company. He held this position until 1992 when he was named President of ANF Group, Inc. As a founding member of the company, Al has been at the forefront of producing the quality of work that ANF Group, Inc. has built its reputation on. Mr. Fernandez received both the 2019 Apogee Award and the 2021 Apogee Award from South Florida Business and Wealth, which recognizes top leaders in South Florida business. Al has also been recognized by South Florida Business Journal in its 2022 Diversity and Inclusion “Diverse Voices” program.

Al Fernandez is actively involved in several industry associations and local community organizations. He serves on the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, as a board member for Broward Workshop and the Community Foundation of Broward, an alternate on the Board of Rules and Appeals for Broward County, and a former board member of the South Florida Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. He is also a member of the Construction Association of South Florida, Latin Builders Association, and Hispanic Unity of Florida. He participates as a General for the Boys and Girls Club and actively fundraises for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Diabetes Association. In 2008, Al served as Chairman of the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure. In 2009, Al created the Tour de Broward, a charity cycling event benefiting Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for 12 consecutive years. His philanthropic efforts have raised over $6 million for the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. These are just a few examples of the community projects that Al leads and participates in every year.

As Vice President of Construction Division Operations, Mr. Tim Fiske is responsible for the overall management of field operations for the State of Florida. He also plays a leading role in structuring Stiles Construction for continuing growth throughout the Southeast.

Mr. Fiske brings to Stiles over 19 years of proven expertise in management, general contracting, estimating and business development.

Prior to Stiles, Mr. Fiske was Vice President and Operations Manager of Harrison Construction Corp. in Miami, where he led strategic planning, supervised major commercial projects, and headed all daily operations for the general contracting firm. Previously, as part of the management team at Turner Construction Company’s Miami office in Coral Gables, he served as Chief Estimator and Manager of Business Development, pursuing projects throughout the Caribbean and the southeastern United States from $500,000 to $75 million.

Mr. Fiske is a member of the Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Association of General Contractors. He is a graduate of Lafeyette College in Easton, Pennsylvania where he earned his bachelor’s degree in science and civil engineering.

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Tim currently resides in Coral Gables, Florida.

Ashlie Forum is a partner in the Firm’s Tax & Business Services Division. She also serves as the Firm’s Real Estate and Construction Industry Leader in the Southeast.

Ms. Forum consults with clients who are adding, modifying and divesting real estate portfolios. The depth of her practice includes proactively planning to leverage 1031 exchanges as well as other strategies. For example, Ms. Forum works regularly with clients interested in direct investment into Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs) as well as those creating their own QOZ funds. Additionally, she guides clients through cost segregation studies.

Ms. Forum provides a wide range of tax services to privately held companies in a variety of industries with extensive experience serving family businesses as well as high net worth families. She has provided tax consulting, compliance, research, and tax planning services to privately held companies, as well as assisted with tax controversy issues.

Ms. Forum has ample knowledge in partnership taxation with a focus on the business and compliance needs of limited liability companies. Ms. Forum also has experience in Family Office services, which includes a variety of services from bill paying, succession planning, and investment analysis.

Michael Gift is a Managing Director with BMO Commercial Bank, where he is responsible for managing the lending portfolio of BMO’s U.S. Engineering & Construction business – originating, structuring and underwriting commercial, corporate and leverage debt transactions for both public and private clients. While lending decisions are a chief responsibility, Michael also focuses on driving new business across the industry and its subsectors, including building products, general and specialty contractors, infrastructure, as well as architecture/design firms.

Michael has been with the Engineering & Construction Group since 2006. He holds a BS in Finance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA in Finance and Management Strategy from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management. Outside of BMO, Mike serves as a Director for the Chicago Building Congress (CBC).

Adam Handfinger is co-managing partner of the firm’s Miami office. He is certified by the Florida Bar as a Construction Law Specialist and focuses his practice on construction law and commercial litigation matters, representing construction professionals in issues relating to contract negotiation, project management, subcontractor performance issues and claims, payment, construction defects, bond and insurance claims, the project closeout process, and the litigation of related disputes.

Adam advises clients through all stages of construction projects, often helping clients resolve problems in real-time to avoid disputes and achieve successful project outcomes. Adam and his team have extensive litigation experience throughout the United States, in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration proceedings. This litigation experience involves all types of construction law issues, including payment disputes, delay claims, construction defect claims, and insurance coverage issues.

Adam also works with Peckar and Abramson’s Employment Law Group, defending employment practice liability claims, including discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage claims. He has successfully defended class action Fair Labor Standards Act Claims brought by construction laborers.

Adam has received several accolades. He has been ranked by Chambers for multiple years in a row and was named a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500. Adam is also recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers and was named the 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” for Construction Law in Miami by Best Lawyers. He has also been named a Top Lawyer by the South Florida Legal Guide and has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale.

Adam has published over 70 articles regarding construction law and is a frequent lecturer on construction-related topics. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Terry W. Stiles School of Real Estate Development at the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University, teaching a course on construction management.

Michael Platner is the managing partner of Lewis Brisbois’ Fort Lauderdale office, as well as the chair of the firm’s national Corporate Practice and co-chair of its Securities & Corporate Finance Practice. He works with clients to develop and execute business-savvy legal strategies for businesses, from early stage through maturity and sale or merger, with a view toward maximizing benefit to their owners and investors.

Michael is an experienced corporate and finance “deals” attorney and strategist. He regularly acts as primary outside counsel to middle-market companies owned by private individuals, investment and private equity firms, and public companies. Consistently focused on helping companies and their owners build value and manage risk, Michael has negotiated and closed several hundred transactions including partnerships, business sales and acquisitions, and corporate finance in technology, distribution, manufacturing, and real estate development. Michael also handles litigation and alternative dispute resolution, including mediation. He manages litigation matters strategically with the client’s ultimate business goals in mind to achieve the best financial impacts and business solutions.

Michael has personally founded or been an early-stage investor in several businesses, including in software, internet infrastructure, new media, and cloud computing. Due to his extensive hands-on business experience, he has a deep understanding that is important to entrepreneurs and venture capital investors.

Michael’s specific industry experience includes software, e-business, manufacturing, restaurant and hotel management and operating agreements, computer systems acquisition, hospitality, insurance, funeral homes and cemeteries, joint venture and other corporate finance structuring, new ventures and emerging companies, as well as other strategic business consulting. He also has extensive experience with internet strategies, including deals involving collocation, hosting, API licensing, trademark, copyright and URL disputes, terms of service, and abuse.

An influential thought leader, Michael speaks nationally and abroad on applying merger and acquisition and partnering strategies to create value and liquidity, and to reduce or eliminate conflict. In addition, he hosts “Going Liquid,” a highly-commended series of ongoing workshops that provide actionable advice to business owners who want to position their organizations successfully for ultimate liquidity events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael’s thought leadership has provided invaluable support and guidance for business leaders. He hosts numerous virtual workshops, which provide advice from leaders across various industries on proactive measures that business owners may take to navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

The South Florida Legal Guide has consistently recognized Michael as a “Top Lawyer” for over a decade and, in 2014, he was recognized as the “North American Corporate and Commercial Lawyer of the Year” by Lawyer Monthly. In addition, Michael holds a Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ of AV, a designation indicating that he has reached the highest level of professional skill and integrity.

As the co-leader of Marcum’s national employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) practice, Patrice specializes in advising middle-market companies on ESOP sale transactions, fairness opinions and other consulting advisory services. Patrice serves as a trusted advisor to a diverse range of middle-market companies nationwide delivering strategic consultation. Patrice has been instrumental in completing numerous transactions for selling shareholders each year, providing valuation, ESOP feasibility and deal structure advice as well as being the leading advisor on consummating ESOP transactions. In addition, under her leadership, Marcum provides annual valuation updates to ESOP Trustees with existing ESOP clients. Her prior career experience also includes providing fiduciary services for ESOP companies, including assisting in buy transactions from existing shareholders.

Prior to her current role Ms. Radogna spent 20 years building a diversified valuation practice in one of the leading independent national valuation firms in the U.S., with a focus in the areas of ESOP (buy-side and sell-side valuation services), gift and estate, M&A and shareholder consulting services. Prior to appraising privately-held businesses, Patrice spent three years as a financial underwriter for a surety company, working with contractors in New York City.

Craig Wendel has over 15 years of investment banking mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory and capital markets experience. Mr. Wendel is the Managing Director of Deal Origination at Align Business Advisory Services where he focuses on advising and guiding lower-to-middle-market companies through the complex M&A process. Mr. Wendel has successfully structured, negotiated, and completed more than $4 billion in transaction value through more than 60 deals across an array of industries, with notable experience in the construction and building products segment. Mr. Wendel and Align enjoy advising and garnering maximum transaction value for family-owned and operator-owned businesses and entrepreneurs that have been historically neglected and underserved by the investment banking M&A advisory community.

Prior to joining Align, Mr. Wendel held various positions in national investment banking firms focused on M&A and capital advisory services for middle-market companies. Mr. Wendel has also held various positions at a global hedge fund and private equity firm. He began his career in the investment banking division of J.P. Morgan. Mr. Wendel earned his degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Tampa – John H. Sykes College of Business.